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Jesus

The Desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to Himself.  Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for.[1]

Who is Jesus?

Jesus is the second person of the Holy Trinity. He is the fulfillment of God Our Father’s promise to mankind.  Because Jesus became man and walked among us, He is the face of God that we find the most approachable.  To know Jesus, it is necessary to read scripture.

The Word

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God; and the Word was God”  (Jn 1:1).  John introduces us to Jesus as “The Word.”  Before Jesus became a man, He existed as the Word.  He first revealed Himself to the world as the Word of Sacred Scripture.  The Bible was divinely inspired and through reading The Word, we come to know Jesus.  Because the Word in Scripture is Jesus, the Church venerates the scripture.  This scripture is not a design of human plan and thought, it is a communication from God Himself.  God is the author of Scripture and He reveals Himself to us through it.[2]  It is because these words are from God that man cannot undertake to change the words or remove verses or entire books from the Bible (Rv 22:18-19).  The Bible in its entirety is the truth; to change scripture is a distortion of the truth and distorts our understanding of the person of Jesus.

Why did Jesus decide to become man?  St. John tells us the reason:  “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness grasped it not” (Jn 1:4-5).  Jesus is our life. Through Him we have eternal life (1 Jn 5:11-13).  We had lost our eternal life through our sin, so Jesus came to earth to restore life to us.  Because the penalty for sin is death, Jesus came to pay the penalty for our sin by dying in our place.  In His resurrection, He also restored our life to us.  In the Memorial Acclamation of the Mass, we proclaim “Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life.[3]” This is why Jesus came to earth.  We had lost our way in the darkness of our sin and He came to show us the light, to lead us to salvation (Jn 4:9).

The Holy Name of Jesus

When the time came for Jesus to enter the world, God sent His angel Gabriel to a young virgin named Mary.  He said to her, “Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son and shalt call His name Jesus” (Lk 1:31).  The name “Jesus” means “savior.”  He was given this name by God because He was sent to save the people from their sins.  Therefore, every time we pronounce the Holy Name of Jesus, we give God glory because we offer Him all the infinite merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus.[4]

Simply speaking the Name of Jesus is a prayer.  The devil hates the name of Jesus so much that when we speak the name of Jesus in petition to God, we can overcome many temptations.  In times of sorrow, speaking the name of Jesus brings us comfort because He who suffered more than any man comes rushing to our side to comfort us.  When we desire to love Him more, we can speak His Name and He comes to us and He fills us with His love and His peace.

The King of Kings

Jesus came to establish God’s kingdom of love here on earth (from the Our Father).  In Heaven, Jesus is recognized as King.  In time, all people will recognize that He is King (Phil 2:9-10).  Jesus is our king because He is the Son of God, but He is also a king in the human sense.  He is the direct descendent of David, the anointed king of Israel.  His lineage and rightful claim to the throne of David is given to us in scripture.  In the Gospel of Matthew (1:1-16), we are given the lineage of Jesus through Joseph, His virgin father. Joseph was a descendent of David through David’s son Solomon.  Although Joseph was not genetically Jesus’s father, he was legally Jesus’s father because he was the husband of Mary.  Therefore, the throne would have passed from Joseph to Jesus. 

In the Gospel of Luke (3:23-38), we are given the lineage of Jesus through Mary.  Verse 38 states that Joseph was the son of Heli.  This was a common practice when referring to a son-in-law.  In the time this Gospel was written, the Jews never referred to the woman’s name, so when Mary’s lineage is given, they referred to her husband as the “son.”  (We can distinguish the difference between the lineage in the Gospels because Matthew uses the word “begat.”  This means that the father is the genetic father of the son. Luke simply says “son of” which in Hebrew times was a recognition of any legal father-son relationship, such as that of “son-in-law.”)  The name of Heli is the same as Mary’s father’s more well-known name Joachim. (This interpretation of scripture was given by St. Augustine and St. Jerome.)[5]  Mary is a direct descendent of David through David’s son Nathan on her father’s side.  It is also a common opinion of the Doctors of the Church that Mary’s mother, Anne, was the sister of Joseph’s father Jacob, thus, Mary was also a descendent of David through Solomon on her mother’s side.[6]

In understanding that Jesus was in the line of kings from both sides of His family, we recognize that He was the rightful King of Israel.  He is the king of Kings because His kingship surpasses the kingship of all His predecessors.  Of all the kings of Israel He is the most glorious because His kingdom is eternal.  Of all the powerful kings that ever existed, He alone can grant eternal peace in His kingdom and eternal life to all who bow down to Him and glorify His Name.

The Good Shepherd

Jesus who came in perfect humility, did not announce Himself as our King in order for us to bow down to Him.  He called Himself Our Shepherd and referred to us as His sheep because He wanted us to love and trust Him (Jn 10:1-18).  In this parable He says, “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know Me” (Jn 10:14).  To understand this parable, it helps to understand the customs of the time.  In those days, the shepherds would gather all their sheep into one barn at night.  In the morning, the shepherds would come to the sheepfold and call out each sheep by name.  Each shepherd had a name for each sheep and could distinguish his sheep from the others.  The sheep each knew the voice of their own shepherd.  The sheep would not leave the sheepfold until they heard their own shepherd’s voice calling their own name.  Then, the sheep would follow their shepherd to their pasture where they would graze for the day.

Jesus uses this image as the shepherd to show us how much He loves us.  Each of us is a unique individual that is precious to Him.  When He tells us, “I have called you by name,” that is exactly what He means. When He says that the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep, He is foretelling what He intends to do for us (Jn 10:14-15).  He is so full of love for us that He never wavered in His mission.  He came to save us, and that is exactly what He did.

The Lamb of God

Jesus is also referred to as the “Lamb of God.” After the consecration of the Mass when Jesus is present on the altar, we address Him with the prayer: “Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.”

The image of the lamb comes to us from a rich tradition in Hebrew scripture.  The first sacrifice of the lamb was celebrated at the first Passover in the book of Exodus.  Moses went to Pharaoh on God’s authority and asked him to free the Israelite slaves.  Pharaoh refused several times and after each refusal the plagues that descended on Egypt grew worse and worse.  The final plague was the death of the firstborn of every family –humans and animals alike.  Before this plague occurred, Moses instructed the Israelites to take a spotless lamb, slaughter it, then smear the blood of the lamb over their doorways (Ex12:7).  The angel of death would “pass over” (this is where the word “Passover” comes from) all the houses that were covered with the blood of the lamb and they would be saved from death (Ex 12:13).

The Passover occurred again – physically and spiritually – on Good Friday.  Jesus is the spotless lamb, the One untouched by any stain of sin, who was sacrificed.  It is His Blood that covers us, just as the lamb’s blood covered the doorway of the Israelites’ homes.  Because He covers us with His Blood and removes our sin, we escape from eternal death (hell).

Why was Jesus willing to die for us?  Because He loves us.  All things were created through Him (Jn 1:13) because of His infinite love.  He gave us life and we destroyed it.  Because He could not bear the thought of eternity without His beloved people, He gave life back to us by His own death and resurrection.  It is in contemplating His suffering and death for us that we begin to understand the depth of His love for us.

Recommended Reading

First Epistle of John

The Wonders of the Holy Name by Fr. Paul O’Sullivan, O.P.

Catechism of the Catholic Church: Sacred Scriptures (paragraphs 101-133) and Jesus Christ (paragraphs 422-478).

[1] Catechism of the Catholic Church, Liguori Publications, paragraph #27.

[2] Ibid., #104.

[3] This article was originally published by the author in 1996. In the Revised Roman Missal in 2010 this Memorial Acclamation was changed to: “Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.”

[4] The Wonders of the Holy Name, by Fr. Paul O’Sullivan O.P., Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. p.3.

[5] The Life and Glories of St. Joseph, by Edward Healy Thompson, Augustine Publishing Co., chapter 3.

[6] Ibid., chapter 3.

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Read more about the article The Sign of the Cross

The Sign of the Cross

What is the Sign of the Cross?

The Sign of the Cross is made by touching one’s forehead, then the heart, and then the left shoulder and across to the right shoulder. While doing this, one says “In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.” The Sign of the Cross has been used since the earliest Christian times and is still used in the Catholic Church today. Catholics make the Sign of the Cross at the beginning and end of every prayer. The Sign of the Cross is used at the beginning and end of every Mass (which is the most perfect prayer); we come together as a Christian community and begin the Mass with the sign of the cross and the priest blesses us at the end of the Mass with the Sign of the Cross.

What Does It Mean?

The Sign of the Cross has been rich in meaning in the Church since the earliest times. First, when we make the Sign, we remind ourselves of the horrible instrument used to crucify Our Lord. In making the Sign of the Cross, we remind ourselves of His sacrifice for us. In our remembrance of His sacrifice we glorify Him. The Sign of the Cross is the prayer thanking Him for the gift of salvation.

A Sign of Unity

The Sign of the Cross is a sign of who we are. As Christians, it is a symbol that reminds us that we are united to each other. By His Blood He adopted each of us; we are now one family (Mt 12:50). In coming together as a group in prayer, we all make the Sign of the Cross which symbolizes our unity through Jesus.

When we enter the community of believers through Baptism, our godparents (or sponsors) and the priest make the Sign of the Cross on our foreheads.[1]  According to St. Paul, the Sign of the Cross is the sign that we are members of the body of Christ; we are participants in the new covenant. St. Paul explains to us that circumcision was a sign of the believer of the old covenant (Rm 3:11). Now Jesus calls us to a new covenant (Mt 26:28) and He marks us with the Sign of the Cross.

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me

The Sign of the Cross reminds us of Jesus’s words to us to “carry our crosses” (Mt 5:12 and Mt 10:38). Jesus, out of love for us, struggled with His cross up the hill to Calvary and then was nailed to it. He took our punishment when He died for our sins. We now have daily little crosses in our lives which He asks us to carry for love of Him (Mt 16:24).

Our crosses are the difficulties and suffering we have in our daily lives––a minor or major illness, a sick relative, a difficult neighbor, a job we don’t like, even a headache is a little cross. It is by accepting these things (especially those that we cannot change) and bearing with them patiently that we grow closer to Jesus. As Christians we seek to imitate Christ. He lovingly carried His cross for us, now He asks us to do the same for Him.

A Sign of Blessing

The Sign of the Cross is a sign of blessing. We bless ourselves when we make the Sign. The priest blesses us with the Sign at the end of every Mass. We can also bless others (e.g., our children) with this Sign. The Sign made with faith confers blessings and protection on the one being blessed (1 Cor 1:18).  It is very powerful as a blessing and as a shield of protection because we are invoking the Name of each person of the Trinity––and God listens with His ear to our mouths when we invoke His Name. It is powerful also because we are glorifying Jesus for His sacrifice for us, and God always blesses those who glorify Him.

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Recommended Reading:

Matthew, Ch. 26-27

James Ch. 1-2

[1] Catechism of the Catholic Church, Liguori Publications, 1994. # 1235.

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Read more about the article God Our Father

God Our Father

Who is God the Father?

As Catholics, we profess our faith in a Triune God:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The Trinity is one God, but three distinct persons in one God.  Although this is a mystery to us, we are invited to more deeply know each of these three persons.

The First Person of the Trinity is God the Father.  He is the Father of Jesus and He is also Our Father.  Jesus Himself taught us this.  In fact, one of the revelations of Jesus’ ministry is the fact that His Father is also Our Father and He invites to come to know Our Father.

In the first book of the Old Testament (Genesis), we are introduced to a loving God who created humanity and provided for all our needs.  After Adam and Eve fell from grace by their sin, God Our Father mercifully promised to send a Redeemer.  In the second book of the Old Testament (Exodus), we encounter a God who has compassion for His People enslaved in Egypt and frees them from bondage.  Throughout the Old Testament we read about the Israelites who continually waver between praising God and rebelling against Him.  Every time they stray from their faith, He sends prophets to call them back.  He is a God who loves His People.

In the New Testament, Jesus not only tells us that God loves us, but that He is Our Father.  It is through Jesus that we obtain God as Father. Jesus, as the Second Person of the Trinity, was, is, and always will be the Son of the Father.  When Jesus took on a human body, He became the “only begotten Son of the Father.”  He is the only Son conceived by God Himself through the power of the Holy Spirit.  As a human conceived in the flesh, God was His Father.  He is in all aspects the Son of God.

When Jesus came into the world, He invited us to become His brothers and sisters (Mark 3:34-35[i]).  He adopted us and bought us with His Blood which He shed on the cross for us. Thus, we are the adopted children of God and can now call God “Our Father.”  Because Jesus wants us to truly know that God is Our Father and have a Father-child relationship with Him, He spends time teaching us about the Father. 

Jesus teaches us that we can come to know Our Father in prayer.   In fact, He taught us how to pray to Our Father.  Jesus Himself gave us the prayer that we call  “The Lord’s Prayer” or the “Our Father” (Matthew 6: 5-14).  It is Jesus who has told us to call God Our Father.  Jesus also called Him “Abba” which means “Daddy.”  This is not a term that one uses to address a cold and distant God, but a term filled with love.  “Daddy” is an intimate word that is spoken by a child who loves and trusts His Father.  “Daddy” is a word that a child utters when he is snuggled securely in his father’s arms.  How often we forget that Our Father said to us “I will never forget you.  I have carved you on the palm of My Hand” (Isaiah 49:15 -16).  Our Father truly holds us in His Hand.  Jesus calls Him “Daddy” to remind us that we are the precious, beloved children of God and we will be snuggled safely in His Arms if we choose to trust Him and allow ourselves to get close to Him. 

Jesus also teaches us about Our Father through parables. He shows us an example of how merciful and forgiving Our Father is in the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-31).  The father loves his son so much that he forgives him and rejoices that his son has returned to him.  The son who was seeking forgiveness was not greeted with reproach, but with forgiveness and joy.  This is how Our Heavenly Father responds to us when seek forgiveness from Him.

Myths about God

God is truly Our Father.  He is the perfect Father.  He is strong, just, mighty, all-powerful, and all-knowing.  He is also kind, merciful, gentle, generous, forgiving, and loving.  Some people try to say that God is also our mother, because of these “feminine” traits.  God does not have these traits because He is “our mother,” He has these traits because He is perfection.  He embodies all good, noble, and worthy traits because He is God.  It is incorrect to say that God is our mother.  He is Our Father.  We know this without doubt because Jesus told us that God is Our Father and Jesus neither lies nor withholds truth from us.

Some people may try to say that God is mother out of ignorance.  They are not intentionally misleading people, they merely lack an understanding of their Catholic faith.  Others do intentionally mislead people because they are trying to push their own agenda of what they want the Church to be.  They sadly believe the women are regarded as second class citizens and try to establish equality by saying that God is our mother.  This is a grave fallacy.  The saddest part is that it destroys the intimate nature of the relationship between God and us.  By creating their own version of God as father and mother, they create a nameless, faceless, cosmic being without a unique identity.  No one can have an intimate relationship with a cosmic being.  We therefore know that this is not the truth because Jesus Himself calls us to an intimate relationship with our “Daddy.”

God Loves All His People

God loves all His people equally.  However, He created us as man and woman and gave to each of us different gifts.  From the beginning, God meant us to be a community. In community we help each other, nurture each other, and grow closer to God.  If He gave all gifts to every person, we would have no need for community.  We would be content to be alone and would not pursue a relationship with God.  God in His Graciousness, has given us weaknesses to draw us closer to Him; we need God and we know that we need Him. In His Graciousness, He has also given us each other.  All the members of the community are necessary — no one is expendable.

We all have different gifts, yet each gift is as valuable as any other gift. Jesus did not look upon women as second class citizens, He saw them all as equal inheritors of the Kingdom of God.  Jesus lifts up women.  We see many examples of His compassion and love for women.  In Luke 7:11-17, He sees a funeral procession.  A widow’s only son (and thus only means of support) has died.  Jesus, in His love and compassion for her, restores her son to her.  In Matthew 9:20-22, a woman with faith touches His cloak and is healed.  He does not rebuke her; He lovingly tells her that her faith has healed her.

God also holds up a woman to us as His perfect disciple.  When Gabriel greeted Mary at the Annunciation, he said “Hail, full of grace” (Luke 1:28), thus acknowledging that she was pure and sinless.  Because she was perfectly obedient to God her entire life and, because of her love for God, never sinned, she was assumed into Heaven at her death.  She was crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth because of her perfect fidelity to God.

Jesus adopted us as His brothers and sisters.  Because of Jesus, we can call God Our Father.  Jesus also gave us Mary as our mother.  From the cross, He said to her and the beloved disciple, “Woman behold your son.  Son behold your mother (John 19:26-27).”  He did not say “John behold your mother.”  The gospel does not say Jesus addressed His mother and John.  It refers to “the beloved disciple” and Jesus speaks to the “son.”  This is because Jesus gave His mother to all of us.  We are all the beloved disciple.  We are all now the sons and daughters of Mary.   Mary is our mother. 

We can now see that to call God Our Father “mother” is to deny the mother that Jesus gave us.  Jesus who speaks only truth and all truth has told us that God is Our Father and Mary is our mother. Jesus invites us to intimacy with Our Father through prayer and reading scripture.  Jesus has revealed to us what we need to know about God; we therefore need to pick up the Bible and read it.  To understand what we have read, we need to engage in prayer.  Why not start with the prayer Jesus gave us? 

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.  Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen.

Recommended Bibles:

The Holy Bible, Douay Rheims Version.  Published by Tan Books and Publishes, Inc. Rockford Ill.  (Translated from the Latin Vulgate, this is recognized as the “scrupulously faithful translation” ).  Saint Joseph “New Catholic Edition” of the Holy Bible.  Published by the Catholic Book Publishing Company, N.Y. (the Douay-Rheims bible in 20th century  English — a faithful translation

[i] This passage begins with someone telling Jesus that His mother and brothers wished to speak to Him.  It is very important to clarify here that “brother” means a close relative.  These “brothers” were actually cousins of Jesus, but in the Aramaic language no such word exists for cousins.  This is important because Mary is the Eternal Virgin.   She never bore any children except Jesus who was conceived by God, thus keeping Her virginity and purity intact.

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