And They Were Silenced

The first few chapters of Acts witness the geographical expansion of the Gospel, as the Holy Spirit led outward from Jerusalem and to the surrounding regions. But Luke has been equally diligent in pointing out specific details of events, giving personal testimonies of people who were overjoyed when they came to faith.

At the end of chapter 8, we saw the conversion of the Samaritan magician Simon. In chapter 9 the Ethiopian Eunuch believes, and in Chapter 10, Cornelius the Roman centurion and his entire household come to faith. In addition to teaching us geography, Luke has helped us understand the demographical impact of the good news of Jesus.

In Acts 11:1-18, Luke gives us insight into the struggle between Jewish and Gentile Christians, as they seek to make sense of the new spiritual unity they have in Christ. Jewish Christians - who believed in the risen Jesus, who received the Holy Spirit and were baptized - criticized the Apostle Peter for entering the home of the Gentile Cornelius, and sharing a meal with him there (11:3).

The problem was that Peter as a Jew should know better than to eat a meal in the home of a Gentile. In the ancient symbolism of table-fellowship, “to eat with someone is to share spiritually with them as well”1, and therefore, by implication, to eat with a Gentile was not only unclean and a rejection of holiness, it was downright idolatrous.

The practical questions of how to work out the common faith now became relevant. Can Jewish and Gentile Christians eat together? Are all of God’s people equal in status?

The question of food and holiness may seem absurd to us because it’s quite common to think of food as either fuel for the body: food's just something we need in order to survive; or, it’s something to consume: we eat because it gives us pleasure, and that’s about it. But something powerful happens when we eat together. There is great spiritual value in sharing a meal: communion with our neighbour and with God ‘happens’, when we eat together.

So, what does Peter make of this? How does he defend himself. Well, he does what most of us love doing, and some of us do it often! He blames someone else, he blames God. And to his credit, that is the right thing to do, because God was behind the event, he orchestrated it. Peter’s visit with Cornelius was not the result of his own calculation; it was a response to God’s “divine initiative.”2

The sequence of events is quite telling: God first spoke to the pious Cornelius in a vision: send some men to look for Peter, he is told (10:5); Cornelius obeys, and sends for Peter (10:8). Meanwhile, Peter also has a vision (10:11-16), and as he ponders his vision (10:19), Cornelius’ men arrive, and then Peter gets it, he understands the vision.

He goes along with them, and then, in a wonderful narrative at the end of chapter 10, Peter enters Cornelius’ home, he proclaims the risen Jesus to him, the Holy Spirit comes upon Cornelius and his household, and he is baptized. And as the Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius, Peter remembers Jesus’ words: “John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (11:16). It’s a wonderful account of a household coming to faith.

And that’s why upon being criticized, Peter says bluntly: “...who was I that I could withstand God?” (11:15b) Another version says “was I powerful enough to prevent God?”3 Peter realized that God was doing something extraordinary, and after catching on, he no longer remained fixated “at the stage of table-fellowship.”4 He began to think in terms of God’s gift of salvation.

The outpouring of the Spirit upon Cornelius showed that God’s gift of salvation was available to all. “If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” (11:17)

God is not partial like we are; he cares much less about appearances than we do. “He accepts the righteous from every nation.”5 Peter’s actions were purely in response to God’s divine initiative. God acts in the world, and we spend our time catching up to him.

And how did those who criticized Peter respond? In the same way that I hope we respond: “when they heard this they were silenced. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life” (11:18).

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen ✠

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1- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 197.

2- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 200.

3- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 196.

4- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 201.

5- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 201.

Cloud 9

Tonight Jennifer and I went to the Cloud 9 revolving restaurant on Robson Street. Here are a few of the pictures I took.

Over the past week or so, we've had spectacular sunsets here in Vancouver: the sky's graced us with various shades of reds, oranges, and yellow, flooding our senses with beauty, and our soul with awe and reverence.




































































The view from Cloud 9 is breathaking. However, the other revolving restaurant in the city, the Harbour Centre, has better food, and the facilities seem either newer or better taken care of.

Catching Up With God

I’ve entitled this homily on Acts 8:4-17 “Catching up with God.” But this is not about how we can more effectively ‘catch up’ with God in prayer, or how we can get closer to God in our devotional lives. Important as those topics are, our reading does not address them.

The reason for the title is that this is what we do in the church: we do our best to “catch up to God’s action in the world.”1 We plot, we plan, we scheme about which way to go, this way or that way, only to find out in the end that God is taking us into a completely different direction. Our thoughts are not God’s thoughts, and our ways are not God’s ways (Isaiah 55:8), and this is especially so when we consider how God deals with evil.

Joseph’s brothers had evil intentions when they sold him into slavery. But God “meant it for good”, so that “many people should be kept alive” (Genesis 50:20).

That was the case with Jesus too. His executors hung him on a cross, but God raised him and put “all things under his feet” (Ephesians 1:22).

And Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, he boldly proclaimed the risen Jesus (Acts 7). The result: he became the first martyr for the name of Jesus, and a massive persecution broke out against Christians, scattering them “throughout the region” (8:1).

What good could possibly come of this, the Apostles and the early Christians surely asked themselves. The answer comes to us in this reading, as the gospel expands beyond Jerusalem, and to Samaria (1:8).

Philip was one of the Christians affected by the persecution; he went to Samaria. Like Stephen, he was chosen to serve tables, and like Stephen, he also proclaimed..the [risen] Christ (8:6). And the people paid close attention to him: they listened to him and observed the miracles; and when he spoke, “unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed” (8:7). Even Simon, a magician, believed upon hearing Philip speak “about the news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (8:12).

This was a man who’d previously enchanted crowds with his own magic tricks; some even called him the mighty power of God (8:11). But he believed and got baptized, along with many other men and women (8:13). And afterwards, he followed Philip around, amazed at the signs and miracles he witnessed (8:13).

The point is this: because of the persecution, Christians spread throughout the region, and wherever they went, they proclaimed the risen Jesus. The persecutors meant it for evil: they wanted to stamp out the church. But God used it for good, for the expansion of his kingdom. And the word of God brought great joy to the city (8:8).

The author Luke, seems to describe the kingdom of God in geographical terms here. As the gospel moves outward, “territory is literally being wrested from the power of demons and brought under God’s rule.”2 Stephen’s martyrdom opened the door for the expansion of the gospel to Samaria.

A quick sidenote here: note the unity of the church, during this time of persecution. Once the disciples in Jerusalem found out that “Samaria had received the word of God” (8:14), Peter and John race to support Philip. They lay hands on the newly baptized, ensuring continuity of the faith, authenticating and validating the work going on in Samaria.

Jews and Samaritans were not allies; in fact, the opposite is true: they did not like each other. And yet, the church shows a different way of being neighbour: in times of crisis, the church in Jerusalem reaches out to the fledgling church in Samaria. When the church is under pressure, that’s the time of great testimony.

We too live in turbulent times. We are navigating the deep waters of scientism, and our children are drinking from the poisoned wells of secularism. We are tempted to take matters into our own hands. But thankfully, that is not what God asks us to do.

What he does ask is that we trust him to bring history to its rightful end, where Jesus returns, renews all things, and places them back into the hands of the Father (I Corinthians 15:23). What he does ask is that we follow him, trusting in his faithfulness and goodness. What he does ask, is that we catch up to his action in the world. A tremendous task this is. A tremendous privilege this is.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen ✠

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1- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 151.

2- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 151.

Jericho Beach With Jennifer

Today I went to the 10am church service. I ran into David Robinson there and had an interesting conversation with him about vocation. He's been working in Ottawa for the past year, a year full of growth and challenges for him. When I told him I'm thinking of going to Egypt, he got really excited and said he could totally see me doing something like that.

In the afternoon, around 3pm, I went to Jericho Beach with Jennifer. We spent 3.5 hours sitting in the sand, enjoying the sunshine. The temperature must've been about 28C or so. We also went for a dip in the ocean.

By around 7ish Jennifer and I were starved for food, so we got our stuff together and walked to 4th Ave where we took the bus. A little while later we landed at the Banana Leaf restaurant, on West Broadway. I've been there a number of times for either lunch and dinner, and not once have I been disappointed. They do Malaysian food just right.

Another Chapter Comes To An End

Today Ted and family left Canada, headed back for Paraguay. A sad day it was.

Whenever family leaves, one always feels like one didn't put in enough time and effort to be with them while they were here. That's at least how I usually feel, and today was no exception.

I only worked an afternoon shift today, and so I wasn't too tired to go to the airport and say my farewells. I came just in time to witness the chaos that always seems to creep up at the airport when family members scramble to pack and re-pack all their suitcases in order to get all the weight balances just right and avoid overweight luggage charges. Everyone seems so stressed by it, but I can't help but find the humour in it: it's not like we didn't know the airline had limits to luggage weight, and yet when we're in front of the ticket agent, we do so very well in blaming them for our packing miseries....

Regardless, after all that was done, we went to the food fair and spent one last hour together. I got myself a caramel macchiatto from Starbucks, Ted and Karin got themselves some Greek food, the kids had dinner at Burger King, and mom and dad, well, they'd just finished drinking mate and didn't need anything more.

Finally, at around 10:15pm, it was time to say good-bye. Another chapter comes to an end. I hope they don't stay there too long. I will miss them.

Full Of The Holy Spirit

In the first few chapters of Acts Jesus’ promise that the Apostles “would receive power” when the Holy Spirit comes upon them was fulfilled (1:8). The Holy Spirit descended on them and empowered them towards great and mighty acts of prophecy (5:9) and healing (3:6, 5:16); and he empowered the Apostles to preach boldly repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus, for the forgiveness of sins (2:38).

Following Pentecost the church grew in numbers, so much so that by chapter 6, the good news of Jesus and the kingdom of God begins to spill over the borders of Israel, and onto foreign lands. And this is the general direction of the book of Acts: the message of salvation in Jesus Christ extends beyond Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and “to the end of the earth” (1.8); and this extension, this going forth, is Spirit-led, it is not a human endeavour. If it was, it would’ve failed a long time ago. The Church would have disappeared years ago. We are here today because of the work of the Holy Spirit.

The centrality of the Holy Spirit in the church is clear when we take a closer look at the reading: (Acts 6): Greek-speaking Jews were left out in the “daily distribution”, a soup kitchen for widows, or something along those lines.1 Hebrew-speaking widows were served, but others somehow fell between the cracks and were neglected.

The Apostles realize that this is a problem, and so to resolve it they look for someone who is full of the Holy Spirit. Verse 3: “Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty” (6:3); and verse 5: ...they chose Stephen, a man full of the Holy Spirit...” (6:5). To be a disciple is to be full of the Holy Spirit (6:3, 5, 10).

This has two implications that I can think of on the life of the church. One, spiritual growth depends not on our talents or traits, but on our willingness to allow the Spirit of God move in and through us. It’s about character, not abilities. It seems to me that this goes against conventional wisdom, where practicality and utility are most important. The main question the Apostles essentially asked was “Is he filled with the Holy Spirit?”

And the second implication relates to our involvement in ministries. We tend to ‘specialize’ or ‘compartmentalize’ ministries: only those who have the ‘gift’ to serve the poor or the lonely, do it; for that matter, only those who have the charism of teaching, preach the gospel. It seems to me that Scripture moves us into a different direction, where serving the needy, and preaching the gospel is a task for each of us, to the extent possible in our vocations. To be Christian, is to pray, preach, serve, and worship God in all spheres of life.

And if the Holy Spirit guides us in ordinary circumstances, how much more does he lead us in extraordinary times, like Stephen’s situation at the end of the chapter. His position is strikingly similar to the one Jesus found himself in on the way to the cross:

The open confrontation, the spies, the agitation of the crowd, the arrest, the delivery to the council, the false accusations, the charge of blasphemy, and the rest of the story, all the way to his execution, these all point to a Spirit-led “imitation of Christ”2, modeled on Christ’s passion.3

And like Jesus, Stephen’s wisdom was impossible to refute (6:10). Jesus’ promise to send us his Holy Spirit in times of trial (Luke 12:12), who gives wisdom that no adversary can withstand (Luke 21:15), rings true here. Indeed, Stephen’s “face was like the face of an angel” (6:15). So full of wisdom, faith, grace, and power - so full of the Spirit - is Stephen, that the glory of God shines from his face.4

It’s difficult for us to identify with Stephen: we live in times of peace, thanks be to God. However, there’s no place for complacency in our spiritual journey. We must press on. And God gives us the power to do so: the Holy Spirit who empowers the church to stretch beyond her borders and proclaim the risen Jesus, is the same Holy Spirit who makes present to us personally the resurrected Jesus.5 May we open ourselves day-in, day-out, to this gift, the Holy Spirit, so that we can continue in the work of the church: praying, preaching, serving, and worshiping God in all that we do.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen ✠

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1- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 106.

2- Jaroslav Pelican. Acts. Brazos Theological Commentary of the Bible. (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2005), 107.

3- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 112-113.

4- http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/index.php?action=getCommentaryText&cid=5&source=1&seq=i.51.6.3

5- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 41.

Photography Course

Tonight was the first week of a 5-week photography course at UBC, sponsored by the AMS. Our instructor seems to be quite knowledgeable, his website can be found here. Aside from the introductory and organizational topics usually held on the first day of class, today we also covered focus point selection, auto-focus lock, manual exposure mode, exposure compensation, and auto-exposure locks. Quite a bit to cover in 2 hours!

It'll be nice, as I'm not taking the course alone. Jennifer's also in it, as is Vero, Ervin, and Lucia from the soccerinos, and Joseph and Jun from work.

After the course, Jennifer and I went out for dinner at the Eatery with Marty and Ruth. For dessert, they invited us to their place for some cheesecake. They live in that big ugly green building on the south side of the Burrard street bridge, but they sure have a great view from their apartment!

Pouring Out, Filling Up

The gift of the Holy Spirit to the church, and to individuals in particular, is an event that is described cautiously, in all of 4 verses of Scripture (Acts 2:1-4). And yet, it’s an event that has captivated the imagination of generations of Christians.1

Picture the scene: Jesus has ascended into heaven; the disciples have chosen a replacement for Judas, and they continue to meet regularly for prayer; one day, a sound from heaven “like the rush of a mighty wind” (2:2), fills the house they meet in; tongues “as of fire” (2:3) hover over each one present. The Holy Spirit has arrived: filling everyone, leading each one to speak in a foreign language (2:2-4).

It’s easy to see why this strikes a chord with our imagination. But Luke does not want us to get sidetracked in the details of a fireworks show; rather, he’s interested in the transformation of the human heart. The real Pentecost is not a spectacle, but the empowerment of the disciples by the Holy Spirit.2 Said differently, Pentecost - the outpouring of the Holy Spirit - is in the first place an account of the disciples experiencing the resurrected Jesus: the risen Jesus manifests himself in the lives of the disciples through the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s what Pentecost is about.

To be sure, transformation of the human heart has always been God’s purpose for us, even in the beginning, before sin and death entered the world. And it’s certainly the case since our rebellion against God in the garden of Eden.

And more than that, God has always pursued us, God has always initiated reconciliation and transformation; and since the Fall, we’ve always run away from him, we’ve always fought against him. And we usually still do!

Take God and Moses for example: God appeared to Moses in the burning bush: God’s plan was to free the Israelites from the grips of Pharaoh; initially they agreed, but eventually they rebelled.

That was also the case when God sent Jesus, God with us, God among us, the word made flesh (John 1:1) as the gospel of John introduces him; but he was rejected too, we hung him on a cross.
But his death was not in vain: he died for the life of the world (John 6:51), he died, so that the world may live. For this reason, God raised him from the dead, and seated him at his right hand, and whoever calls on his name will be saved (2:21).

And since Pentecost, human transformation into the image of Jesus - or said differently, freedom from slavery to ourselves, the world and the devil - comes by the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter, in his first sermon after Jesus ascends into heaven, quotes the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-32), who says that God will “pour out” his Spirit “upon all flesh” (2:17-24).

It’s impossible to overemphasize God’s generosity here. The connotation is of pouring out liquid, or filling up3, as when you fill a huge glass with water right to the top after a grueling hike on a hot day: you’re not going to be stingy, because nothing quite refreshes you like a glass of cold water. In the same way, God does not hold back his generosity. He fills us ‘to the top’ with his Spirit.

Another image might be of a torrential downpour. I used to live in Latin America, and during certain times of the year we’d have heavy rainfalls. When that happened, everything got completely drenched: gutters overflowed with water, streets turned into streams, and anyone caught outside ended up in ankle-deep water.

The city became a gigantic lake. But very often, people didn’t mind, because the earth was dry, parched from previous heat waves. The rain was just what we all needed. This is the picture we get in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit: God waters the dry soil of our hearts, he fills us with his Spirit.

The message of Pentecost is that in the current age, we should expect to find the church filled with the Holy Spirit who makes real to us the resurrected Jesus.4 It’s actually the reversal of the tower of Babel. At Babel, human pride led to confusion and chaos. Here at Pentecost, humility and openness to God leads to transformation and reconciliation.5

Are we open to this? Are we open to the risen Christ among us? This is Peter’s challenge to his hearers, and this is the challenge the Spirit lays on us.

I speak to you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen ✠

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1- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 41.

2- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 41.

3- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 17.

4-http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/index.php?action=getCommentaryText&cid=5&source=1&seq=i.51.2.2

5- Jaroslav Pelican. Acts. Brazos Theological Commentary of the Bible. (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2005), 52.

Wedding With Jennifer

Today I attended a wedding with Jennifer, as one of her friends got married.

I didn't really want to go, actually, as Paraguay also played against Brasil for the eliminatorias for the World Cup 2010, and I'd rather have spent the entire day just enjoying the atmosphere that such an important game brings with it. But that was never going to happen, as I'd known about this wedding for weeks in advance. And in fairness, the wedding was quite nice.

I was able to watch the game in full, because it was played in the afternoon and fit in perfectly between the ceremony (morning) and reception (evening). Paraguay lost 2-1. We're in qualifying trouble now. Having had the lead for over a year, we're now in 3rd place (24 points), behind Brasil (27) and Chile (26), and in front of Argentina (22). The problem is that Ecuador (20) is now also in the hunt for a qualifying spot. And to think that at one point, only 4 months ago, we were in 1st place, 6 points ahead of 2nd place Brasil. Oh how things have changed......

Anyways, the point of today's journal entry was not fútbol. It's about the wedding I attended with Jennifer. And there's really only one point to be made: I'm finding it increasingly difficult to take us - Jennifer and I - seriously. I'm finding it more and more difficult to see us getting married and having a stable married life, for the simple reason that she and I speak different languages, when it comes to our view of the world. We have no foundation upon which to build our lives.

We speak different faith languages. She believes only in the seen: that which cannot be seen is not worth believing in. She believes in herself, she belivieves in the whims of the day. Therefore, God is not a part of her language. I cannot go along with that. To me, that seems foreign to what it means to be truly human. Believing in only that which can be seen eliminates not only God, but all the characteristics that flow from him: grace, mercy, compassion, justice, forgiveness, beauty, and most of all, faith, hope, and love! None of these things are "tangible" in a way that science demands, and yet, a world without any of these seems empty and meaningless at best, and tyrannical at worst.

Of course, Jesus Christ makes all of these qualities "tangible" in a way that no one and nothing else can. But that road, it seems, is not a road that Jennifer is willing to explore in any serious way.

And my vocational question does not make the matters any easier. In fact, it complicates them. I feel more and more compelled to work in the church "militant here on earth", as the Book of Common Prayer says it so appropriately. I cannot imagine preaching the gospel, while sleeping with the person that does not share my conviction and love for God. Not only does she not share my convictions, she despises that which I love. She hates matters of faith. And she espeically hates all things Christian. "It's irrelevant to my life", is her sentiment, "It's divisive." All this talk can't help but remind me of the title of a movie released 18 years ago: to marry her means that I would be "Sleeping with the Enemy."

To marry her would defeat the whole point of Christian marriage. Christian marriage points beyond itself, beyond the man and woman making the covenant, towards God tying the knot with humanity, and to Christ and the Church. That's why marriage is a sacrament: it points beyond itself to a much greater reality. At the core of human marraige is self-sacrificial love. Without this quality, marriage cannot last. The reason the world exists, is because of God's self-sacrificial love for humanity (exemplified in Israel in the OT); the reason we are still here is because of Christ's self-sacrificial love for the Church. He died for her, and in the process he tied her to himself in a bond that cannot be broken, no matter how faithful - or more appropriately, unfaithful - we are. To marry someone who does not see this is as the primary purpose of marriage makes a mockery of this sacred symbol.

So, it seems to me that time is ticking. Time is a gift from God, we must not waste it.

Divine Reversal: From Rags To Riches

The parable of the rich man and the poor man Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) conveys to us that God values all people. The kingdom of heaven is open to everyone, regardless of economic or cultural status. This means that things that we think are important - things like money, material possessions - they don’t really hold value in the kingdom of heaven. In fact, wealth and power can become the very hindrance to entrance into the kingdom of God.

God loves his creation, he sent his Son Jesus Christ “to seek and to save” us (9:10). And the implication of this forgiveness and reconciliation that we have with God, is that we extend it to others also, including our neighbour, especially the one who is very different from us. This is our privilege, and this is our challenge. This is what the law and the prophets pointed to, and this is what Jesus fulfilled in his earthly ministry.

There are two sections in the story: 1- the divine reversal in the age to come; there’s a radical reversal between the conditions of this life and those in the age to come (21:19-26); and 2- our difficulty to live this reversal now, especially if we have wealth (21:27-31).

So we begin with the great reversal. Jesus portrays the difference between the rich man and Lazarus in vivid form. The rich man is dressed in splendid clothing, lives in luxury, and feasts and parties every day. Lazarus, on the other hand, is homeless, hungry, and sick (21: 19-21).

We don’t know much else about these characters, but we are told that after they die, a great reversal takes place. The rich man is “buried” unceremoniously, while Lazarus is taken up by angels (21:22). Lazarus is brought to “Abraham’s bosom”, a place of intimacy, safety, and rest1, whereas the rich man goes to Hades, a place of torment and suffering (21:22-23).

At this point we may ask ourselves, why the reversal? Certainly there is a reflection here of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus makes the following two contrasts: blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God; and trouble, sorrow, and distress upon the rich: they are motivated by money and possessions, and as such, they have already received their reward (6:20-26).

There is a sense of pride that overtakes us when we get our hands on wealth and power, a sense of arrogance that no longer sees need for God, and only sees our neighbour as a means to an end. We see this in the next section:

“Father Abraham”, says the rich man, “have mercy upon me...send Lazarus to dip...his finger in water and cool my tongue” (21:23). He who did not show mercy, now expects mercy. He’s in a place of pain and torment, and yet, he arrogantly sees Lazarus as his lackey who should come and comfort him. He even requests that Lazarus be sent as a messenger, a gopher, to warn his family members (16:26-27).

The point here is that the rich man had a hard and stubborn heart. His wealth was more important to him than serving God and neighbour, and this, even though he grew up hearing the Law and the Prophets. He knew that God’s justice consists of mercy and compassion (Zechariah 7:9), but he did not do likewise. Lazarus “desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table...”; but instead, “...the dogs came and licked his sores” (21:21).

She who has ears let her hear. Better yet, he who hears, let him obey. This is what’s implied in Abraham’s final response when the rich man requests that Lazarus be sent back to warn his family: “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead’” (21:31).

The rich man’s family is in the same predicament he was in: they are also locked into their rejection of God. If they don’t pay attention to the words of Scripture, they also will not pay attention to someone else, even someone who comes back from the dead. Jesus himself experienced this after his own resurrection.2

Brothers and sisters, we have heard the Scriptures. We have been, and continue to be, at the receiving end of mercy and compassion from God. The privilege and the challenge is for us to pass along the love of God, and not get bogged down by money and possessions. This is my prayer: that we would pay attention to the words of Jesus, that we would translate hearing into obedience.

Amen ✠

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1- Luke Timothy Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Gospel of Luke. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 3. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1991), 252.

2- Luke Timothy Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Gospel of Luke. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 3. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1991), 256.

The Riddle’s No More

John 21:15-25 is in a sense an epilogue. It’s an epilogue, because the conclusion of the gospel seems to have come at the end of the previous chapter: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, . . . these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ . . . and that believing you may have life in his name” (20:30-31).

Unlike the first three gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which have the kingdom of God as their central theme, John’s central theme is life, life abundant, eternal life, life that is only available through Jesus Christ. And there’s a good reason for this emphasis on life. The gospel of John was written in pagan lands, where philosophical questions about the source of life or the meaning of life were relevant themes.

And this provides a good bridge for our context also. Here in our city, we like to talk about life too. Death, like faith and politics, is a taboo subject. We don’t know what to make of it, we dismiss it as irrelevant, and we are unable to talk about it in any meaningful way.

But for John, death is not a topic to be avoided or feared. Jesus went through death on the cross, he came out victoriously three days later, and consequently, God glorified him. Those who identify themselves with Jesus, God will also glorify. This is in fact what happened to Simon Peter (21:19).

Simon Peter is actually the first person we meet in the story. A few days earlier he’d denied Jesus three times (18:15-18, 25-27); now, Jesus gives him another chance. “Simon, do you love me...”, he asks three times. And three times, Peter responds: “Yes, Lord, I love you”, in fact the third time he gets edgy: “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you” (21:15-17).

This dialogue is as mysterious as it is beautiful. Jesus forgives Peter and restores the friendship; and then, amazingly, he appoints Peter to shepherd his flock, his people, the church.

Shepherding his flock entailed making his own the words of Jesus, the Good Shepherd: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (10:10), I know my own and my own know me” (10:14), “I have other sheep that are not of this fold” (10:16), and “I lay down my life for the sheep” (10:15, cf 11, 17, 18).

And this is exactly what Peter would do. In the early days of discipleship, he had energy and good intentions, but was unable to follow through on his enthusiasm. But he would ‘grow up’, and follow - quite literally - in the footsteps of Jesus: “you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go” (21:18). And history shows, that Peter did indeed stretch out his hands, as executioners girded him with the cross. He died, shepherding Christ’s flock.1

The second person we meet is John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (21:20). He sat closest to Jesus at the Last Supper (13:23-25), he was at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified (19:25-27), and he was the first to believe in the risen Jesus, upon seeing the empty tomb (20:8).

John founded the community of faith in Ephesus. In this pagan city he would call men away from the “uncharted seas of vague religious experience and abstract speculation” and to the certainty of “God’s self-revelation in Jesus, the Word-made-flesh.”2

John was able to penetrate beneath the surface and into the heart of things; having seen, heard, and touched the Word of Life, he testified to the truth by writing it down. “This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true” (21:24).

And so we arrive again where we began. Both, Peter and John met the risen Jesus. Peter dropped everything and followed him. And John took the time to meticulously write down the things he witnessed.

And the message is one that is well worth proclaiming: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (3:16). The mystery of death is solved, the riddle’s no more: Jesus is the source of life, life abundant.

“These things”, this story of Peter and John, was written down, so that we may believe and have abundant life in Christ (10:10).

Thanks be to God.

Amen ✠

-----

1- Francis J. Moloney, (SDB) The Gospel of John. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 4. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1998), 556.

2- R. V. G. Tasker, The Gospel according to Saint John. An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999), 231.

Headaches

I've never really had a problem with getting headaches. I just rarely have them, so when I heard others say "I've got a pounding headache", I can't really identify.

Lately, that's changed.

Twice in the last two weeks I went to work with a pounding headache. Every noise I heard seemed amplified, multiplied. It seemed like someone was pounding my brain with a hammer.

Tonight I've had it again, the third pounder in two weeks. I absolutely hate taking painkillers, but I succumbed all three times.

As much as I like to think I'm tough when it comes to withstanding pain, these headaches seem to show otherwise.

Graduating Friends

Time flies! A year ago, almost to the day, I graduated from Regent.

Tonight was graduation night for three friends who also finished their theological studies: James, Connie, and Carla. As last year, the celebrations were held at the church on W. Broadway. The faculty speaker at this year's graduation was Rikk Watts.

Here's to my friends who worked very hard to learn not only about God, but to know him and love him in a deep and profound way. Congratulations! God's blessings upon you!

6 Months Later

Six months ago today was the first time I kissed Jennifer. Today we celebrated what we both thought unlikely when we started seeing each other: that we would last 6 months! But we gave it a try, and here we are, still together. Some cracks are starting to show, but persevere we will.

In honour of this occasion, we went for a walk, from my place to Granville Island. Once there, we enjoyed a snack. I had the usual "Euro" hot cocoa they sell there at one of the outlets.

Messy

It's time to get my House in order. My apartment's a mess, my lifestyle's a mess, and consequently my f*cking life's a mess.

When will I learn?

Back Home

I flew home today early in the morning.

I was up late last night, packing, as well as keeping Jennifer company, so I didn't much sleep at all. At 4:30am I got into the taxi, and by 5am I was at the airport. It was time to say goodbye to Mexico.

After checking my luggage I sat down in the waiting area, and, out of nowhere, I started to feel dizzy. I felt sick and thought about going to the washroom to throw up, but decided against it. The sick feeling passed about an hour later, but I was worried for a while that maybe now I was going to get sick too, and just prior to my flight home!

I arrived home in Vancouver shortly after noon. I immediately began the clean up process, unpack, wash laundry, etc....

I went to bed early, feeling down. I don't want my vacation to be over yet. I don't want to face the rainy weather. Worst of all, I don't want to go back to work Monday. I dread Monday.

Monasterio: Nuestra Señora de la Soledad (1)

After a few pictures at the terraza, I packed my bags, ate breakfast, and said good bye to the charismatic Irena, dueña de la casa. I left La Casa de Dante with fond memories of warm hospitality in a lovely city.

One of her employees helped me carry my bags down the 100+ steps and then fetch a taxi. He was a kind man, this bag-carrier. It was not difficult to detect Jesus in him so humble was he. I wish I remembered his name.

Thirty minutes later, I found myself at the Central de Autobus, the main bus station in Guanajuato.

At exactly 11am, the ETN bus left the bus station; the last piece of the Mexico puzzle was now set in motion: a trip to the Benedictine Monasterio Nuestra Señora de la Soledad. I plan to stay here until Friday morning, March 13.

The road to the monasterio was as all roads to a monastery should be, dry, dusty, and harsh. The desert: this is where Jesus was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1), this is where the desert fathers went in the 4th century when life in the christianized Roman Empire became lax and decadent, and this is where I want to go to deal with my demons too.

The drive from Guanajuato to San Miguel de Allende is only 1.5 hours, plus another 30 minutes or so to the monastery. The weather was hot and dry, probably about 30 degrees. The entrance to the monasterio:

The newly constructed church (left), and the small chapel (right), both of them built by the monks.

I checked into the monastery at about 3pm, tired and exhausted. I met hermano Elias, the guestmaster, who was kind and friendly and immediately showed me to my room. My habitation for the next two days is much bigger than expected. I have an entire house for myself, complete with kitchen, reading room, eating room, bedroom and bathroom. Not exactly ascetic...

There are lots of trees surrounding my habitation, providing an oasis of shade during the day. By day, the chirping of birds abound in the trees, and at night, well, an orchestra of frogs and crickets puts me to sleep.

At 5:30pm, as the sun set, I went to the church and witnessed the Evening Vespers, tranquil chants of the Psalms by the monks. It was lovely hearing the voices of these young men worship the Lord. My focus and attention was taken away from me and towards the Beautiful.

Dios es nuestro refugio y nuestra fuerza;
nuestra ayuda en momentos de angustia.

Por eso no tendremos miedo...... (Psalm 46:1-2a)

Right after the Vespers was dinner. On my way to the refectory (common kitchen) I noticed that the sun had disappeared and what we'd been doing in the church was already being done by all creation, the symphony was on, all creatures and critters, large and small, were singing the praises of God.

Dinner was simple but complete. A serving of meat, salad, and bread, and for dessert, fruits. And following Benedictine tradition, there was no talking during the meal. Instead, one of the monks served as lector, reading to us from the book of Isaiah and from some other book I don't remember the title for: food for the mind and soul to go along with food for the body.

I made it back to my apartment by around 7, and upon arrival there, I was all of the sudden struck with an immense sense of loneliness. I think several factors contributed to this feeling. I've been with people 24/7 for the past 13 days in a row, visiting mostly noisy, well-populated places. And now, all of a sudden, I'm alone, in a house well separated from the rest of the monsastic community, in a desert. And my room was surrounded by the thick, black, almost tangible darkness of the night.

Alone. Silence. Darkness. A strange feeling. Tears even welled up. I was reminded of 1 Kings 19:11-12:

"The LORD said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper."

God speaks to us in all conditions, loud or quiet. However, his voice is heard most clearly when it's not in competition with other noises. And that is the first lesson I've learned here so far. God wants to commune with us, and yet we often don't let him, we're too busy, caught up in our "noisy" lives of mundane busyness, enslaved by our schedules to go from place to place, like a yo-yo tied to a string. It's only when we slow down and sit ourselves in a place of quietness - confronted with our own loneliness and need - that we give him the time of day, or in my case, night.

Over the next day and a half I want to do just that: untangle myself - rather, allow God to untangle me - from the web that is this world, which gradually but surely overcomes us with its stress and anxiety, if we are not in a deep and profound way connected to and rejuvenated by the One and only possible source of Peace.

Guanajuato: Pípila, Teatro Juárez, Basílica, Ex-Hacienda

Here's a picture of my room at La Casa Dante.















View of Guanajuato from the terraza.

After a quiet morning at the terraza at Dante's, I got all my stuff together - camera, maps, sunglasses, and 2 water bottles - and went downstairs to eat breakfast at 9am. Irena'd prepared a wonderful fruit salad, as well as ham and cheese chilaquiles. The chilaquiles were so delicious, I had 4 of them! She also prepared café de olla, the same type of coffee we encountered last week in Tepoztlán. She saw how much I liked the coffee, so she told me she'll give me a ceramic olla (cup) to take with me when I leave tomorrow.

I'd planned to eat in a hurry, because I had much to accomplish today, but being in a hurry to get out of the house here seems a big mistake. The conversation I had with Dante yesterday upon arrival, and then today over breakfast with Irena, showed me that this household is interested in engaging with its guests, something I find quite refreshing. Today, Irena and I talked about numerous topics: the church, Mexico, culture, languages, travelling, and a few other topics, and all that, in 1 hour.

Below are a few pictures of La Casa Dante: it's certainly got a lot of character!

By 10:30, I was out the door, and immediately I once again saw the steep descent to the city before me.

The first place I went to visit was the Pípila, a monument close to downtown that offers great panoramic views of the city. The route up to the monument was rigorous, but the houses along the way seemed to characterize typical Guanajuato architecture:

At the top, the view was even more rewarding:

After breathing in the fresh air atop the city, I walked back towards downtown, and landed at the Teatro Juarez, considered among the most beautiful theatres in the country. It's known for its distinctive architecture of Roman inspiration, and Moorish (arabesque) style interior.

Then I continued on Sopeña street, towards the Basílica Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato. The church was as beautiful during the day as it was at night. I went inside the church and I'm glad I did, as the Mass had just started. I sat down, closed my eyes, and prayed.

Right beside the church people were living their regular lives, selling clothing, shoes, and food, lots of food joints.

A few more pictures of the city, including the Casa Diego Rivera, the house where this famous local artist was born:

I'd decided earlier that morning that I wanted to spend a good portion of the day at the Ex-Hacienda San Gabriel de Barrera, an 18th century hacienda which, according to the Museum Guide of Guanajuato booklet, "is similar to an old Spanish palace, architecture which contrasts markedly with Mexican baroque style, with its indigenous influence and exaggerated ornamentation." So, early afternoon I boarded the micro bus downtown, and took the 15 minute trip to the hacienda.

What I found particularly appealing about this hacienda was its 17 gardens. Below are pictures of some of the gardens, beginning with the Jardín de San Francisco.

Jardín Japones.















Jardín Mexicano.















Jardín Árabe.















Jardín Italiano















Jardín Español

I had a really enjoyable, relaxing afternoon, walking through the gardens, taking pictures.

I got back downtown after 6pm, hungry as ever. I'd eaten lunch at the hacienda restaurant, but that was quite possibly the worst lunch I've had during my stay here in Mexico so far, so I was eager to erase the lunch memory with a nice dinner. Sadly, the place I went to for dinner was not much better, and so by the end of the evening I was left with a bitter taste - literally - at least in terms of food.

After walking around the city for about another hour I went back to my room at Dante's, but not before attending another misa, this time at another church, Parroquia del Inmaculado Corazon de Maria. Again, I was moved by the serenity and reverence that makes up the Mass in the Catholic tradition.

After reading a little, I went to bed.

Impression of the Day: I've already alluded to a few times that I have been blessed tremendously by attending the Catholic liturgy of the Mass. I'm always especially moved by the emphasis on the Eucharist, the real presence of Christ among us. I'm always a bit sad when I'm unable to partake of the body and blood of Christ. The Eucharist - Christ's thanksgiving to the Father on our behalf, our thanksgiving to the Father through Christ, and our thanksgiving to Christ for his work on the cross - is what unites all Christians, and to not be able to participate in this unifying, strengthening sacrament is sad, to say the least.

In fact, in addition to the beauty and reverence of the liturgy, participation in the Eucharist becomes a very compelling reason to become Roman Catholic.