Monday of Fifth week in Easter, May 7,2007
#285.
One of the good experiences among many in my college years was the study of
Homeric Greek. We used some excellent books edited by the Jesuits and
enjoyed learning iambic pentameter in the beautiful flow of Homer's
Odyssey--poetry at its best. Today's narrative from the Acts of the
Apostles brought me back to those wonderful days of learning at the
Marianist Scholasticate in an old four story building loaded with
classrooms, parlors, and dormitories. The scene in Acts today showed me
something similar to a pasage in Homer. Paul and Barnabas are so effective
in their ministry among the Lyconians that the people think they are gods.
Paul is Hermes or Mercury for them, while the aging Barnabas is thought to
be Zeus! Luke seems to have been familiar with the practices of the
Lyconians which are described in a similar way, but in beautiful poetry, in
Homer. The high priest comes with a wagon full of flowers in order to
offer sacrifice to the gods, Barnabas and Paul. The cart is driven by oxen
just as Homer has them doing. Though the story in Acts is colorful, it also
shows the obstacles the apostles faced when dealing with the Gentiles.
After much suffering in their apostolic work, they now come to a new
challenge. How can they get these people to think about the Christian
message rather than about their more mythic religions coupled with many
superstitions. They had to teach the Lyconians about the Incarnation and
the Paschal Mysteries of Jesus for them to become a part of the Christian
community. No small task for getting the Lyconians to leave aside their
devotion to the gods; such religiosity is not easily surrendered. So,
despite the fact that today's narrative seems more pleasant, it is fraught
with sensitive religious questions and practices. I often think it is no
different today when people resort to the zodiak as to how to follow their
sign or to astrology how to follow their star. Our only star as Christians
is the person of Jesus who reveals to us who the Father and Spirit are.
The theology of the Incarnation and the saving action of the Paschal
Mysteries are at the heart of our life and journey; we must plumb the
depths of these saving events of Jesus. In the Gospel we are given the
promise of Jesus that the Holy Spirit will help us to adhere to the clear
teaching of the Lord as well as to remember what is necessary for bringing
the Good News to others. I was impressed with the following comment on our
passage from John, "The conclusion of the speech brings the second
prediction of the coming of the Spirit. Here it is in his role as teacher
that is stressed, a teacher in the sense of clarifying what Jesus said. It
is in this role that we trust the Spirit to preserve the Church from error
and to keep it ever close to the mind of Christ. With this final assurance
Jesus grants his disciples his peace. It is a peace based on the coming of
the Spirit; it will receive its actualization on Easter night when Jesus
will say: "Peace be to you. Receive the Holy Spirit." It is not the peace
of the world, so often only an alleviation of temporal want or stress. It
is the peace of being freed from sin and united to God, the only complete
fulfillment of all our wants. This peace cannot be disturbed by Jesus'
departure to his Father; for that return, his glorification is what effects
it. The statement, "The Father is greater than I ," must be understood of
Jesus speaking as man. John has made it abundantly clear that as the divine
eternal Son, he is equal to the Father in power. " (New Testament Reading
Guide, The Gospel of John; the Johannine Epistles, Collegeville, Minnesota,
1965, pages 73-74 by Father R.E.Brown.)... Amen.
posted by Fr. Bert SM at 9:19 AM
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