TWELFTH (12TH) SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C (Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1; Psalm 62:2-6. 8-9 R. 2; Galatians 3:26-29; Luke 9:18-24). This Sunday’s First Reading presents the experience, hardship and difficulties before the Israelites, now in Jerusalem after their return from the Babylonian exile (circa 520BC), as proclaimed by Prophet Zechariah (one of the twelve minor prophets), God’s chosen mouthpiece. They are to grief greatly/mourn over and look up to the one whom they have pierced, as for an only son, a firstborn, but not without purpose. This imagery of the firstborn only son lies behind many Old Testament traditions, but the unusual suffering and death of the unnamed character here is capable of producing grace and salvation; something impossible without love and freedom. God is giving the people a spirit of grace, penance and petition and will open to them “a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness,” including those who pierced him. It is in this purified state that they can most authentically appropriate their true relationship with God as his people, thus prepared to receive the one whom they have pierced, the Messiah, whose identity no doubt is most fulfilled in Jesus, the Crucified Son of God, who was pierced and hanged on the cross and in whom we are saved. From this pierced side flowed water and blood, representing baptism and the Eucharist, from which the Church (you and I) was born (Jn. 19:34-37; 12:32-33). Just as the purified people of Israel, in our time our own baptism purifies us and makes us true children of God (Father, forgive them for they know not what they do – Lk. 23:34), who in fulfilment of his promises sent forth his Spirit on us, without discrimination of race (Jew or Gentile), gender (male of female) or social status (freeborn or slave), making us children of God, children of Abraham like the Israelites, and coheirs with Christ (Gal. 3:26-28). With these qualities we are able to answer the all-important question Jesus puts before his close companions: “who do you say that I am?” It is very symbolic that while the other Synoptic writers, especially Mark, present this passage as taking place around Caesarea Philippi with Peter’s longer response, Luke presents it after Jesus’ solitary prayer-communion with God, showing the very importance attached to it and Peter simply gave the synthesis of the Creed as a reply: “The Messiah of God.” Even at that, just as the other Synoptic writers reported Peter’s lack of the full implication of his answer, Jesus discloses the full meaning of Messiahship/Christ; that he is destined to suffer, die and rise again, just as Zechariah foretold, that the pierced one, the Messiah, for whom Israel will grieve, will usher in a new spirit of grace and petition (fully fulfilled after the resurrection on Pentecost). This promise has been fulfilled in our lives at baptism, even though we keep longing for its fullness. The Spirit given to us at baptism, nurtured in and through the Sacraments, enables us to answer Jesus’ question of who he is to us. From the answers of the apostles, we see that not all answers are correct, as it is not just about what I think, a collection of public opinion or mob mentality, a mere repetition of the articles of the creed or what someone else has said, or an answer from my emotional or psychological disposition. Sometimes we are able to answer correctly, at other times we answer incorrectly or our actions betray our answers but we must keep up seeking Jesus, to have more intimate and personal relationship with him, for only through this can we get the true answer. We must grow from merely knowing about Jesus, based on the testimonies of others, to coming to know Jesus personally and intimately, in true friendship. We must never forget the Holy Spirit as we seek to experience Jesus, for no one can truly say who Jesus is, i.e., the Lord, unless led by the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 12:3). However, our answers must reflect what Jesus said of himself; he is destined to die and resurrect and we must also follow his footsteps: “If any man wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me…” (Lk. 9:23-24). His true identity puts before us the challenge of discipleship; we are to follow him by his rules and example, and not by our standards. Without a personal relationship with Jesus, guided by the experience of the paschal mystery (life, death and resurrection of Christ) and its effects, hardly can our answer be correct. Those who want to follow Jesus without his suffering (not an end in itself) can never be true followers of the Jesus of the Gospel, while those who think suffering for its sake is necessary to identify with Christ may be mistaken. While we live in a world full of many man-made sufferings, we must strive to end or fight against it, without losing sight of the intrinsic redemptive and salvific value of suffering in and for Christ, and carrying our daily crosses in imitation of him. We must desire to know Jesus and the power of his death and resurrection freely and willingly, in order to enter into eternal life. This life comes from giving up our own lives not carelessly, but for the sake of Christ and all that is good. It is demanded of us to patiently look up to the Lord to guide us in our different states in life, no matter the temptations and difficulties, in our work and families, marriages and neighbourhood, in the enemies and obstacles we meet, in the death of a loved one, in the loss of job or joblessness, in sickness or even in our natural human limitations, for if we keep our relationship with him, he will never desert us or leave us to carry these crosses alone. While it is a fact of life that all mortals face trials and crosses, our faith makes our experience of it different as we rely on God to carry them. If we truly believe that Jesus has the power to give us good things, then we must trust that even in an apparently difficult or hopeless situation as we saw in the First Reading, that the one pierced for our sake, who has made us coheirs with him through baptism (Second Reading), who though suffered but rose (Gospel) can turn around our situation for good. Faith is not only in believing that God can give us all we need, but also that even in difficult situations that he is still with us. Never forget to ask and answer the question: Who is Jesus to me in the house, office, market, school, business transaction, when alone and at all times? This is the secret of all the saints down the ages, for in him we live and move and have our true being and destiny. So let us keep praying with the Psalmist: “for you my soul is thirsting! My body pines for you; like a dry weary land without water.” If we truly long for, desire and discover God, then it will be worthwhile to ask, like Jesus, ‘who am I truly?’ and ‘who do people say I am? In God we discover our true identity. Remember the Socratic saying: Man know thyself, for an unexamined life is not worth living. May God help us to know him and to know ourselves, so that sharing in his cross and suffering, we may enjoy the glories of his resurrection and the effects of his redemption in our lives. Let it be that from our faith we will profess our belief, but most importantly we must live out our faith: Renounce yourself, take up your cross and follow me (Lk. 9:23). Happy Sunday.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 02:55:49 +0000
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