Thursday, March 28, 2024
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Who Is Most on Jesus’ Heart as He Faces the Cross?
Who Is Most on Jesus’ Heart as He Faces the Cross?
COMMENTARY: The mystical and moral tradition of the Church suggests to us that the heart of the Lord was fixated on one person.
As the Sacred Triduum approaches, our hearts are filled with sorrow, dismay, hope, and then exuberant joy as we walk through the dolorous Passion, Death and glorious Resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
As we look at the spiritual movements within our own hearts, we can ask what is taking place within the heart of the Lord as he brings forth the new and everlasting covenant by which redemption will be offered to the human family.
As heart speaks to heart, we can inquire what is swelling within Our Lord’s own Sacred Heart. In answer, the mystical and moral traditions of the Church suggest to us that the Heart of the Lord is fixated on one person, one apostle.
The mystical tradition is based on the visions, insights, apparitions, holiness of life, and spiritual wisdom of our saints through the ages. The moral tradition is grounded on the interior life that flows from our cooperation with grace and the nurturing of a friendship with God by which we are given an awareness of the ways and actions of God among us.
The two traditions can be summarized by the exhortation of St. Paul:
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2).
The mystical and moral traditions point us to one apostle who was heavy on the Lord’s own heart. The apostle himself was of great concern to the Lord, but he also stood as a symbol of all those who would be like him throughout history and so be very close to the Lord’s heart.
In attempting to know which of the 12 apostles was most pressing on the Lord’s soul, we might be quick to respond that it was Simon Peter. As chief apostle, he would carry the responsibility of leading the Church in the Lord’s name. Or perhaps we would guess that it was James the Less, who would serve as the first bishop of Jerusalem during the early apostolic era. Both of these men served as early leaders in pivotal areas of the Church. They both died martyrs for the Lord. Was it one of them?
The mystical and moral tradition say No.
Maybe it was James the Greater. He was the first apostle to shed blood for the Gospel. He carried the Gospel all the way to Spain, where his body still rests. During his apostolic journey, he saw Our Lady standing on a pillar and speaking to him. This was the only apparition given during Our Lady’s life on earth. In commemoration of this apparition, she is still hailed as Our Lady of the Pillar and is one of the patrons of Spain under this title to this day. So was it James the Greater?
The mystical tradition and moral tradition say No.
Perhaps then it was John the Beloved, who is depicted in classical art as laying his head upon the chest of our Lord in the Upper Room? John was young and his affection was spontaneous. He was the only apostle not to die a martyr. Many in the early Church thought that John would live to see the return of the Lord. Such a grace was not given to him, but he was blessed with older age and was able to guide the early Church into the second century of our faith. Was it John?
The mystical and moral tradition say No.
Then it must be Thomas. He doubted the Lord’s resurrection and would not believe unless he touched the very wounds of the Lord. St. Thomas repented and came to believe. The apostle carried the Gospel to India, where his body still rests to this day. He became so strong in his belief in Jesus Christ that he died a martyr for the faith. And so, is it Thomas?
Still, the mystical and moral traditions of the Church say No. But with Thomas, we are getting closer to the answer.
We are told by our mystical and moral traditions that the apostle dearest to the Lord’s heart as he initiated and suffered through his passion and death was Judas, the traitor.
The Lord’s affection was directed to the one who would betray him with a fraternal kiss and for a bag of 30 silver pieces. The Lord’s internal gaze was on the apostle who denounced him, condemned him, double-crossed him, and deceived him. The Lord was sorrowful for the person who turned on him, took advantage of his kindness, exploited his love, and capitalized on his openness and trust.
The Lord’s attention to Judas was not for judgment or condemnation. It was a focus compelled by merciful love. It was the Lord as Savior and Friend, Redeemer and Companion, who held Judas in the fiery furnace of his tender heart.
Judas was on the heart of the Lord because of the Lord’s desire to offer salvation to all people. Judas was the recipient of the Lord’s goodness because the Lord knew of the horror of despair and the hellacious, damning fires of a heart that believes it is unloved and irredeemable.
Even as the Lord Jesus was betrayed by Judas, he still sought Judas’ redemption and reconciliation. He desired Judas’ repentance and conversion.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines despair as a sign against hope and explains:
By despair, man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God, for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is contrary to God’s goodness, to his justice — for the Lord is faithful to his promises – and to his mercy (2091).
The Lord taught about the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and he knew the spiritual sufferings of a soul caught in its web.
The infamous blasphemy of the Holy Spirit wreaks havoc in the soul of a person and leads him to the darkest place of self-condemning despair. The Catechism again explains:
‘Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.’ There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss (1864).
The Lord’s love was for the person of Judas but it was also for all those who throughout human history who would find themselves in the throes and the loss of despair. The Lord suffered in part for those who would struggle to believe and to turn to him for mercy and reconciliation. The Lord grieved for Judas and for all those who would falsely accept that they were not loved and were not redeemable.
Simon Peter betrayed the Lord and when the Lord looked at him, the chief apostle was thrown into intense anguish. Such sorrow led him to repent:
The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly (Luke 22:61-62).
For Judas, however, there was no response to the graces of repentance. He fell under the nefarious spell of despair. The man’s soul felt dead and damned and so he did the ultimate violence against himself:
Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself (Matthew 27:5).
The Lord’s Passion and Death included his oftentimes unknown mourning and lamenting over the despair of Judas and the despair of all those throughout the ages who do not know how much they are loved, how immense is the mercy that is offered to them, and how gracious is the Lord Jesus to all, especially to those who are in the darkest of sins and the greatest of turmoil.
As we walk through the Sacred Triduum with the Lord Jesus, let us remember and pray for those stuck in despair and who are in great need of hope in the Lord’s grace and mercy. In our own lives, let us run to the Lord Jesus, repent, weep bitterly, and accept the immense love he has for us.
- Keywords:
- spy wednesday
- judas
Leviticus 6:1–8:36
Leviticus 6:1–8:36
English Standard Version
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “If anyone sins and bcommits a breach of faith against the Lord by cdeceiving his neighbor in da matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or eif he has oppressed his neighbor 3 or fhas found something lost and lied about it, gswearing falsely—in any of all the things that people do and sin thereby— 4 if he has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore ewhat he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found 5 or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall hrestore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt. 6 And he shall bring to the priest as his compensation to the Lord ia ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering. 7 jAnd the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord, and he shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may do and thereby become guilty.”
8 2 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. 10 And kthe priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them lbeside the altar. 11 Then mhe shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes noutside the camp to a clean place. 12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it othe fat of the peace offerings. 13 Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.
14 “And this is the law of pthe grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord in front of the altar. 15 And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its qmemorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 16 And rthe rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten unleavened sin a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. 17 tIt shall not be baked with leaven. uI have given it as their portion of my food offerings. vIt is a thing most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. 18 Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed forever throughout your generations, from the Lord’s food offerings. Whatever touches them shall become holy.”
19 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 20 w“This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a xtenth of an ephah3 of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. 21 It shall be made with oil yon a griddle. You shall bring it zwell mixed, in baked4 pieces like a grain offering, and offer it for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 22 The priest from among Aaron’s sons, who is anointed to succeed him, shall offer it to the Lord as decreed forever. aThe whole of it shall be burned. 23 Every grain offering of a priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.”
24 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 25 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, bThis is the law of the sin offering. cIn the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord; dit is most holy. 26 eThe priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. fIn a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting. 27 Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy, and when any of its blood is splashed on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was splashed in a holy place. 28 And gthe earthenware vessel in which it is boiled hshall be broken. But if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, that shall be scoured and rinsed in water. 29 Every male among the priests may eat of it; dit is most holy. 30 iBut no sin offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it shall be burned up with fire.
7 j“This is the law of the kguilt offering. lIt is most holy. 2 mIn the place where they kill the burnt offering they shall kill the guilt offering, and its blood shall be thrown against the sides of the altar. 3 And nall its fat shall be offered, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, 4 the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove owith the kidneys. 5 The priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering to the Lord; it is a guilt offering. 6 pEvery male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. qIt is most holy. 7 The rguilt offering is just like the sin offering; there is one law for them. The priest who makes atonement with it shall have it. 8 And the priest who offers any man’s burnt offering shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering that he has offered. 9 And severy grain offering baked tin the oven and all that is prepared uon a pan or a griddle shall belong to the priest who offers it. 10 And every grain offering, mixed with oil or dry, shall be shared equally among all the sons of Aaron.
11 “And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that one may offer to the Lord. 12 If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice vunleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour wwell mixed with oil. 13 xWith the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving he shall bring his offering with loaves of leavened bread. 14 And from it he shall offer one loaf from each offering, as a ygift to the Lord. zIt shall belong to the priest who throws the blood of the peace offerings. 15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings afor thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning. 16 But bif the sacrifice of his offering is a vow offering or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten. 17 But what remains of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned up with fire. 18 If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten on the third day, he who offers it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be credited to him. It is ctainted, and he who eats of it shall bear his iniquity.
19 “Flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned up with fire. All who are clean may eat flesh, 20 but the person who eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of the Lord’s peace offerings dwhile an uncleanness is on him, that person shall be cut off from his people. 21 And if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether ehuman uncleanness or an funclean beast or any gunclean detestable creature, and then eats some flesh from the sacrifice of the Lord’s peace offerings, that person shall be cut off from his people.”
22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, hYou shall eat no fat, of ox or sheep or goat. 24 The fat of an animal ithat dies of itself and the fat of one that is torn by beasts may be put to any other use, but on no account shall you eat it. 25 For every person who eats of the fat of an animal of which a food offering may be made to the Lord shall be cut off from his people. 26 Moreover, jyou shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places. 27 Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.”
28 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 29 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, kWhoever offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the Lord shall bring his offering to the Lord from the sacrifice of his peace offerings. 30 lHis own hands shall bring the Lord’s food offerings. He shall bring the fat with mthe breast, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord. 31 nThe priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but othe breast shall be for Aaron and his sons. 32 And othe right thigh you shall give to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifice of your peace offerings. 33 Whoever among the sons of Aaron offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right thigh for a portion. 34 For the breast that is owaved and the thigh that is ocontributed I have taken from the people of Israel, out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and phave given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons, as a perpetual due from the people of Israel. 35 This is the portion of Aaron and of his sons from the Lord’s food offerings, from the day they were presented to serve as priests of the Lord. 36 The Lord commanded this to be given them by the people of Israel, qfrom the day that he anointed them. It is a perpetual due throughout their generations.”
37 This is the law rof the burnt offering, of the grain offering, of the sin offering, sof the guilt offering, tof the ordination offering, and uof the peace offering, 38 which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day that he commanded the people of Israel vto bring their offerings to the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai.
Consecration of Aaron and His Sons
8 wThe Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Take Aaron and his sons with him, and xthe garments and ythe anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread. 3 And assemble all the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” 4 And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation was assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
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