The Baptism In the Jordan
The first mystery tells us Jesus is Baptized by John in the Jordan River. In those days Baptism was a ritual bathing that washed away the old ways and brought with it a new life of repentance and adherence to God’s commands. John the Baptist spent much of his adult life as a hermit, fasting, praying, and opening himself to God’s will. When it was his time to fulfill his part in God’s plan, he left his self-imposed exile to preach to the people. He had the same authority as the other prophets before him, and the people came from far and wide to listen to his word. After all, he brought words of hope: Prepare the way of the Lord!
The people had been waiting for the savior to come and restore Israel to its former greatness for generations. They sought to amend their fallen ways and make themselves ready for the coming of the redeemer. John preached and Baptized until one day he saw his cousin in line.
Let’s refer back to our last episode when the babies greeted each other with full self-awareness from the sanctuary of the womb. They knew their own roles in the Father’s plan, and they knew the other’s role. They greeted each other with great joy, with John leaping in Elizabeth’s womb.
John, seeing his cousin standing before him at the Jordan, was aware of two things at this moment: he had no authority to Baptize the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE with water, and his time as prophet had ended. Jesus was here. His time had come.
Jesus assured John that the Baptism was necessary, much to John’s dismay. John performed the ritual, and the Heavens opened. One would think something like this might frighten passer-bys. To the contrary, it seemed to make Jesus very popular outside His home town. The Holy Spirit descended like a dove and came to rest above the head of Jesus. The Father’s voice boomed from the sky, “THIS IS MY SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.”
And there we have it, the Triune God plain as day at the Jordan River reinforcing the acts of a prophet and taking these actions to realms only God can offer. Baptism is good. Second Person of the Triune God walking among us is better. Where was a Starbucks when you needed one?
The Wedding at Cana
The second mystery is the wedding feast at Cana. At this point Jesus has already begun his public ministry, but he had not performed any signs. In the past, God chose opportune moments for prophets perform signs to optimize conversion. In the case of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, the Babylonian King himself witnessed an angel of the Lord protecting them from harm. King Nebuchadnezzar was so amazed by this that he made a royal decree that every citizen shall pay homage to the God of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego or face dire consequences. Likewise, their friend Daniel met a similar fate with King Darius. The Angel of the Lord protected Daniel from harm, and King Darius made a royal decree that every citizen shall pay homage to Daniel’s God.
Jesus had not had the opportunity to perform a very public sign as of yet. He was certainly not expecting to do so at a family gathering. However, His mother noticed a need, and she brought it to His attention.
Considering the ease at which she gained access to the kitchens to discover the shortage of wine, she must have been well-known to the family, and recognized among the household. She knew that a wedding feast has little to do with the happy couple—unless something went wrong. If something went wrong, it was the couple’s responsibility. It was their shame if someone else did not plan for enough food and wine to last through the evening. Blessed Mother could not have that embarrassment befall an innocent couple on their happy day. Certainly, her Son could understand that. She told her Son that something must be done, and she told the servants to do whatever He told them. Then she left the kitchens.
Jesus was not terribly interested in this mundane dilemma. It was not His time. This small act wasn’t going to further His mission. And as for righting wrongs, there were far greater injustices in the world than a shortage of wine! No one was sending Him off to take care of those! No, He was asked by His mother to do something to prevent public embarrassment—not war, not tyranny, not murder—embarrassment! But, really, what else could He do? It was such a little thing, and it meant so much to His mother. She knew that He could tell the servers to go about their business, but she trusted that He would create more wine. And He did. He told the servants to fill the stone jars with water and take a sample to the headwaiter. In that time, the water had been changed to fine wine, and the couple was saved from inevitable embarrassment.
One benefit of this first miracle was that the apostles bore witness to the events, and they believed. The servers bore witness, and they believed. His ministry had truly begun.
The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
The third mystery is the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. This single mystery encompasses the entirety of Jesus’ preaching. Every parable, every conversation with the Pharisees, every miracle is included.
Jesus preached to different people in different ways. He knew how to get through to an individual as well as to a group. People loved to listen to Him. He had no shortage of listeners, but it took signs to lead them to a deeper understanding of His mission. As a rabbi, He taught. As the Messiah, He multiplied the loaves and fish to feed the masses. This got people’s attention. He taught the forgiveness of sins, and then He cured lepers, paralytics, blind, mute, deaf, and possessed. People wanted to know more. They wanted to know the love and mercy of the God they worshipped. Jesus had those words and more. He had the words of everlasting life.
Now, suddenly, there was more than this life! There was a life with God and love, and it could all be theirs if they simply loved one another! From Egyptians to Babylonians to Romans, the Israelites had rarely been truly free in their extensive history. Someone was always trying to conquer them and assimilate them into a foreign society. But that didn’t matter anymore, because God loved them. God wanted to take care of them. There was more then this. There was Heaven.
As long as they could get along with each other and live for God, God was waiting to reward them for their fidelity. If that wasn’t good news, they didn’t know what was!
Jesus offered images of a shepherd defending his wayward sheep against lions, of farmers separating the wheat from the chaff, of entering Heaven with the innocence and unshakable faith of a child, and of moving mountains with the faith of a mustard seed. He made the Kingdom of God accessible for the people. He showed them that God wanted them to be with Him at the Feast. God wanted His people to come Home.
The Transfiguration
The fourth mystery is the Transfiguration. Peter, James, and John were the three chosen by Jesus every time there was a moment of singular importance. It is believed that this followed the Jewish tradition of the rabbi having three disciples. Peter, James, and John belonged to Jesus, while the three each had three of their own. This accounts for all 12 apostles.
In the case of the Transfiguration, Jesus told the three not to mention it right away. It was a matter of timing. If all of the important moments were announced at the same time—in the completed Gospel, for example—each event reinforced the next. For instance, Jesus cures the sick, raises the dead, speaks with prophets of old in person, and rises from the dead of His own power. If the people knew who Jesus was beforehand, they may not have arrested him, much less enabled Him to suffer for the sins of all humanity!
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29 And it happened that, as he was praying, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became sparkling white. |
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30 And suddenly there were two men talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah |
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31 appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. |
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32 Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they woke up and saw his glory and the two men standing with him. |
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33 As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what he was saying. |
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34 As he was saying this, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. |
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35 And a voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.’ |
(Luke 9:28-36)
What is there really to say after that? The Father tells you to listen to the Son. They’ve just seen long dead prophets appear before them to chat with their leader. It is almost as if they were either waiting for the next amazing thing to happen, or they were waiting to wake up from the most incredible dream ever!
A brief meditation on the relationship between John and Jesus.
John was the youngest apostle. He embodied the childlike aspects Christ spoke of when He said “Let the children come to me… One must be as a child to enter the kingdom of God.” John never questioned Jesus. John was never parted from Jesus if he could help it. John was the only one of the twelve standing at the foot of the cross, and John was the only apostle to have the privilege to rest his head against the Heart of Jesus at the Last Supper.
Imagine for a moment, reclining your head upon Christ’s chest, listening to the Heartbeat of love itself. How must that change a person? To feel the rhythm of creation in each beat. John was there from the beginning as a disciple of John the Baptist. John wanted to be close to God. John left the world behind without a moment’s doubt. With the innocence of a child, John followed where Jesus led. He walked the road to Cavalry. He took the Mother of Jesus into his home. He went willingly into exile. He wrote his Gospel from the Beginning, and he wrote Revelations after seeing the end times. He accepted all things because he loved Jesus—because he reclined his head upon Christ’s heart.
Are we asked to do any less?
The Institution of the Eucharist
The final luminous mystery is the Institution of the Eucharist.
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27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he handed it to them saying, ‘Drink from this, all of you, |
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28 for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. |
One may notice the striking resemblance to the words of consecration at Mass. There is a reason for that. Jesus Instituted the Eucharist. He said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” So… the apostles and early Church fathers made a point to consecrate the host as Jesus did. This is what separates the True Body and the True Blood from symbolic acts of fellowship.
At Mass we are not witnessing a symbolic act. We are not “crucifying Jesus all over again” as some believe. We are there witnessing it for the first time. Space and Time are human confines. God is above them. Each Mass we are there in the upper room with the twelve. We ARE the Body of Christ! In the moment of consecration, the priest IS Jesus. The Holy Spirit has come down. The Angels have taken the bread and wine up to the Father. When the Priest says, “This IS Jesus.” He’s not kidding. We ARE there. The first time. And the best part is that we can be there as often as we want! The Church encourages frequent attendance because Jesus said so!
What are we waiting for?
The Institution of the Eucharist
The Finding of the Child in the Temple
When Jesus was about twelve years old, his family traveled to Jerusalem by caravan. As one might expect with road trips today, plans were made, provisions were packed, and everyone needed a traveling buddy when wondering off from the group.
When Jesus got to the Temple, His twelve-year-old mind saw an opportunity to do His Father’s work. Naturally, He forgot all about His earthly parents and their instructions. It never occurred to Him–being both human and divine–that He would cause His mother worry by chatting with the teachers and wise men of the Temple.
They were amazed by Him. The elders hung on His every word. How could a mere child speak such wisdom? Surely, He must be a prophet. Could He be the One? They listened to Him as if they were the students and He was the teacher — because… well… He was.
Joseph and Mary had a good boy. He had never gotten into any trouble. He was polite, well-mannered, well-behaved… and missing. There were a lot of people in the caravan. Thus, there were a lot of options for traveling buddies. Unfortunately, everyone was accounted for but Jesus. This news came to them 36 hours after the group had left the Temple! Joseph and Mary quickly parted from the group and hurried back to the Temple. It was the only place that would have held any interest for Jesus.
Three days of searching — half within the group and half on the journey back –they reached the Temple, and there was their Son. He was safe and sound in the care of the elders. And two frantic parents breathed deeply for the first time in three days.
Jesus couldn’t understand why they were so upset. Why didn’t they understand? He was just doing His Father’s Will. It was why He had come, wasn’t it?
The issue was timing. He realized that he had to tell His parents what His intentions were before wandering off, or they may worry about Him. He promised be obedient from that moment forward.
A Brief Aside For Those Who Meditate on the Younger Days of Jesus
Baby Jesus was taken into Egypt just prior to King Herod’s decree to execute all male children two years of age and under. The Magi did not come back to him to reveal the location of the new king of Israel, so he felt he had to take matters into his own hands.
An Angel of the Lord was sent to St. Joseph in a dream to warn him of the decree. The angel told Joseph to take the Child and His Mother to Egypt. They would be safe there, and the angel would return to him when it was time to return home. Joseph woke from his dream and prepared the family for the journey.
After perhaps two years, the angel returned, and the family was now safe to return home. King Herod had murdered a generation of boys before his death, and his son saw no need for the order to continue. Joseph led his family back to their home in Nazareth, where they lived quietly for the next ten years.
The Presentation
The Presentation is another moment of recognition at a most unexpected time. The Priest Simeon set eyes on a baby boy, one of thousands in his lifetime, and his entire life changed.
It was standard practice for a male child eight days old to be brought to the Temple for circumcision and formal naming. God’s people were diligent record-keepers, as were their Roman oppressors. At eight days of age, children were brought to the Temple, and that was that. Their names were recorded, and boys were circumcised according to God’s Law–business as usual.
This child was different. Simeon knew the Savior when he saw Him. It was his gift for faithful service to the Father. Simeon would not depart from this world before he had seen God’s mercy–the Child who would set things right. Simeon was an old man. Thousands of babies had passed before his eyes. He never lost hope. He waited. He was not disappointed.
Simeon told the Child’s mother that He would be the cause of the rise and fall of many in Israel, and that a sword would pierce her heart. It will be three decades before she realized the sword is not made of steel, but of sorrow.
Ann, an elder who resided in the Temple, also recognized the Baby and His destiny. She had seen much suffering in her years, and she knew God was setting things right. Whatever difficulties were to come, God had personally seen to the care of His people. Ann rejoiced.
The Nativity
The birth of a child is a beautiful and miraculous thing, but it really isn’t all that mysterious. Child develops, child moves down into position, woman’s pelvis opens, child exits birth canal. God designed this to be simple. The mystery isn’t even giving birth without drugs or in a stable. I gave birth to my second child on the front lawn.
No, the mystery is that God, the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE humbled HIMSELF to become like us in all things but sin. GOD, THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE was at this very moment a tiny little baby. He was vulnerable to all things, He relied on His parents for all things, He was small and weak, and helpless.
So why does THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE come to earth as one of us? Because He loves us. There’s your mystery. The most powerful being in the universe came as the weakest and in most need of protection just to share our struggles and help us to overcome them.
This speaks of love so grand that we will never begin to comprehend it this side of heaven.
The Visitation
The more I thought of the conversation with the woman a year agao, the more I started to ponder the Mysteries and what makes them so mysterious.
The Visitation seemed simple enough. Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth and help her as Elizabeth’s own pregnancy progressed. The journey was not extraordinary for those times. The reason for the visit was rather commonplace. It was time to look deeper.
Nothing in Scripture said that Mary told anyone of the angel’s visit, and yet the Savior of the World was recognized, by the resident of Elizabeth’s womb! It was only after the child leaped for joy that Elizabeth spoke. Two babies in the womb greeted each other upon Mary’s arrival. Elizabeth was then filled with the Spirit and recognized her cousin as the Mother of God. After these two greetings, Mary recounted her fiat to Elizabeth.
Herein lies the mystery. How can two babies recognize the destiny of each other? How could two babies in seperate wombs communicate? These conceptions were by the direct hand of God: a virgin and one who was baren and past her child-bearng years could not have conceived without intervention. God chose these women from all the women of all time to bear these two chidren, the Son of God Himself and the His herald, the last prophet. God formed them in the womb for a special purpose, and they happily accepted it. They recognized each other joyfully, and their mothers pleasantly surprised by it all.
The Annunciation
Last March I had the opportunity to talk about the Mysteries of the Rosary with a woman who could not see what was special and mysterious about these moments in the life of Christ. She refered to them as stating the obvious. I disagreed.
I said that each Mystery was an unfathomable moment in time that we can use to draw ourselves deeper in prayer and closer to Christ. For example…
The Annunciation was not just the angel of the Lord “announcing ” that Mary had been chosen to be to the Mother of the Most High. The Annunciation was the moment in time that God had chosen to redeem the human race. THIS was the moment when the new Eve was given the opportunity to accept God’s gift or refuse it as her predecessor in the Garden had done. All hosts of heaven had waited for the woman, and now at this point they waited in eager anticipation for this young girl to answer.
And this was no small request! This young girl was asked to be the Mother of God, through God’s own power. This was her choice alone to make. She could not ask her own mother or her betrothed. The fate of humanity for all time rested on her.
And she said YES!
The heavens cheered as the woman reconciled the disobedience of the first mother in the Garden…and a Child was conceived in the virgin’s womb. She alone was the daughter of the Father, the spouse of the Spirit, and the mother of the Son. She had been chosen from all women of all time for this moment, and we have her to thank for bringing us the Redeemer.
WOW!!!
The woman I was speaking with told me I was making a Mystery of it, and I didn’t need to do that. I hope she thought about what I had said.
The Rosary
The rosary is one of the earliest forms of prayer within the Church. The format is based on the number of psalms prayed by the Religious. Long before the printing press, books were expensive, and only the wealthy could afford them much the cost of the tutor to teach one to read them.
The original rosary with its fifteen decades had 150 Hail Marys. The Hail Mary was a Scripture based prayer that was easy to learn and remember. It could be said during daily work, and the prayers could be counted on the fingers as one went along. The Lord’s Prayer and Doxology were in place of the antiphon, a verse repeated after each set of psalms.
The Mysteries were added later along with the Hail Holy Queen, the Apostles’ Creed, and various other prayers. During her apparitions, Mary has improved upon her "Little Psalter," as it came to be known in the early days, giving us more ways in which to envoke her aid in defense against the temptations of the devil.
The rosary is a standard when battling evil for one simple reason. The devil cannot interfere with her. If we call upon her intercession, we can hide behind her robes, effectively rendering the devil powerless to act. Here comes the tricky part…We have to believe she is with us! If the devil plants doubts, we just have to pray harder. Eventually, grace comes through the rosary to disspell all doubt, all temptation, all that stands between us and the Lord. Sometimes we just have to be patient.
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