May 22, 2022 Fr. Foeckler’s Lecture Note

[정하상성당]

 

Motjari Meeting May 22, 2022 Fr. Foeckler’s Lecture Note

 

6th Sunday

 

Thursday Ascension will be celebrated on the next Sunday

 

Pentecost is coming soon, too.

 

Today’s Gospel

Jn 14:23-29

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.”

 

When did this happen? On the day of the Last Supper. The discourses, St. John recored in 5 chapters. St. John talked about washing of the feet and other things that other disciples didn’t add on, to remember all the things. 

 

Important phrase:
 ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.

He’s talking about his death and his resurrection. 

He will come back in his glory. This glorious part is being explained in the second reading today.

 

Reading II

Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23

The angel took me in spirit to a great, high mountain
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God.
It gleamed with the splendor of God.
Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,
like jasper, clear as crystal.
It had a massive, high wall,
with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed
and on which names were inscribed,
the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites.
There were three gates facing east,
three north, three south, and three west.
The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,
on which were inscribed the twelve names
of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

I saw no temple in the city
for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb.
The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it,
for the glory of God gave it light,
and its lamp was the Lamb.

 

The Father is greater than I.

 

The very basis of Christian faith is the trinity. He is one in being, “consubstantial.” Because of the line above, some people like Jehovah’s Witness doesn’t believe Jesus is the Father. They think Jesus is the great angel. 

So in what context Jesus said that? First of all, he is not saying he is below God. He was with God in the beginning, and it is also the words of God. They are one substance, they are one being. After the Lord appears to St. Thomas on the 2nd week of Easter, St. Thomas kneeled down, said “My Lord, My God”. Jesus accepted his words, did not repute those. 

In the Last Supper, he made the eucharist. He was talking about his body and his blood. He also said he would be risen. He talked about his death, resurrection, and his ascension. The context of the Last Supper is about his humanity. He emphasized on his humanity. If you want to describe Jesus, the best words is true God, true man. He is completely God and completely man together, the divinity and the humanity is one. When he says the Father is greater than I, he was talking about his humanity. He is not talking about his divinity. 

 

Why should we be happy for Jesus is going away? He stayed 40 extra days to help apostles to harden their belief. He stayed behind so that he can help for the apostles to grasp deeply understanding of how Father works.

Where he’s going, who he is need to be taught. He is gone to heaven in his human body. He’s going to be honored and glorified by his Father as a man. The Ascension is about Jesus having won the victory and going to heaven to celebrate as a man. Now human being is blessed with Jesus. Now we get to be glorified with him. 

As His eternal son, Jesus is equal to God, but as a human being, he is less than God. He is going to be glorified to heave as a man. He is opening the gate for all of us human beings.

 

St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians

 

Jesus is in the form of God, but he emptied his glory to humble himself to become a man.

 

He said, now he is coming back to us to dwell in us to lighten us up (Revelation) until the day we are going to eternity. When that happens, we join in the heaven. This is why we rejoyce also. This wasn’t possible before Jesus.

 

Peace I leave you, my peace I give you; look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will.

He’s going to give us peace. He’s the consoler, his the counselor, his comforter. The peace he gives is the Holy Spirit.

 

Pray for Peter and Lucy, please.

[Author]

Posts