18 January 2010: 'Christ Becomes Light and Salvation ...

‘... of the people to whom He was sent at the beginning of His public life’.

The glory of the Lord had already enveloped the shepherds in light during the night (cf Lk 2:9) of the birth of Jesus Christ; but this is the first time that the Gospel speaks of a light shown to all. When Jesus quit Nazareth, was baptized in the Jordan, and then went to Capernaum to begin his public ministry, it was as like a second birth. It consisted in abandonment of private and hidden life in order to give himself to the total and irrevocable commitment of a life spent for all, even unto the supreme sacrifice of Himself.

Ref: cf Pope John Paul II, “Prayers and Devotions”, 1994, p85

Jesus calls His first disciples

Jesus, like the early prophets, preached alone. After some months he began to call disciples. The first two came on hearing John the Baptist say, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (Jn 1:36) They said to him, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” He replied, “Come and see”. They went and saw, and remained with him that day. (Jn 1:38-9)

They are Andrew and John. Andrew tells his brother, “We have found the Messiah”, and brought him to Jesus. Looking at him, Jesus said, “You are Simon, son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (cf Jn 1:41-2) which means Peter or rock. The next day, in Galilee, He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me” (Jn 1:43).

And going on, he saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, in a ship with their father mending the nets. He called them. They immediately left their nets and father, and followed him. (Mk 1:19-20)

Andrew, John, Simon, James and Philip were the privileged first disciples to be called by the 'Saviour of the World'. Their vocation, seemingly accidental, was decreed by God from all eternity. Our state in life may seem to be due only to favorable circumstances; but with the eye of faith we will perceive the hand of God.

These first disciples also manifested admirable generosity and correspondence with grace; and the father of James and John, too! There is neither hesitation on one side, nor complaint or opposition on the other.

They were honest, hardworking, and pious men; but of low birth. They were Galilean fishermen whom Jews despised. Ignorant and obscure, the world held them in contempt.

Why did Jesus choose them? First, to teach the world which values only riches and honors; second, to exalt poverty and simplicity when lived with the virtue of honesty. Third, to preserve the disciples from all danger of pride in the high office to which they were destined; and fourth, chiefly, to convince the world that establishment and triumph of the Church were not the work of man.

Ref: cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp352-3

Our Lord calls them in the midst of their work.

Even nowadays, Jesus invites his followers wherever he finds them, so that their love for God will be known through family ties, at work and among friends. But he wants their work to be different henceforth.

“You are writing to me in the kitchen, by the stove. It is early afternoon. It is cold. By your side, your younger sister, the last one to discover the divine folly of living her Christian vocation to the full, is peeling potatoes. To all appearances -- you think -- her work is the same as before. And yet, what a difference there is! It is true: before she only peeled potatoes -- now she is sanctifying herself peeling potatoes.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Furrow”, 498)

For a Christian who lives thinking of God, work must be prayer, a way of union with Our Lord throughout the day. A great opportunity for practising virtues to reach the sanctity to which the Christian has been called. Prayer is therefore, also “any work that is well-finished and carried out with supernatural outlook”. (cf R Gomez Perez, “Faith and Life”)

Thus, work and interior life will not conflict, “just as the beating of the heart does not interrupt our attention to whatever our activities may be” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Letter”, 15 September 1948). “May the whole of our day, our prayer and our work take their strength from you and always begin with you, O Lord, and may all that we have began through you reach a happy end.” (cf Salvatore Canals, “Jesus as Friend”)

As love is very resourceful, we will find reminders which help us never to forget that we go to God through what is human. “Place on your desk, in your room, in your wallet, a picture of Our Lady, and glance at it when you begin your work, while you are doing it, and when you finish it. She will obtain, I can assure you, the strength for you to turn your task into a loving dialogue with God.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Furrow”, 531)

Ref: cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 3:1-4, 6

The role of an apostle

An apostle is to preach the Gospel with whatever means and talents he or she possesses. A casual observance of our faith is passé. These days we must know our faith or we will be buffeted like a small boat on a stormy sea.

The lives of the people who have found God and proclaimed his messages have been similar throughout the ages. Each of them had the courage to speak the truth, the virtue Heaven is asking of its apostles, without a blush and fear of man. This is, and always will be, the apostle’s role.

Ref: cf Ted and Maureen Flynn, op cit, pp371, 374

Naturalness -- “Blessed are you for believing”, said Elizabeth to our Mother. Union with God, supernatural virtue, always brings with it the attractive practice of human virtues: Mary brought joy to her cousin’s home, because she brought Christ. (St Josemaria Escrivá, op cit, 566)

Our Lady of Dijon, in Burgundy. This image, formerly named of 'Good Hope', delivered the city from the fury of the Swiss, in the year 1513. In thanksgiving for this favor, a general procession is held there every year. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com)

'Virgin of the Poor'

The eight apparitions* in Banneux, Belgium from 15 January to 2 March 1933, continued to develop the meaning of Mary’s presence among us. Our Lady appeared to only one visionary, twelve-year old Mariette Bero, in a poor section of the country; calling herself the ‘Virgin of the Poor’; and said she had come to console the sick and the suffering. ‘I am the Mother of the Redeemer, the Mother of God’, she stated. (*Approved)

A small but very important detail relative to later apparitions at Amsterdam (1945-1984; under investigation) is, on this day, Our Lady told Mariette, ‘Put your hands into the water. This spring is reserved for me.’ (They were standing near a spring.) The next day, Our Lady said, ‘This source is reserved for All the Nations’.

Ref: Ted and Maureen Flynn, “The Thunder of Justice”, 1993, p25