Their wickedness blinded them

 

The seventh chapter of John’s Gospel (7:1-30) begins by saying that Jesus didn’t travel to Judea because there was a group of people trying to kill Him.  This is one of several instances where the gospels reveal how a group of people are out to get Jesus.  The attitude among Jesus’ enemies suggested that if Jesus could just be bumped off, life could be more predictable, and they could get back to business as usual.  Jesus’ words and teachings highly influenced the common people.  Yet at the same time these same words confronted the dishonesty of the religious leaders, who had grown very comfortable with their untruthfulness.  Impressive to me, as the gospel continues, is Jesus’ testimony to His Father even with the thoughts of death becoming a reality.

On a personal level, I’m left wondering about the times of past attitudes where I pondered fantasies of the grandiose lifestyle I would be living if I didn’t believe in Jesus or didn’t have a desire to follow His teachings.  If Jesus wasn’t part of my life, I know I would be justifying actions to get ahead, to make money, to push the envelope even at the expense of others.  At a simplistic level, if Jesus isn’t in the picture, then why I should return my neighbor’s property I borrowed last fall?

On the level of humanity, I see this attitude flowing into weekly events in the news.  When I hear stories of price gouging or genocide, human experimentation where greed has taken over and the person being interviewed simply says that they, “didn’t do anything illegal.”  While it may not have violated a specific code of law, it was far from a moral code that thinks beyond one’s selfishness.  They may have not done anything illegal, but their actions have rippled waves of destruction even into future generations.   The bottom line is how easy it is to justify our actions and behaviors if we get Jesus out of the picture.

It certainly isn’t a new idea.  The book of Wisdom reminds us that this mode of thinking has been going on for centuries even before Jesus’ birth.  “Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings.” (Wisdom 2:1-22) If we don’t have to act out of justice, if we govern our lives by the things we personally desire to give us personal fulfillment, temporary happiness, or false security, and we selfishly make these decisions without any consideration of others, then we are probably in pretty sinful place as we justify our behaviors.  When we are in a good place, we know how erroneous this thinking can become.  But when we're in that self-centered place it's truly difficult to see our blindness.  Wisdom concludes, “These were their thoughts, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them.”

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The Highs and Lows and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary

The Glorious Mysteries

IV.  The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

Brief meditation:

“But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet…Then they heard a loud voice from Heaven saying to them, ‘Come up hither!’ And in the sight of their foes they went up to Heaven in a cloud.” – Revelation 11:11-12

Our Lady didn’t ascend as Jesus did, because she was never God and could never condescend into her humanity as He did.  Instead, by way of her Immaculate Conception, since she was created guileless, her gift was to be taken up by God to Heaven.

That’s where our hope lies, too – that, in spite of our humanity, we have the potential for perfection by way of holy purification. God’s expansive mercy is limitless in the ways He reaches down from Heaven to uplift us every day, when we’re despondent, when we’re lonely, when we’re addicted, when we’re suffering, when we’re in pain.

The Assumption of Mary serves as a goal or guidepost for us, our hope as we strive to attain heaven or accept it anew as God continues to present it to us as a gratuitous gift.

Scriptural meditations:

1.  Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women on earth. (Judith 13:23)- Hail Mary…

2.  For He has so magnified thy name this day, that thy praise shall not depart out of the mouths of men. (Judith 13:25)- Hail Mary…

3.  In every nation which shall hear thy name, the God of Israel shall be magnified on occasion of thee. (Judith 13:31)- Hail Mary…

4.  Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel, thou art the honor of our people. (Judith 15:10)- Hail Mary…

5.  Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, for the king shall desire your beauty. (Psalms 44:11-12)- Hail Mary…

6.  And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and there came flashes of lightning, and peals of thunder. (Revelation 11:19)- Hail Mary…

7.  And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun. (Revelation 12:1)- Hail Mary…

8.  And the moon was under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. (Revelation 12:1)- Hail Mary…

9.  All glorious is the king's daughter as she enters; her raiment is threaded with spun gold. (Psalms  44:14)- Hail Mary…

10.  Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wondrous deeds. (Psalms 97:1)- Hail Mary…