WEEK NINETEEN: FROM DISBELIEF TO BELIEF - OVERVIEW
WHAT IS AT THE HEART OF SESSION TEN, WEEK NINETEEN?
"The Fourth Week begins with the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. In the resurrection of Jesus, God's glory or total otherness is made manifest to us. The Resurrection of Jesus is both the hour of glory for Himself and for His Father! The Resurrection makes clear that Jesus is LORD and GOD! Jesus' Resurrection puts to rest any question or doubt that the disciples might have had about His divinity! They were hoping that He would be the political Messiah of Israel. But that He would be God? During the forty days that Jesus was with them after His resurrection, the disciples moved from immense fear and despair to peace and joy given to them by their Risen Lord. Their incipient faith in Jesus as the Son of God before His resurrection, now comes to full bloom through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They came to comprehend what it meant that Jesus would be raised from the dead. They moved from disbelief to belief! In the Fourth Week of the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius wants you to seek the grace of union with the Risen Lord: "to be glad and rejoice intensely because of the great joy and the glory of Christ our Lord." (#221) In true covenant union fashion, we are asking to identify completely with the Risen Lord, to experience His peace and joy at all times as we share in the glory of His resurrection. This grace of union is a mystical grace, something that our minds cannot quite grasp, but our hearts can make sense of it. Quite simply, the grace of union means that we live from the conviction that our Risen Lord has overcome Satan, sin, and death, and is therefore greater than all our circumstances. He is always present with His peace and joy, even in the midst of life's trials and tribulations." By Dr Michael Fonseca.
"Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher)." John 20:15-16
Our own world view distorts our vision. The Resurrected Christ, how did Mary Magdalene not recognize Jesus? How do we not recognize Jesus in our own lives? We have a perceived outcome and then the reality is something different. Like Mary Magadalene, we are faithful followers of Christ, do we see the Risen Lord in these events? Not right away as we are being taught to trust God in all things. Our own hopes and dreams are ours but are they God's? The reality of following Christ has the proper ending, Heaven, but the journey is nothing that you have imagined with a human mind.
What is God saying to me? I stand before you, will you still follow Me now that your world view has changed?
Dear Lord, I may not recognize You and what You are doing but my spirit drives me forward to look beyond and see what You promise awaits those who love You. Prayers for a world filled with deception and lies, for a world with empty promises. You have the gift of eternal life which You proved by walking out of the tomb in flesh and blood. Use me today where You need me, help me see beyond the reality of its events to do the will of Your Father. To God be the glory, Amen.
Mary, Mother of the Word Incarnate, Pray for us.
St Joesph, Most Courageous, Pray for us.
Viva Cristo Rey
WHAT IS AT THE HEART OF SESSION TEN, WEEK NINETEEN?
"The Fourth Week begins with the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. In the resurrection of Jesus, God's glory or total otherness is made manifest to us. The Resurrection of Jesus is both the hour of glory for Himself and for His Father! The Resurrection makes clear that Jesus is LORD and GOD! Jesus' Resurrection puts to rest any question or doubt that the disciples might have had about His divinity! They were hoping that He would be the political Messiah of Israel. But that He would be God? During the forty days that Jesus was with them after His resurrection, the disciples moved from immense fear and despair to peace and joy given to them by their Risen Lord. Their incipient faith in Jesus as the Son of God before His resurrection, now comes to full bloom through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They came to comprehend what it meant that Jesus would be raised from the dead. They moved from disbelief to belief! In the Fourth Week of the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius wants you to seek the grace of union with the Risen Lord: "to be glad and rejoice intensely because of the great joy and the glory of Christ our Lord." (#221) In true covenant union fashion, we are asking to identify completely with the Risen Lord, to experience His peace and joy at all times as we share in the glory of His resurrection. This grace of union is a mystical grace, something that our minds cannot quite grasp, but our hearts can make sense of it. Quite simply, the grace of union means that we live from the conviction that our Risen Lord has overcome Satan, sin, and death, and is therefore greater than all our circumstances. He is always present with His peace and joy, even in the midst of life's trials and tribulations." By Dr Michael Fonseca.
"Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher)." John 20:15-16
Our own world view distorts our vision. The Resurrected Christ, how did Mary Magdalene not recognize Jesus? How do we not recognize Jesus in our own lives? We have a perceived outcome and then the reality is something different. Like Mary Magadalene, we are faithful followers of Christ, do we see the Risen Lord in these events? Not right away as we are being taught to trust God in all things. Our own hopes and dreams are ours but are they God's? The reality of following Christ has the proper ending, Heaven, but the journey is nothing that you have imagined with a human mind.
What is God saying to me? I stand before you, will you still follow Me now that your world view has changed?
Dear Lord, I may not recognize You and what You are doing but my spirit drives me forward to look beyond and see what You promise awaits those who love You. Prayers for a world filled with deception and lies, for a world with empty promises. You have the gift of eternal life which You proved by walking out of the tomb in flesh and blood. Use me today where You need me, help me see beyond the reality of its events to do the will of Your Father. To God be the glory, Amen.
Mary, Mother of the Word Incarnate, Pray for us.
St Joesph, Most Courageous, Pray for us.
Viva Cristo Rey
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