Freely   Embracing   Death 

JESUS TOOK  HIS DEATH seriously, as he did his life. Anointed by the Spirit, he was able to discern the signs of the times and was therefore perfectly aware that his "hour" would soon come (cf. John 2:4; 7:30; 13:1; Matthew 26:45). Paradoxically, however, we find that Jesus at times "hid himself" to escape public notice and persecution (cf. John 7:1; 8:59). Jesus was no coward, but neither was he suicidal. He was hiding from the police, from the assassins, from his enemies, because his hour had still not arrived. The thought of death distressed him (John 12:27), but he accepted the divine will; he left everything in the hands of his Father. Jesus knew that he was going to die, but he did not hand himself over recklessly. He defended his life until "the hour" arrived and so stayed out of sight. This circumstance makes us aware of the painful inner tension that afflicted the heart of Jesus, a tension that became visible at the culminating moment of Gethsemane.

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. - John 13:1 -

Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners." - Matthew 26:45 -

"Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say - 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour." - John 12:27 -

The death of Jesus was carried out by human beings, but it was according to God's designs - it was a human deed "worked over" by God. "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again" (Mark 9:31). The words "betray" and "kill" have a technical meaning in the scriptures. "Kill" refers to the slaying of a righteous person, and it designates human beings as the ones responsible for the death. In Greek, on the other hand, the verb "betray" means the same as "hand over" or "give up"; it is used to indicate that God is the one who does the "handing over" as Saint Paul tells us: "He did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us" (Romans 8:32).

When we hear that Jesus was "handed over" by Judas and the chief priests, we should understand that they are agents of the divine will. When Jesus is finally handed over, that is, "the hour," as he himself says: "This is your hour and the power of darkness" (Luke 22:53). At the same time, it is the hour of his glorification (cf. John 12:23-24).

At all times, Jesus acts with freedom, alternately appearing in public and disappearing from view - and eventually allowing himself to be taken captive. He makes his strategy clear: "For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father" (John 10:17-18). His freedom is such that he accepts both the plan of the Father (being handed over) and the instrument used (being killed by specified persons in a particular way). As we behold the splendor of Christ's dignity so manifest here, we are moved to exclaim, "Worthy is the Lamb!" (Revelation 5:12). This is the dignity of the person who surrenders in obedience to the Father's will and allows that will to determine how the deed will be done. All of this Jesus does with the utmost freedom.

All dignity is founded on both freedom and surrender. At first sight, the two concepts seem opposed: freedom means the ability to decide for oneself, while surrender suggests leaving the decision in someone else's hands. Nevertheless, freedom's deepest root entails voluntary abandonment because only thus can we find that for which we have been created, and this is called worthiness in the Worthy One, true lordship in the Lord.

For Prayer and Reflection - "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain: but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:23-24). 

THESE REFLECTIONS, WRITTEN BY JORGE MARIO BERGOGLIO chosen for this volume by him, are deeply rooted in the Scriptures and in the pastoral experiences and concerns of the author. They are relevant to everyone who seeks to grow in understanding the call to follow Jesus. They also constitute the best introduction to the energetic and wise spirituality of Pope Francis. 

BY HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS - Open Mind, Faithful Heart - Reflection on Following Jesus -

     -   WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY   - 

Just as God originally inspired the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, He has used this means to preserve His Word for future generations. But behind the writing lay periods of time when these messages were circulated in spoken form. [Oral Tradition] The stories of the patriarchs were passed from generation to generation by word of mouth before they were written. [Written Tradition] The messages of the prophets were delivered orally before they were fixed in writing. Narratives of the life and ministry of Christ Jesus were repeated orally for two or three decades before they were given written form.

Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord" and not do what I say?' "Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and acts on them - I will show you what he/she is like. He/She is like a man/woman who when he/she built his/her house dug, deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man/woman who built his/her house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!" - Luke 6:46-49 - 

If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love." - Ephesians 4:15-16 - 

I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself, but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come. He/She will glorify me, since all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine." - John 16:12-15 -