Christian Mysticism: Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent (Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22; Psalm 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23; John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30)

Theosis is a core concept in Christian mysticism, but it is a concept that we do not often talk about in the Roman Church.  It is a topic that is far more commonly discussed in many of the Eastern Catholic Churches.

In the Roman Church, we tend to use words like sanctification, which are intended to represent the same concept, but are often watered down to the point where they fall short of what theosis truly is and what it means to the life of a Christian.

I believe Jesus gives us a perfect phrase to ponder what theosis looks like and give us inspiration to continue to deepen a transformative relationship with God.

At the end of our Gospel reading, Jesus said, “I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”

Ultimately, that is a statement from a state of perfect theosis.  We have a name for this perfect theosis.   We call it the hyperstatic union, the human nature of the son of Mary and the divine nature of the Son of God in perfect union within the divine person of Jesus Christ.

Of course, none of us are a divine person, like Jesus is.  At the same time, we are called to reach the heights of the Christian life by bringing our human nature into full union with the divine nature…to become partakers of the divine nature, as Saint Peter said in his second letter.

When Jesus says, “I am from him”, He is referring to the fact that He shares the same essence with the Father, or as we say in the creed, consubstantial with the Father.

In our human nature, we cannot make that claim in its fullest sense.  Regardless, we are made in His image and likeness.  As we live the sacramental life of the Catholic Church more thoroughly, we can deepen that transformative relationship with God.  In the process, we begin to participate more deeply in the “from-ness” that Jesus speaks of. 

When Jesus says, “I know him”, He is not referring to an intellectual or a factual knowledge.  Rather, he is again referring to the hyperstatic union.  

We see glimpses of this throughout the Gospel, such as when Jesus said, “not my will but Thy will be done” in the Gospel of Luke.  

Still the reality of truly knowing Him is much deeper than mere words can convey.  The level of deferential love that is continually manifested between God the Father and God the Son leaves absolutely no room for any form of selfishness or even self will.

Through theosis we begin to understand God not as a concept, but rather through an experience of perfect love.  The goal of theosis is to move beyond mere knowledge of God to inhabiting the life of God.

When Jesus says, “He sent me”, He is reminding us that Christianity is not a private affair, nor is it just a “me and Jesus personal relationship” as we often hear in non-Catholic circles.

In order to become a greater partaker in the divine nature, we must become a greater conduit of grace to the world around us.  We must allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, in all our affairs.  

Ultimately, this is our call at every Mass.  “Ite, missa est," which translates to "Go, it is sent"; or, “Go forth, the Mass has ended”, as I will say in a few minutes.  

At that point, from a certain perspective, you will have been deified by the sacraments, particularly, the Eucharist (assuming you received in a state of grace, with the correct disposition, and with the correct intention).  

Go forth, be Christ to the world because through theosis, the Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

Thanks be to God!

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The Cedars of Lebanon: Friday of the Third Week of Lent (Hosea 14:2-10; Psalm 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17; Mark 12:28-34)

The Cedars of Lebanon are referenced dozens of times across Scripture.  But, we rarely ever discuss what makes the Cedars of Lebanon so special and how they relate to our spiritual life.

Throughout history, the Cedars of Lebanon have been a highly regarded tree that grows in the mountains of present day Lebanon.  Throughout this time, they have consistently symbolized strength, resilience, endurance, royalty, dignity, and even incorruptibility.

These trees were known for their high durability as well as resistance to damage from decay, insects, and water.  These characteristics made them highly sought after for the construction of mighty sea faring ships as well as majestic palaces.

Two important, foundational prototypes of the Catholic Church were constructed from the Cedars of Lebanon:  the Temple of Solomon and the fishing boat of Peter.

King Solomon obtained great amounts of the Cedars of Lebanon to be used for interior walls, beams, and ceilings of the Temple.  The Cedars of Lebanon symbolized strength, longevity, and majesty…ultimately helping the people be more mindful of the Divine presence and the permanence of the covenant.

The Catholic Church is one of the fulfilments of Solomon’s Temple in the New Covenant in so much as Jesus Christ is the new Solomon and the ultimate Temple (as he stated in the Gospel of John).  It is through the Catholic Church that the Divine presence is preserved on Earth.  

Archeological evidence around the Sea of Galilee suggests the fishing boat of Peter that we hear about in several Gospel passages was constructed out of the Cedars of Lebanon.  The strength of the Cedars of Lebanon enabled the boat to survive the crashing of 10 to 12 foot waves.  The boat provided safety in turbulent waters.

As we said in a previous homily, anytime we hear of a boat in the Scriptures, we should immediately think of what the Lord is trying to teach us about the Catholic Church.  The Catholic Church is the fulfillment of the Barque (or Boat) of Saint Peter.  She withstands the constant onslaught of violent waves of human secularism, relativism, and the like.  It is through the Catholic Church that we are provided safe passage to eternal life.

Regarding the symbols I mentioned earlier, the Cedars of Lebanon should provoke a sense of the fulfillment of these symbols in the Catholic Church.  

What was imperfectly strong in the Old Covenant, has been perfected through Christ in the New.  What was imperfectly resilient in the Old Covenant, has been perfected through Christ in the New.  What was imperfectly permanent in the Old Covenant, has been perfected by Christ in the New.

Like any other plant, the Cedars of Lebanon begin as weak seedlings.  They grow deep roots that penetrate the rocky terrain of the Lebanese mountains to establish a firm foundation and obtain the nutrition they need to grow.  

I read that for every 10 feet of height the tree obtains, there are 30 feet of roots beneath the ground.  Another way to look at that is that 25% of the tree is above ground, concerned about the things of the world around it.  Meanwhile, 75% of the tree below ground, concerned about being grounded in nutrition.

It reminds me of the Parable of the Sower in the Gospel of Matthew, “Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots.”

If we applied the Cedars of Lebanon to our spiritual life, less than 25% of our life would be focused on the things of the world around us, while more then 75% of our life would be focused on grounding ourselves more deeply in the Sacramental life of the Church, the Scriptures, following the commandments, and performing works of mercy.

Indeed, through us, the Lord shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, and put forth his shoots.  We will hear Him and walk in His ways as he proclaims, “I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.”

Thanks be to God!

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To Suffer with Him: Thursday of the Third Week of Lent (Jeremiah 7:23-28; Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9; Luke 11:14-23)

This month, Archbishop Lori says, “As fallible humans, our strength and resolve sometimes collapse into weakness. May we always seek the courage to follow Jesus faithfully, even when the going gets tough.”

We see a sense of this in our readings today.  The Lord commanded His people to listen to his voice.  But, they did not obey.  They turned their backs to the Lord, walking in the hardness of their hearts.  Faithfulness gone.

Let’s face it, our post Christian, human secularist society echoes the very situation the Prophet Jeremiah describes.  As a society we continue to stiffen our necks and each subsequent generation does worse than their fathers.

What are the consequences to a society that has turned its back to the Lord?  Are those consequences present in our society today?  Increased addictions, check.  Increased violence, check.  Increased breakdown of marriages, check.  Increased dysfunctional families, check.

If this description leaves you feeling a bit uneasy, good.  That means there is hope.

Hope means that we are going to need to suffer for Christ.  Hope means we need to step outside of our comfort zones in how we love others, in how we evangelize to others, and in how we lead others to Christ. 

Hope means we need to sacrifice for Christ.  Hope means we need to eliminate those things from our lives that are not compatible to a life with Christ and encourage others to do the same.  

Hope means we need to live with a spirit of martyrdom.  Hope means we need to consistently embody the ultimate witness to truth, charity, and faith in Christ.  And, carry that spirit out into the world around us.

Hope means we need to lean into the sacramental life of the Church even more.  Hope means we need to listen to the voice of the Lord through the Mass and the Sacraments as frequently as possible.  Hope means we need to take courageous corrective action when the Church teaches something that is different than we had previously thought.

This month Archbishop Lori says, “I challenge you to pray the Stations of the Cross each week — in your parish community, with your family or individually — with the intention of receiving the courage to suffer for Christ.”

In his challenge, he asks the following questions, “Are you a good disciple of Christ? How can being a faithful Catholic help prepare you to take up your cross and follow him? Are you willing to suffer for your faith if called upon?”

The reality is that we are all called upon to suffer for our faith.  We are all called to be missionary disciples to spread the Kingdom of the Sacred Heart into the world around us and to lead those we encounter to the Sacred Heart in the Eucharist.

To suffer with Him in this way is a heroic response to this month's challenge.

If today you hear his voice through the Eucharist, harden not your hearts.

Thanks be to God!

Idol of Relationship: Friday of the Second Week of Lent (Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a; Psalm 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21; Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46)

Our first reading gives us several examples of codependency that can exist within the family.  The favoritism of Israel toward Joseph.  The anger and jealousy of the brothers.  The feelings of abandonment, rejection, and betrayal.  All symptomatic of a codependent family structure.

Codependency is a very relevant topic for our society today.  I have read statistics that strongly suggest nearly 90% of Americans suffer from some level of codependency.  

At its most basic level, codependency is the excessive emotional or psychological reliance on another person, place, or thing.  In this case, Israel developed an unhealthy attachment to Joseph.  Israel’s sense of self  (his very sense of identity) was based on his relationship to Joseph.  To put it in more Catholic terms, Israel made an idol of Joseph.

There isn’t enough context in the reading to know the exact nature of what the relationship was; however, we certainly see very clearly that the symptoms of a problem existed.

Codependent parents often fall into one of two categories: permissive or authoritative.  It is possible that Israel was permissive with Joseph, while at the same time,  authoritative with the other siblings.

Either way, codependency can have a profound impact on how siblings learn to interact, communicate, and relate to one another.  

Siblings in codependent family structures often exhibit routine efforts to gain attention and validation.  Siblings constantly exhibit jealousy, resentment, and insecurity (as we see in our reading today).

Growing up in a codependent family structure can lead to an adulthood marked with difficulties creating and maintaining healthy boundaries as well as difficulties creating and maintaining meaningful relationships with others and even with God.

Over time, intimacy and trust often erodes and are replaced with feelings of powerlessness and despair.  Stress, anxiety, depression, and other forms of emotional turmoil often become the norm.

Imagine how dysfunctional it really had to be in order for the brothers of Joseph to hit a bottom so low that it became desirable to either kill Joseph or sell him into slavery.

Of course, we know the end of the story for Joseph.  By the grace of God, he became a great leader for the Hebrew people.  He and his brothers were able to make amends.  Seemingly, at least, it was a happy ending for Joseph and his family.

If you find yourself, or someone you know, in a codependent situation, please know of my empathy and prayers.  There does come a point where we can “love” others too much.  A disordered love that is sourced from a point where we desperately need approval, acceptance, love, or friendship.  

From that point, it often spirals into a cycle of insanity consisting of growing guilt, shame, resentment, and depression.

Like any cycle of addiction, codependency can be broken by the promises of Christ.  Surrendering our lives and our wills, and particularly our relationships, to the care of Jesus Christ.  Learning and practicing authentic acceptance, detachment, and surrender are often the keys to conquering codependent patterns in our lives.

I’m sure we will go into more depth on these themes in future homilies.  However, here are three takeaways for today to start the journey of depending on God and embracing the freedom of Christ:

Spend time with God everyday.  Come to Mass, receive the Eucharist, spend time in Adoration, read the Bible, and make time for prayer in general.

Live for God as opposed to human validation.  Earnestly seek His will and resolve to live it out.  Come to understand what your charisms are and find ways to exercise and strengthen them.

Say “No” to unhealthy relationships.  Learn to identify the dysfunctional patterns that may exist in family structures, establish and maintain healthy boundaries, and allow God to be your guide and your strength.

Conquering codependency is most challenging, but sanity can be restored and healthy, loving relationships are possible as we remember the marvels the Lord has done.

Thanks be to God!

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