Study and Meditations on this Sunday's Scripture Readings: November 21st

[Fidelis]

Here is a meditation on the 2nd Reading for personal application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: St. Paul tells the Colossians how grateful they ought to be to God for having made them Christians and citizens of Christ’s kingdom. The Apostle then goes on to describe who and what their new sovereign is, true God and true man, the true image of the invisible God and at the same time the perfect exemplar of true humanity. This portion of St. Paul’s epistle was aptly chosen for this great feast of the Kingship of Christ. Also, it calls to our minds how blessed, how fortunate we are to be Christians, citizens of his kingdom on earth with a guarantee of perpetual citizenship in his heavenly kingdom. This will be so only if we do the little he asks of us while here on earth.

Ninety-nine per cent of the citizens of any country on earth, whether it be small or great, rich or poor, are proud of their native land. They respect its ruler and its flag. If called on to defend their homeland against an aggressor they are willing to lay down their lives in its defence. Yet, our native country is ours for only a very limited time. The most it can give us is a few years of temporal happiness mixed with much hardship and trial.

On the other hand, Christians and all who, through no fault of their own, are non-Christians but try to do what is right, already have been selected and are being prepared to become free citizens in a kingdom, a home-land, which will last forever. It is one which will satisfy every rational longing of our human hearts. We have a king whose resources are infinite, whose realm is boundless, and whose generosity is without limit. His interest in our eternal happiness and his love for us have been proved beyond all possibility of doubt. “He humbled himself,” as St. Paul tells us, “assuming the nature of a slave and in obedience accepted even death—death on a cross” (Phil. 2: 7-8). He became man and allowed himself to be put to death by crucifixion, so as to reconcile us with God and make us citizens of his heavenly kingdom.

Therefore, when we have a King who has prepared for us an everlasting kingdom of happiness and perfect contentment, could we hesitate to make the few little preliminary preparations expected of us? Could any Christian be so foolish? Yes, we are all weak at times. We are of the earth, earthy. Things earthly can get a hold on us, but our Christian faith tells us how to free ourselves from our weaknesses and from our worldliness.

It tells us to think often of whither we are going, to examine our consciences and our habits of life to see if we are on the right road. It tells us too, to think often, never to forget in fact, all that the good God-man, our Savior Jesus Christ, has done for us and daily is doing for us so that we may reach our eternal homeland. Today is for all Christians a national day. Today, let us raise our Christian flag—the crucifix—aloft, and salute it with fervor and a promise of fervent loyalty. My King has suffered for me. For his sake, I am ready to suffer any trial that comes my way. If needs be, I am prepared to die for him. If he does not ask that supreme sacrifice, I am assuredly ready to live a life of faith, hope and sincere love for him, and of gratitude to him. Honor, glory and thanks forever to Christ our King!

 

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GOSPEL: Luke 23:35-43

We have now come to the conclusion of Christ’s journey to Jerusalem and His passion: Christ is crucified.

All four Evangelists tell us that when Jesus was crucified on Calvary there was an inscription written on the upper arm of the cross which said that he was “King of the Jews.” The leaders of the people, the Sanhedrin, had tried to persuade Pilate to condemn Jesus to death “because he made himself God,” but the pagan Pilate paid no heed to that charge. They then accused him of making himself King, but Pilate cast this accusation out of court also. Then, they played their trump card. They threatened to report Pilate to Rome for failing to condemn a rebel who was subverting the loyalty of the people, forbidding them to pay taxes to Caesar, and calling himself a king. Pilate thought more of his job than of his justice. He condemned Jesus, while admitting that he was innocent. To the disgust of the leaders he insisted on putting the title of the crucified criminal, “King of the Jews,” over his cross. In doing this, Pilate was proclaiming to the world, that these vengeful leaders of the people had condemned the messianic King, for whom they had been waiting for centuries, to the shameful death of the cross. He was doing even more. He was proclaiming that the innocent one who hung on that cross was the “King of Kings” the King of this world and of the next.

This week’s Gospel Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said,
“He saved others, let him save himself
if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.”
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
“If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.”
Above him there was an inscription that read,
“This is the King of the Jews.”

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
“Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us.”
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
“Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal.”
Then he said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
He replied to him,
“Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.”

 

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The Navarre Bible Commentary on the Gospel Reading, with RSV-CE text:

The Crucified Christ is Mocked
------------------------------
[35] And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at Him (Jesus), saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He is the Christ of God, His Chosen One!” [36] The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up and offering Him vinegar, [37] and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” [38] There was also an inscription over Him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
**
35.** The Roman governor’s soldiers join the Jewish people and their leaders in mocking Jesus; thus, everyone–Jews and Gentiles–contributed to making Christ’s passion even more bitter. But we should not forget that we too make a mockery of our Lord every time we fall into sin or fail to respond sufficiently to grace. This is why St. Paul says that those who sin “crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold Him up to contempt” (Hebrews 6:6).
**
39-43.** The episode of the two thieves invites us to admire the designs of divine providence, of grace and human freedom.&nbs p; Both thieves are in the same position–in the presence of the Eternal High Priest as He offers Himself in sacrifice for them for all mankind. One of them hardens his heart, despairs and blasphemes, while the other repents, prays with confidence to Christ and is promised immediate salvation. “The Lord,” St. Ambrose comments, “always grants more than one asks: the thief only asked Him to remember Him, but the Lord says to him, `Truly, I say to you, today, you will be with Me in Paradise.’ Life consists in dwelling with Jesus Christ, and where Jesus Christ is there is His Kingdom” ("Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.). “It is one thing for man to judge someone he does not know; another, for God, who can see into a person’s conscience. Among men, confession is followed by punishment; whereas confession to God is followed by salvation” (St. John Chrysostom, “De Cruce Et Latrone”).

While we make our way through life, we all sin, but we can all repent also. God is always waiting for us with His arms wide open, ready toforgive us. Therefore, no one should despair: everyone should try to have a strong hope in God’s mercy. But no one may presume that he will be saved, for none of us can be absolutely certain of our final perseverance (cf. Council of Trent, “De Justificatione”, Canon 16). This relative uncertainty is a spur God gives us to be ever vigilant; this vigilance in turns helps us progress in the work of our sanctification as Christians.

The Good Thief
--------------
[39] One of the criminals who were hanged railed at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” [40] But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? [41] And we indeed justly: fo r we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” [42] And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in Your kingly power.”

**42. *“Many times have I repeated that verse of the eucharistic hymn: “Peto quod petivit latro poenitens,” and it always fills me with emotion: to ask like the penitent did! He recognized that he himself deserved that awful punishment… And with a word he stole Christ’s heart and `opened up for himself’ the gates of Heaven” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way of the Cross”, XII, 4).
*
[43] And He said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

1. In responding to the good thief, Jesus reveals that He is God, for He has power over man’s eternal destiny; and He also shows that He is infinitely merciful and does not reject the soul who sincerely repents. Similarly by these words Jesus reveals to us a basic truth of faith: “We believe in eternal life. We believe that the souls of all who die in the grace of Christ–whether they must still make expiation in the fire of Purgatory, or whether from the moment they leave their bodies they are received by Jesus Christ into Paradise like the good thief–go to form the People of God which succeeds death, death which will be totally destroyed on the day of the Resurrection when these souls are reunited with their bodies” ([Pope] Paul VI, “Creed of the People of God”, 28).

 

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The 1859 Haydock Commentary with Douay-Rheims text:

*35 And the people stood beholding, and the rulers with them derided him, saying: He saved others, let him save himself, if he be Christ, the elect of God.

36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,

37 And saying: If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

38 And there was also a superscription written over him in Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew letters: This is the King of the Jews.

39 And one of these robbers who were hanging, blasphemed him, saying: If thou be Christ, save thyself, and us.

40 But the other answering, rebuked him, saying: Neither dost thou fear God, seeing thou art under the same condemnation?

41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done no evil.

42 And he said to Jesus: Lord, remember me, when thou shalt come into thy kingdom.

43 And Jesus said to him: Amen, I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise.*
**
Ver. 43. **I say to thee: This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise; i.e. in a place of rest with the souls of the just. The construction is not, I say to thee this day, &c., but, thou shalt be with me this day in the paradise. (Witham) — In paradise. That is, in the happy state of rest, joy and peace everlasting. Christ was pleased by a special privilege, to reward the faith and confession of the penitent thief with a full discharge of all his sins, both as to the guilt and punishment, and to introduce him, immediately after death, into the happy society of the saints, whose *limbo *(that is, the place of their confinement) was now made a paradise by our Lord’s going thither. (Challoner) — The soul of the good thief was that same day with Jesus Christ, in the felicity of the saints, in Abraham’s bosom, or in heaven, where Jesus was always present by his divinity. (St. Augustine) — St. Cyril, of Jerusalem, says he entered heaven before all the patriarchs and prophets. St. Chrysostom thinks that paradise was immediately open to him, and that he entered heaven the first mankind. (Tom. v. homil. 32.)

 

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Other thoughts and comments on this Sunday’s Gospel Reading:

**35 The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him: **Saint Luke clearly distinguishes the people who stood silently looking on from the rulers who kept sneering at Jesus. While the inscription disgusted them, the sad state of their innocent victim gave them pleasure. They tried to increase his suffering by adding insult to injury. Inspired by what they see, the people will repent of their rejection of Jesus. Luke draws upon Psalm 22:7-8 (22:8-9 in the New American Bible) to describe what is happening to Jesus.

**and said, "He saved others, let him save himself: ** This becomes the refrain of taunting “save yourself” These three taunts recall Jesus’ three temptations in the desert—Jesus is tempted to save His life not by giving it away but by holding on to it.

He had healed many. He had even raised people from the dead. This they could not deny, but they challenge him now to save himself. He could have done so, but his obedience to his Father’s will demanded that he should not. What will save Jesus is His faith in a gracious God and Father, who will raise Him (and consequently us) from the dead.

**if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God.": Both of these taunts are true.
**
36 Even the soldiers jeered at him: If they were pagan Roman soldiers, they must either have learned something of the Jewish expectations of a messianic King who would be a miracle worker, or they just mimicked what the Jewish leaders had said.

As they approached to offer him wine: Other translations tell us that this was sour wine. The soldiers’ actions are in accord with Psalm 69:21 (69:22 in the New American Bible). John 19:30 tells us that Jesus drank this sour wine from a sponge on a hyssop branch (what the Israelites in the first Passover were to use to sprinkle the blood on their doorposts and lintel) and then said “It is finished.” What was finished? Not the task of redeeming mankind; He still had to be resurrected and ascend into heaven to accomplish that—what was finished was the fourth cup of the Passover liturgy; the liturgy which was interrupted during the last supper. Luke 22:17 tells us that after taking the third cup, Jesus said that He would not drink again until the kingdom of God comes.
**
37 they called out, “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 Above him there was an inscription that read, “This is the King of the Jews.”: **This also is true.

**39 Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us”: **The two criminals crucified with him were Jews and understood what Messiah meant. One of them blasphemed him. He challenged him to set himself and them free from the crosses to which they were nailed.
**
40 The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? 41 And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”: **The only deathbed conversion in scripture. The criminal has deep faith that the dying Jesus is truly a king and can dispense the pardon and mercy which only a king can. It is clear from the words of the Good thief that he expected Jesus to reign after death. He had been given some revelation as to who Jesus was.
**
43 He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today: **Good Friday. In John 20:17 Jesus tells Mary Magdalene “Don’t touch Me. I have not yet returned to the Father.” So if Jesus has not yet gone to heaven and no one returns from hell, where was he (and the repentant thief)? This is an example of where purgatory can be seen implicitly in scripture, since it provides for at least a third place besides heaven or hell.
**
you will be with me in Paradise.”: **A word derived from Old Persian, meaning a walled garden or park. It calls to mind the Garden of Eden. These few words of admission of his sins, of faith in the messianic kingship of Christ (“when you enter upon your reign”), and a humble prayer for mercy, won for this “good” thief an immediate entrance into heaven after his death.

 

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This Sunday’s Gospel is cited in the Catechism of the Catholic Church in the following sections:

440 Jesus accepted Peter’s profession of faith, which acknowledged him to be the Messiah, by announcing the imminent Passion of the Son of Man.40 He unveiled the authentic content of his messianic kingship both in the transcendent identity of the Son of Man “who came down from heaven”, and in his redemptive mission as the suffering Servant: "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."41 Hence the true meaning of his kingship is revealed only when he is raised high on the cross.42 Only after his Resurrection will Peter be able to proclaim Jesus’ messianic kingship to the People of God: "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."43

40. Cf. Mt 16:16-23.

41. Jn 3:13; Mt 20:28; cf. Jn 6:62; Dan 7:13; Isa 53:10-12.

**42.** Cf. Jn 19:19-22; **Lk 23:39-43.**

43. Acts 2:36.

THE PARTICULAR JUDGMENT

1021 Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ.592 The New Testament speaks of judgment primarily in its aspect of the final encounter with Christ in his second coming, but also repeatedly affirms that each will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with his works and faith. The parable of the poor man Lazarus and the words of Christ on the cross to the good thief, as well as other New Testament texts speak of a final destiny of the soul–a destiny which can be different for some and for others.593

592. Cf. 2 Tim 1:9-10.

**593.** Cf. Lk 16:22; **23:43;** Mt 16:26; 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23; Heb 9:27; 12:23.

**2266 **The efforts of the state to curb the spread of behavior harmful to people’s rights and to the basic rules of civil society correspond to the requirement of safeguarding the common good. Legitimate public authority has the right and duty to inflict punishment proportionate to the gravity of the offense. Punishment has the primary aim of redressing the disorder introduced by the offense. When it is willingly accepted by the guilty party, it assumes the value of expiation. Punishment then, in addition to defending public order and protecting people’s safety, has a medicinal purpose: as far as possible, it must contribute to the correction of the guilty party.67

**67. Cf. Lk 23:40-43.**

**
Jesus hears our prayer**

2616 Prayer to Jesus is answered by him already during his ministry, through signs that anticipate the power of his death and Resurrection: Jesus hears the prayer of faith, expressed in words (the leper, Jairus, the Canaanite woman, the good thief)84 or in silence (the bearers of the paralytic, the woman with a hemorrhage who touches his clothes, the tears and ointment of the sinful woman).85 The urgent request of the blind men, “Have mercy on us, Son of David” or “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” has-been renewed in the traditional prayer to Jesus known as the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!"86 Healing infirmities or forgiving sins, Jesus always responds to a prayer offered in faith: “Your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

    St. Augustine wonderfully summarizes the three dimensions of Jesus' prayer:* "He prays for us as our priest, prays in us as our Head, and is prayed to by us as our God. Therefore let us acknowledge our voice in him and his in us."*87

**84.** Cf. Mk 1:40-41; 5:36; 7:29; **Cf. Lk 23:39-43.**

85. Cf. Mk 25; 5:28; Lk 7:37-38.

86. Mt 9:27, Mk 10:48.

87. St. Augustine, En. in Ps. 85,1:PL 37,1081; cf. GILH 7.

 

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Some questions on the Gospel Reading for study and personal application:

* In the Gospel Reading, what attitudes and motives do you see in the crowd following Jesus’ way of the cross? In the rulers? The criminals? The soldiers? The sign maker (verse 38; John 19:19-22)? In Jesus?

* How do you view Jesus’ death on the cross? Necessary evil? Cruel and unusual punishment? Sacrifice for sin? Triumph over injustice? Why?

* When did the meaning of the death of Christ on the cross begin to make sense to you? How would you explain it to a non-Christian friend?

* Who in this reading do you identify with most? With least? Why?

* How do people today similarly reflect the profound misunderstanding expressed in verse 35?

* How do you acknowledge in your life that Christ is King?

 

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A meditation for reflection and personal application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: Down through our history thousands and millions of subjects have died for their kings. This was their duty when the needs or the defence of their realms demanded such a sacrifice. They neither expected nor received much praise for it. But we Christians are serving a King who died for us. The ruler and head of our kingdom is Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, who accepted crucifixion as the climax of the perfect obedience to his Father. He became man in accordance with God’s eternal plan. He, as man, was the representative of all humanity. He gave perfect obedience to God and thus made atonement for all the disobedience, of the human race. All the acts of penance and atonement of the whole of humanity put together, could not reconcile us sinners with God. Christ, being God as well as man, was able to make and did bring about, this reconciliation. He has, as St. Paul says, “reconciled everything . . . making peace through the blood of his cross.”

Today we are honoring this King, a King who humbled himself in order to raise us up to the status of sons of God, a king who suffered the cruelest of deaths so that we could have an unending life of happiness when we leave this earth.

Do we really honor our king as we should? Do we really meditate often enough on all he has done for us? Do we really appreciate the supernatural privilege conferred on us by the Incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ? We are no longer mere mortals, we are sons of God. We are no longer enemies of our Creator and Lord, we have been reconciled to God and can call him “Our Father.” We have still to die our earthly death but it is now the door to heaven. Unfortunately, we still can sin but we have the means of atonement within our reach, in the sacraments which Christ left to us. Any Christian who fails to get possession of the eternal heritage which Christ has made available to him will fail because he willingly and knowingly wished to do so.

Please God there will be few such people because Christ our King is always with us, helping us on our journey to heaven. What we say of Christians is true also of all who are non-Christians, through no fault of their own. Many of us will get some pleasant surprises when we meet the elect of God on our arrival in heaven. To get there is our present principal preoccupation. But it is not so hard. Keeping the laws of one’s country and carrying out their legal obligations is not difficult for the vast majority of sane people. Keeping the laws of God’s Kingdom and being loyal to him is not difficult either. Serving God is a privilege not a duty for the Christian who realizes what God has done for him and who appreciates what a future reward God has in store for him.

Today let us renew our loyalty to Christ our King. We are privileged and proud to be his subjects. As members of his Church on earth we are as yet in the preparatory stage of that kingdom. If we do the little that he asks of us, during this period of preparation, we are assured of being full citizens in his eternal kingdom of happiness and peace.

 

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A meditation from Daily Scripture Readings & Meditations:

"This is the King of the Jews"

**Meditation: **Do you recognize that the Lord Jesus has been given full authority and power to rule over the earth as well as heaven? Jesus was crucified for his claim to be the Messianic King who would rule not only over his people Israel but ultimately over all the nations as well. What is the significance or meaning of Jesus’ kingship for us? Kingship today seems antiquated, especially in democratic societies where everyone is treated equal and free. God at first did not want to give his people Israel a king. Why? Because God alone was their King and they needed no other. Nonetheless, God relented and promised his people that through David’s line he would establish a kingship that would last for eternity (Psalm 89:29). The Jews understood that the Messiah would come as king to establish God’s reign for them. They wanted a king who would free them from tyranny and from foreign domination. Many had high hopes that Jesus would be the Messianic king. Little did they understand what kind of kingship Jesus claimed to have. Jesus came to conquer hearts and souls for an imperishable kingdom, rather than to conquer perishable lands and entitlements.

When Satan tempted Jesus during his forty day fast in the wilderness, he offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:8-9). Jesus knew that the world was in Satan’s power. And this was precisely why Jesus came – to overthrow Satan’s power and rulership over the earth. Jesus knew that the way to victory was through submission to his Father’s will and through the sacrificial offering of his life upon the cross for the sins of the world. As Jesus was dying on the cross, he was mocked for his claim to kingship. Nonetheless, he died not only as King of the Jews, but as King of the nations as well. His victory over the power of sin, Satan, and the world, was accomplished through his death on the cross and his resurrection. Jesus exchanged a throne of glory for a cross of shame to restore us from slavery to sin to glory with God as his adopted sons and daughters. In the Book of Revelations Jesus is called King of kings and Lord and lords (Rev. 19:16). Do you recognize Jesus Christ as your King and Lord?

The scriptures present us with the choice between two kingdoms – the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. The choice is ours. Which kingdom do you serve? God’s kingdom remains forever because it is built on the foundation of God’s eternal love and justice. To accept Jesus as Lord and King is to enter a kingdom that will last forever where righteousness, peace, truth, and love dwell. Is your life submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ?

*“Lord Jesus Christ, you are my King and there is no other. Be the Lord and Master of my heart. May all that I do be pleasing to you and serve the best interests of my neighbor as well.” *

 

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Meditation: Colossians 1:12-20, from The Word Among Us Magazine:

**Christ the King
**
He … transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. (Colossians 1:13)

History is filled with fallen monarchs whose reigns were characterized by selfishness and bloodshed. They built luxurious palaces while their subjects struggled in poverty. They isolated themselves by building walls and hiring bodyguards. And they dealt with neighboring countries with greedy brutality.

If this is what we expect in a king, it’s no surprise we find it hard to bow before Jesus. He held no political office. He led no army. He doesn’t present himself as a dictator who tramples on our liberty and demands blind obedience. He uses neither force nor guilt to maintain his rule. He doesn’t have to.

At the Last Supper, Jesus revealed his plan to take over the world. And what secret weapon did he have in his arsenal? Love. It could appear to be insignificant and powerless, but look at the history of the church. Divine love has conquered millions of people, restored millions of people, and inspired millions of people. It has sustained multitudes of saints and converted multitudes of sinners. Love changes history.

Compared to the fallen monarchs that have dotted the landscape of history, the kingship of Christ is different not in intensity but in kind. Jesus is armed with love and virtue, not guns and swords. He wears not a crown of jewels but of thorns. He blesses those who persecute him and prays for those who mistreat him. He turns the other cheek, and he calls us to do the same.

Am I a loyal subject of Christ the King? Do I imitate him by sowing love to those around me? On the eve of a new liturgical season, today is a great day to start anew. No matter what you have done, no matter where you have been, Christ will welcome you into his kingdom. Let him be your King.

“Jesus Christ, King of heaven and earth, I want to love you more each day. Come and make me into the person you want me to be.”

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. In the first reading, the Lord calls David to be a shepherd of his people, Israel. The people in turn, “anointed him king of Israel.” Similarly, Jesus is our shepherd and king, but not one who forces our love and devotion. Jesus has earned it by what he has done for us. How frequently during the day you focus on what Jesus did for you through his suffering, death, and resurrection? What steps can you take to focus on it more frequently?

1. The responsorial psalm speaks of the joy of being in the “house of the Lord.” It goes on to say that it is in the house of the Lord that we “give thanks to the name of the Lord.” How would you describe your attitude and disposition at Mass? What can you do to make it a more joyful and thankful experience?

1. Paul’s letter to the Colossians tells us that in Christ, we have been made “fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.” Take a moment and put into your own words what you believe that “inheritance” is. In what ways does knowing that you possess such a great inheritance make a difference in the way you live each day?

1. Paul also speaks forcefully of Jesus’ role in reconciling us and making peace. The end of the Church year is a good time to take stock of your relationships with Christ and others. Are there family members, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, etc. with whom you need reconciliation? What can you do to make reconciliation possible?

1. The scenes in today’s Gospel were vividly portrayed in the movie, “The Passion.” Many saints have urged us to keep Christ’s passion clearly before our mind’s eye throughout our day. What can you do to make that happen, especially in light of the busyness of our days?

1. The meditation poses these two questions: “Am I a loyal subject of Christ the King? Do I imitate him by sowing love to those around me?” How would you answer these? What steps can you take to allow Jesus’ kingship over you to be a greater reality in your life?

“The Word Among Us” magazine also has a good article on-line, The Kingdom is at Hand, very appropriate for today’s Solemnity of Christ the King.

 

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A meditation on the readings from Dr. Scott Hahn:

Kingdom of the Son

Week by week the Liturgy has been preparing us for the revelation to be made on this, the last Sunday of the Church year.

Jesus, we have been shown, is truly the Chosen One, the Messiah of God, the King of Jews. Ironically, in today’s Gospel we hear these names on the lips of those who don’t believe in Him - Israel’s rulers, the soldiers, a criminal dying alongside Him.

They can only see the scandal of a bloodied figure nailed to a cross. They scorn Him in words and gestures foretold in Israel’s Scriptures (see Psalm 22:7-9; 69:21-22; Wisdom 2:18-20). If He is truly King, God will rescue Him, they taunt. But He did not come to save Himself, but to save them - and us.

The good thief shows us how we are to accept the salvation He offers us. He confesses his sins, acknowledges he deserves to die for them. And He calls on the name of Jesus, seeks His mercy and forgiveness.

By his faith he is saved. Jesus “remembers” him - as God has always remembered His people, visiting them with His saving deeds, numbering them among His chosen heirs (see Psalm 106:4-5).

By the blood of His cross, Jesus reveals His Kingship - not in saving His life, but in offering it as a ransom for ours. He transfers us to “the Kingdom of His beloved Son,” as today’s Epistle tells us.

His Kingdom is the Church, the new Jerusalem and House of David that we sing of in today’s Psalm.

By their covenant with David in today’s First Reading, Israel’s tribes are made one “bone and flesh” with their king. By the new covenant made in His blood, Christ becomes one flesh with the people of His Kingdom - the head of His body, the Church (see Ephesians 5:23-32).

We celebrate and renew this covenant in every Eucharist, giving thanks for our redemption, hoping for the day when we too will be with Him in Paradise.

 

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This Is Hardly the Stuff of Kingship … Or Is It?
Biblical Reflection for Solemnity of Christ the King, Year C
By Father Thomas Rosica, CSB

Today’s solemn feast of Christ the King, the grand finale to Liturgical Year C, gives us an opportunity to lay aside a lot of cultural baggage about kings and kingdoms, and discover how Jesus Christ can be a true king, unlike earthly rulers.

Over the past year, we have seen the important Lukan theme of the imitation of Jesus, especially in his ministry of forgiveness and reconciliation. In Luke’s moving Gospel story of the crucifixion, this theme reaches its apex.

Jesus’ final moments

Today’s Gospel (23:35-43) is recounted only by Luke. The penitent sinner receives salvation through the crucified Jesus. Luke’s moving scene of the crucifixion is filled with details typical of his portrayal of Jesus. He is crucified with the two criminals surrounding him, fulfilling Jesus’ own prediction at the supper table (23:37). Just as Jesus had repeatedly taught his disciples not to respond to violence with more violence and to be forgiving, so he forgives the very men who had condemned him and who drive the stakes into his body (23:34).

When one of the crucified criminals joins in the chorus of derision that accompanies Jesus to his death, the other confesses his sin and asks for mercy (23:39-43). It is Luke’s prescription for authentic conversion as exemplified in the story of publican and the sinner (18:9-14) and so Jesus promises this man not only forgiveness but also a place at his side that very day as his journey to God triumphantly reaches its home in paradise.

Only Luke describes this poignant scene (23:39-43): One of the criminals who hung alongside Christ derided him, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked the other criminal, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” This one then said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Christ replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The image of the dying Jesus jars us with such a sense of shame and powerlessness in Luke, who describes the death of the Son of God, the King of the Jews. Luke gives us a lexicon of abuse and humiliation: criminals, condemnation, crucifixion, nakedness, scoffing, mocking, taunting, deriding, reviling, sneering … hardly the stuff of kingship, and no crowns here except one of thorns. We are face-to-face with agony and grief, and a cacophony of insults instead of songs and praise.

A kingship that embraces

Kingship, when God is involved, does not ask people to ignore the failures, but embraces those experiences and redeems them. Throughout salvation history, God’s promise to the people was a king who is righteous, deals wisely, executes justice and righteousness in the land, and enables the people to live securely. In Jesus, God has fulfilled that promise.

In the story of Jesus, kingship is recast. The miracle lies in the fact that God shares the potential hopelessness of the human situation, but does so as king, as the source of our hope and life. That is what the criminal on the cross with Jesus in today’s Gospel scene (23:35-43) partly grasped. He asked Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom. He was looking to a future reign, but Jesus handed out the royal pardon immediately. This was simply the culmination of the way Jesus lived: He never dressed as we think a king should, or did things properly by our standards. Jesus’ kingdom is unlike the one that Pilate knows and is willingly or unwillingly part of. The Roman kingdom was one of arbitrariness, privileges, domination, vengeance, vindictiveness, and occupation. Jesus’ kingdom is built on love, service, justice, reconciliation and peace.

Very few can measure up to Christ’s kingly stature, remaining powerless in the face of the powerful. Many of us resist with power, even though we resort to very refined forms of pressure and manipulation. As we contemplate Christ crucified, we understand something of why Christ has remained a king, even up to modern times: He didn’t bow down. He never responded to violence with more violence. He forgave until the end.

Continued on next post…

 

[Fidelis]

God’s agent in history

Today’s second reading from Paul’s letter to the Colossians (1:12-20) is a summary about redemption by God the Father. The imagery echoes the Exodus experience and Jesus’ theme of the kingdom. Redemption in this text is explained as forgiveness of sins (cf. Acts 2:38; Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7).

The lines of this reading are most likely an early Christian hymn, known to the Colossians and taken up into the letter from liturgical use. They present Christ as the mediator of creation (1:15-18a) and of redemption (Colossians 1:18b-20). Christ (though not mentioned by name) is preeminent and supreme as God’s agent in the creation of all things, as prior to all things.

There is a second, very important point at the heart of this section of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Pauline usage is to speak of the church as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Romans 12:4-5). Some think that the author of Colossians has inserted the reference to the church here so as to define “head of the body” in Paul’s customary way. When Christ was raised by God as firstborn from the dead (cf. Acts 26:23; Rev 1:5), he was placed over the community, the church, that he had brought into being, but he is also indicated as crown of the whole new creation, over all things. His further role is to reconcile all things (Colossians 1:20) for God or possibly “to himself.” The blood of his cross (20) is the most specific reference in the hymn to redemption through Christ’s death, a central theme in Paul (cf. Colossians 2:14-15; 1 Corinthians 1:17, 18, 23).

The kingdom and the Church

As we celebrate the feast of Christ’s kingship today, let me leave you with this one thought that has been on my mind for the past year in particular. If we follow the example of the prophets of ancient Israel who worked within the framework of the structures of the faith of God’s people of their day, then we in our day cannot marginalize Christian revelation and its ecclesial transmission by proposing a non-Christian vision where misuse of the terminology “Kingdom or Reign of God” is a substitute for Jesus Christ and his Church. The Church is the necessary vehicle, and privileged instrument for us to encounter Jesus Christ, to receive his life through the sacraments, to hear his Word mediated through preaching and the interpretation of the Church, and to journey toward the fullness of the kingdom of heaven, which lies ahead of us.

Jesus Christ is our great prophet. He is the only full revelation of God and he is the Lord and Savior of all men and women. We must be watchful and vigilant that the Christian terminology is never emptied of its theological meaning so as to be better integrated into a “vision” or a supposedly “new wisdom” of this age.

On this great feast, let us remember that Jesus took his wounds to heaven, and there is a place in heaven for our wounds because our king bears his in glory. Perhaps we need to cry out: “Where are you, God?” And today we are given the answer: God is hanging on a tree, in the broken body of a young man – arms outstretched to embrace us, and gently asking us to climb up onto the cross with him, and look at the world from an entirely new perspective. Or perhaps we need to cry out for mercy, asking that he not forget us in the New Jerusalem: “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.”

And from the depth of our own darkness and shadows, we might have to pray with the Cleopas and his companion on the road to Emmaus, “Stay with us, Lord, for it is almost evening and the day is far spent.” Or maybe in the midst of our despair, we recognize the source of our hope and echo the words of Jesus, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

What a strange form of kingship Christ offers us today! May today’s feast force us to remember the appalling fact of our salvation. When all around us seems to be darkness, destruction, night, and even death, let us never forget that we are not alone. In our midst hangs the Crucified One, arms outstretched in loving mercy and welcome. May we have the courage to ask our benevolent king to remember us in his kingdom, and the peace to know that paradise is already in our midst even when every external sign indicates darkness and death. This is abundant life on the Royal Road of the Cross.

 

[Fidelis]

The Kingdom of Interior Freedom
Fr. Jerome Magat

One of the most intriguing characters of the Scriptures is the good thief, traditionally called St. Dismas. His encounter with Jesus Christ here on earth, albeit brief, was the most important meeting he ever had. In his most desperate hour, Dismas calls out to Christ in faith, asking to be saved. He states, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Given the context in which he pleads with Christ, it is a remarkable act of faith that Dismas recognizes that Jesus has a kingdom and that He is the King of that kingdom. There is nothing regal about Jesus’ predicament or appearance at Calvary. Jesus hardly seems like what most persons would consider a king, pinned to the ignominious cross. And yet, Dismas, who is himself pinned to his own cross, recognizes that in Jesus, he is truly free. Perhaps Dismas has discovered that Jesus offers an interior freedom — a moral freedom. Even though his life on earth is about to end, Dismas realizes in these waning moments, that Christ’s kingdom is not best understood by earthly standards. Rather, it is a kingdom that begins within — with a complete surrender in faith to the one who truly saves: Jesus Christ Himself.

We ought not to forget that one of the criminals who could have accompanied Dismas to Calvary was Barabbas, the prisoner released in exchange for Jesus. Paradoxically, Barabbas is a free man — in the earthly sense of freedom — but it is Dismas who experiences freedom in its greatest form. Barabbas is free from arrest and the weight of Roman law. Yet, his freedom is somewhat limited. Pardoxically, it is Dismas who is truly free because he is free, not from legal constraint, but free for love. He discovers the greatest incarnation of that love in Jesus Christ.

Jesus knows Dismas’ heart and promises him nothing short of eternal glory. Jesus says, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” The word “paradise” is derived from Persian, which means “a walled garden.” Whenever a Persian king wanted to honor a particular guest, he would invite that guest to be his walking companion within the garden. This was considered a very special honor. In the case of Dismas, Jesus promises the repentant thief that they will enjoy each other’s fellowship in the courts of heaven. What joy Dismas must have known in that moment

As the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King, we are presented with a glimpse into the mystery of Our Lord’s kingdom — the kingdom of interior freedom that Dismas discovers at Calvary. It means that no earthly power can separate us from the love of Christ and the freedom He offers to those who are willing to joyfully surrender themselves to Him in love. We do well to pray that this kingdom reigns in our hearts now and for eternity.

 

[Fidelis]

King Of Thieves? A Meditation on the Gospel for the Feast of Christ the King
By: Msgr. Charles Pope

Jesus Christ is King of Thieves, though he never stole. He is savior of sinners though he himself never sinned.

In the Gospel for today’s feast we have an image for the Church. We like to think of more pleasant images such as the Church being the Bride of Christ or the Body of Christ. Today’s image is less exalted and more humbling to be sure but it is an image just the same: The Church is Christ, crucified between two thieves. Yes, this is the Church too. Somehow we are all thieves. The fact is, we are all sinners and we have all used the gifts and things that belong to God in a way that is contrary to his will. To misuse things that belong to others is a form of theft and we are thus thieves for we have all misused what belongs to God. Consider some of the things we claim as our own and how easily we misuse them: Our bodies, our time, our talents, our money, our gift of speech, our gift of freedom and so forth. We call them ours but they really belong to God and if we use them in ways contrary to the intention of the owner we are guilty of a form of theft.

So the Church is Christ, crucified between two thieves. But consider also that these two thieves were very different.

1. One thief derides Jesus and makes demands of him: – Are you not the Christ! Save yourself and us!
   2.** The other thief reverences Christ and rebukes the other saying, – **Have you no fear of God? He recognizes his guilt – We have been condemned justly. And he requests – Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom. But he leaves the terms of it up to Christ. He acknowledges he is a thief and now places his life under the authority of Christ the King.

Christ came to call sinners, thieves, if you will. Yes, we are all thieves, that is true. But pray God we are the good thief, the repentant thief, The one thief who is now ready to resubmit himself to the authority of Christ, who is King of all creation, and King of us thieves.

But is Christ really your king? Well a King has authority. So another way of asking is, “Does Christ have authority in your life? Do you and I acknowledge that everything we call our own really belongs to Him? How well do we use the things that we call our own but which really belong to God?”

1. How do we use our time?
2. Are we committed to pray and be at Mass every Sunday without fail?
3. Do we use enough of our time to serve God and others or merely for selfish pursuits?
4. What of our capacity to talk?
5. Do we use our gift of speech to witness, to evangelize, or merely for small talk and gossip?
6. What of our money?
7. Are we faithful to the Lord’s command to tithe? (Mal 3:7-12; Matt 23:23).
8. Are we generous enough to the poor and needy?
9. Do we spend wisely or foolishly?
10. Do we pay our debts in a timely way?
11. What of our bodies?
12. Do we exhibit proper care and nutrition of them?
13. Are we chaste?
14. Do we observe proper safety or are we reckless and unsafe?
15. Do we reverence life?
16. Do we love the poor and help sustain their lives?

Well you get the point. It is one thing to call Christ our King, it is another to truly be under his authority. The Lord is clear enough in telling us that he expects our obedience: Why do you call me Lord Lord and not do what I tell you? (Luke 6:46)

Is Christ your King? Which thief are you?

 

[Fidelis]

Solemnity of Christ the King
A synthesis by the Vietnamese Christian Life (Dong Hanh) Community

Luke 23:35-43

35 And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”
36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him vinegar,
37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Interesting Details

* The reading for today's feast is not of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem where He was greeted like a king. Today's passage pointedly serves as an indication that Jesus' kingship is one of love and sacrifice, not of power and domination.
* (v.35) Jesus' enemies propose that if He is the "Son of God," He can save Himself and will not die. In contrast, because He is truly "Son of God," Jesus will die in obedience to God's will.
* (v.35) "save yourself": the challenge by Jesus' enemies echoes the temptation of Satan. In both instances, Jesus is urged to defy death and to avoid the cross. But in both instances, Jesus is victorious.
* The mocking, ironically, proclaims the truth about Jesus and His identity: The Christ of God, the Chosen One, the King of the Jews and the Savior of the people.
* (v.42) "when you come into your kingdom": These words imply that the repentant criminal expected Jesus to reign after death. He had been given some revelation that the dying Jesus was truly a king and can dispense the pardon and mercy, which only a king can. In Luke, he was the last person that Jesus talked to before He died.

One Main Point

Down through history, thousands and millions of subjects have died for their kings, but Jesus is the King who dies for us. He accepted crucifixion as the climax of the perfect obedience to His Father.

Reflections

1. How do we explain the passive attitude of the people? In what ways do they resemble us?
2. How does the repentant criminal symbolize us? In what ways does he resemble us?

 

[Fidelis]

The Catena Aurea, Luke 23

35. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
36. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
37. And saying, If you be the king of the Jews, save yourself.

AMBROSE; It is important then to consider, in what condition He ascends the cross; for I see Him naked. Let him then who prepares to overcome the world, so ascend that he seek no the appliances of the world. Now Adam was overcome who sought for a covering. He overcame who laid aside His covering. He ascends such as nature formed us, God being our Creator. Such as the first man had dwelt in paradise, such did the second man enter paradise. But about to ascend the cross rightly, did He lay aside His royal garments, that you may know that He suffered not as God, but as man, though Christ is both.

**ATHAN. **He also who for our sakes took upon him all our conditions, put on our garments, the signs of Adam’s death, that He might put them off, and in their stead clothe us with life and incorruption.

It follows, And they parted his raiment among them, and cast lots.

THEOPHYL. For perhaps many of them were in want. Or perhaps rather they did this as a reproach, and from a kind of wantonness. For what treasure did they find in His garments?
**
BEDE;** But in the lot the grace of God seems to be commended; for when the lot is cast, we yield not to the merits of any person, but to the secret judgment of God.

**AUG. **This matter indeed was briefly related by the three first Evangelists, but John more distinctly explains how it was done.

**THEOPHYL. **They did it then mockingly. For when the rulers scoffed, what can we say of the crowd? For it follows, And the people stood, who in truth had entreated that He should be crucified, waiting, namely, for an end. And the rulers also with them derided.

AUG. Having mentioned the rulers, and said nothing of the priests, St. Luke comprehended under a general name all the chief men, so that hereby may be understood both the scribes and the elders.

**BEDE; **And these also unwillingly confess that He saved others, for it follows, Saying, He saved others, let him save himself, &c.

**ATHAN. **Now our Lord being truly the Savior wished not by saving Himself, but by saving His creatures, to be acknowledged the Savior. For neither is a physician by healing himself known to be physician by healing himself known to be a physician, unless he also gives proof of his skill towards the sick. So the Lord being the Savior had no need of salvation, nor by descending from the cross did He wish to be acknowledged the Savior, but by dying. For truly a much greater salvation does the death of the Savior bring to men, than the descent from the cross.

GREEK EX. Now the Devil, seeing that there was no protection for him, was at a loss, and as having no other resource, tried at last to offer him vinegar to drink. But he knew not that he was doing this against himself; for the bitterness of wrath caused by the transgression of the law, in which he kept all men bound, he now surrendered to the Savior, who took it and consumed it, in order that in the place of vinegar, He might give us wine to drink, which wisdom had mingled.

**THEOPHYL. **But the soldiers offered Christ vinegar, as it were ministering to a king, for it follows, saying, If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.

**BEDE; *And it is worthy of remark, that the Jews blaspheme and mock the name of Christ, which was delivered to them by the authority of Scripture; whereas the soldiers, as being ignorant of the Scriptures, insult not Christ the chosen of God, but the King of the Jews.
*
38. And the superscription also was written over him in the letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If you be Christ, save yourself and us.
40. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Do not you fear God, seeing you are in the same condemnation?
41. And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man has done nothing amiss.
42. And he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
43. And Jesus said to him, Verily I say to you, Today shall you be with me in paradise.

THEOPHYL. Observe a second time the device of the devil turned against himself. For in letters of three different characters he published the accusation of Jesus, that in truth it might not escape one of the passers by, that He was crucified because He made Himself King. For it is said, In Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, by which it was signified, that the most powerful of the nations, (as the Romans,) the wisest, (as the Greeks,) those who most worshipped God, (as the Jewish nation,) must be made subject to the dominion of Christ.

Continued on next post…

 

[Fidelis]

AMBROSE; And rightly is the title placed above the cross, because Christ’s kingdom is not of the human body, but of the power of God. I read the title of the King of the Jews, when I read, My kingdom is not of this world. I read the cause of Christ written above His head, when I read, And the Word was God. For the head of Christ is God.

**CYRIL; **Now one of the thieves uttered the same revilings as the Jews, but the other tried to check his words, while he confessed his own guilt, adding, We indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds.

**CHRYS. **Here the condemned performs the office of judge, and he begins to decide concerning truth who before Pilate confessed his crime only after many tortures. For the judgment of man from whom secret things are hid is of one kind; the judgment of God who searches the heart of another. And in the former case punishment follows after confession, but here confession is made to salvation. But he also pronounces Christ innocent, adding, But this man has done nothing wrong: as if to say, Behold a new injury, that innocence should be condemned with crime. We kill the living, He raised the dead. We have stolen from others, He bids us give up even what is our own.

The blessed thief thus taught those that stood by, uttering the words by which he rebuked the other. But when he saw that the ears of those who stood by were stopped up, he turns to Him who knows the hearts; for it follows, And he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. You behold the Crucified, and you acknowledge Him to be your Lord. You see the form of a condemned criminal, and you proclaim the dignity of a king. Stained with a thousand crimes, you ask the Fountain of righteousness to remember your wickedness, saying, But I discover your hidden kingdom; and you turn away my public iniquities, and accept the faith of a secret intention. Wickedness usurped the disciple of truth, truth did not change the disciple of wickedness.

GREG. On the cross nails had fastened his hands and feet, and nothing remained free from torture, but his heart and tongue. By the inspiration of God, the thief offered to Him the whole which he found free, that as it is written, With the heart he might believe to righteousness, with the mouth he might confess to salvation. But the three virtues which the Apostle speaks of, the thief suddenly filled with grace both received and preserved on the cross. He had faith, for example, who believed that God would reign whom he saw dying equally with himself. He had hope who asked for an entrance into His kingdom. He preserved charity also zealously in his death, who for his iniquity reproved his brother and fellow-thief, dying for a like clime to his own.
**
AMBROSE; **A most remarkable example is here given of seeking after conversion, seeing that pardon is so speedily granted to the thief. The Lord quickly pardons, because the thief is quickly converted. And grace is more abundant than prayer; for the Lord ever gives more than He is asked for. The thief asked that He should remember him, but our Lord answers, Verily I say to you, This day shall you be with me in Paradise. To be with Christ is life, and where Christ is, there is His kingdom.

Concluded on the next post…

 

[Fidelis]

**THEOPHYL. **And as every king who returns victorious carries in triumph the best of his spoils, so the Lord having despoiled the devil of a portion of his plunder, carries it with Him into Paradise.

**CHRYS. **Here then might one see the Savior between the thieves weighing in the scales of justice faith, and unbelief. The devil cast Adam out of Paradise. Christ brought the thief into Paradise before the whole world, before the Apostles. By a mere word and by faith alone he entered into Paradise, that no one after his sins might despair of entrance. Mark the rapid change, from the cross to heaven, from condemnation to Paradise, that you may know that the Lord did it all, not with regard to the thief’s good intention, but His own mercy.

But if the reward of the good has already taken place, surely a resurrection will be superfluous. For if He introduced the thief into Paradise while his body remained in corruption without, it is clear there is no resurrection of the body. Such are the words of some, But shall the flesh which has partaken of the toil be deprived of the reward? Hear Paul speaking, Then must this corruptible put on incorruption. But if the Lord promised the kingdom of heaven, but introduced the thief into Paradise, He does not yet recompense him the reward. But they say, Under the name of Paradise He signified the kingdom of heaven, using a well-known name in addressing a thief who knew nothing of difficult teaching. Now some do not read it, This day shall you be with me in Paradise, but thus, I say to you on this day, and then follows, You shall be with me in Paradise. But we will add a still more obvious solution. For physicians when they see a man in a desperate state, say, He is already dead. So also the thief, since he no longer fears his falling back to perdition, is said to have entered Paradise.

THEOPHYL. This however is more true than all, that although they have not obtained all the promises, I mean, the thief and the other saints in order that without us they might not be made perfect, they are notwithstanding in the kingdom of heaven and Paradise.
**
GREG. NYSS. **Here again, we must examine how the thief should be thought worthy of Paradise, seeing that a flaming sword prevents the entrance of the saints. But observe that the word of God describes it as turning about, so as it should obstruct the unworthy, but open a free entrance to life to the worthy.
**
GREG. **Or that flaming sword is said to be turning, because that He knew the time would come when it must be removed; when He in truth should come, who by the mystery of His incarnation was to open to us the way of Paradise.

**AMBROSE; **But it must also be explained how the others, that is, Matthew and Mark, introduced two thieves reviling, while Luke, one reviling, the other resisting him. Perhaps this other at first reviled, but was suddenly converted. It may also have been spoken of one, but in the plural number; as in the Hebrews, They wandered in goat-skins, and they were sawn asunder; whereas Elijah alone is related to have had a goat-skin, and Isaiah to have been sawn asunder. But mystically, the two thieves represent the two sinful people who were to be crucified by baptism with Christ, whose disagreement likewise represents the difference of believers.

**BEDE; **For as many of us as were baptized in Christ Jesus, were baptized in His death; but we are washed; by baptism, seeing we were sinners. But some, in that they praise God suffering in the flesh, are crowned; others, in that they refuse to have the faith or works of baptism, are deprived of the gift which they have received.

 

[Fidelis]

Thanks to all who stayed with this thread to the end. God willing, we’ll do it again next week. Have a blessed and holy Thanksgiving holiday!
:byzsoc: