March 2018 - Shepherd of Faith

Jesus’ descent into hell.

The following excerpt was read at Tenebrae service this morning.Tenebrae means shadow or darkness and the service is basically a funeral service for Jesus. It is celebrated the last three days of Holy Week and includes the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer of the Liturgy of the hours.

From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday
The Lord descends into hell

Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.

POWERFUL, right?!

It is finished!

“It is finished!”, said the Son of God at the crucifixion. Yesterday, I decided to watch the movie, Son of God in preparation for Good Friday services. I hoped it would help me better visualize the events we commemorate today. Throughout the movie, I tried to put myself in Jesus’ shoes – to feel what He might have been feeling. I thought of how we are all called to be like Jesus. When I think of being like Jesus, I think of mercy, compassion and love. The movie reminded me that we are also called to bear our crosses patiently. As I pondered my life and how I handle or react to certain situations, my first thought was “I can never be like Him” and immediately I heard “You CAN be, with His help.” Isn’t THAT the truth? Scripture tells us so. For nothing is impossible with God.

Then another thought as I watched the scene of the Last Supper. Jesus became incarnate in order to make known the beauty, power and Truth of God the Father. Throughout all of Scripture, we see that many people came to know the Father through Jesus and were nourished by His PRESENCE among them. By associating regularly with Jesus, His apostles gained wisdom, courage and understanding. The apostles grew in compassion and love. They desired to be holy like Jesus and He knew it.

He also knew that He could not leave them without giving them something that would continue to nourish them in his physical absence. THAT’S why He instituted the Eucharist. His Body and Blood is currently given as nourishment to help us on the journey just as Jesus, in His physical body, did for His disciples some 2000 years ago. While it’s true that Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit as guide, He knew that we humans “of little faith” would need something visible and tangible in order to believe He was still with us, present with us day by day.

Finally, I pondered His words “It is finished.” His earthly life is finished; our sins are finished; Mary’s anticipation of the suffering she would endure is finished; His own physical pain and suffering was finished; His mission was finished. Later, as I sat in church after Good Friday service, I looked up at Jesus on the cross with arms outstretched and I thought of what those arms symbolize. Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest; Your sins are forgiven; I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have called you and your are mine; let the children come; I AM victorious!