Solemnity of Christ the King - Cycle C
1st Reading: 2 Samuel 5:1-3
David is Anointed King of Israel at Hebron
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[1] Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, "Behold, we
are your bone and flesh. [2] In times past, when Saul was king over us. it was
you that led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord said to you, 'You shall be
shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.'" [3] So all
the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a
covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king
over Israel.
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Commentary:
5:1-5. David's consecration as king of Israel is told quite simply but the account
emphasizes details of primary importance in salvation history: the tribes of the
North and the South are all brothers: "we are your flesh and bone" (v. 1); the
images of the shepherd (v. 2), David's original profession, conveys the notion of
a ruler and king who governs not for his own advantage but for the welfare of his
subjects; David's covenant with the leaders (v. 3) is in line with the general
doctrine of covenant which is the basis of God's relations with his people, and
of those between Israelite and Israelite; the figures given for David's reigns
(seven as king of Judah, forty as king of Judah and Israel) are symbols of
plenitude. Even in the New Testament the numbers seven and forty have the
same connotation (cf. Mt 4:2; 18:22; Rev 1:11; Acts 4:22; etc.). Hebron, the
place where David was also anointed king of Judah, was the main city of the
South; within it was the cave of Mach-pelah (cf. Gen 25:9) and close to it was
the sacred oak of Mamre. However, it was replaced by Jerusalem perhaps to
show that a new kingdom warranted a new royal base.
5:1-5
이스라엘의 왕으로서 다윗의 임명(consecration)은 상당히 단순하게
말해지고
있습니다만 그러나 이 이야기는 다음과 같이 구원의
역사에 있어 주된
중요성에 대한
세부 사항들을
강조하고 있으며: 북쪽 지역과 남쪽 지역의 부족들은 모두
형제들입니다:
"우리는 임금님의 골육입니다" (제1절); 그리고 다윗의 원래의
직업인 목자의 모습들
(제2절)은, 자신 고유의 이익을 위하여서가 아니라 자신의 국민을
위하여 다스리는
통치자 및 임금의 개념을 전달하며; 그리고 이 지도자들과 다윗의
계약(제3절)은,
당신의 백성과 하느님의 관계들, 그리고 이스라엘인과 이스라엘인 사이의
관계들의
근거인 계약에 대한 일반적 가르침과 일치하며; 그리고 다윗의 통치들에
대하여 주어진
숫자들 (유다의 임금으로서 칠년. 유다 및 이스라엘의 임금으로서 40년)은
절정에
대한 상징들입니다. 심지어 신약 성경에 있어 일곱과 사십
숫자들은 꼭 같은 암시를
가지고 있습니다 (마태오 복음서 4,2; 18,22; 요한 묵시록 1,11을
참조하라). 다윗이
또한 유다의 임금으로 기름 부어졌던 장소인 헤브론(Hebron)은
남쪽 지역의
주된 도시였으며, 그리고 이 도시 안에는 막펠라(Mach-pelah)
동굴이
있었으며
(창세기 25,9를 참조하라) 그리고 이 도시에 가까이에
마므레의 성스러운 참나무
(the sacred oak of Mamre)
(창세기
18,1)가 있었습니다. 그러나, 아마도 새로운
나라가
새로운 왕실의 기초를 보증함을 보여주기 위하여 이 도시는
예루살렘으로
교체되었을 것입니다.
David is a figure of Jesus Christ on many counts, but they all derive from the fact
that he is king: Jesus Christ, too will be acclaimed King of Israel. "But what did it
mean for the Lord to be acclaimed the King of Israel? What did it mean to the
King of all ages to be recognized as the king of men? Christ did not become the
King of Israel in order to demand tributes or to raise armies and make war against
the enemies [of Israel]; he became the King of Israel to reign over souls, to give
counsel that leads to eternal life, to bring those who were filled with faith, hope
and Love to the Kingdom of heaven" (St Augustine, "In loannis Evangelium", 51,
4).
다윗은 많은 이유들
때문에 예수 그리스도의 표상(a figure)이나, 그러나 이들은 그가
임금이라는 사실로부터 유래하며, 예수 그리스도 역시 이스라엘의
임금으로 선언될
(be acclaimed) 것입니다. "그러나 주님께서 이스라엘의 임금으로
선언된다는 것은
무엇을 뜻하였을까? 모든 세대들의 임금에게 있어 사람들의 임금으로서
인식된다는
것은 무엇을 뜻하였을까? 그리스도께서는 공물들을 요구하거나 혹은 군대를 일으켜
그리하여 [이스라엘의] 적들에 대하여 전쟁을 일으키기 위하여 이스라엘의 임금이
되셨던
것이 아니라, 당신께서는 영혼들을 통치하시기 위하여, 영원한 생명으로
이끄는
조언을 주시기 위하여, 믿음(faith), 희망(hope), 그리고 사랑(Love)으로
채워진
자들에게 하늘
나라(kingdom of heaven)를 가져다 주기 위하여, 이스라엘의 임금이
되셨다" [성
아우구스티노(St Augustine), "In loannis Evangelium", 51, 4].
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번역자 주: 예수님께서 공생활 초기에 선포하신 "하느님의
나라[the Kingdom of God,
즉 하늘 나라(the Kingdom of Heaven)]"에 대한 번역자의 안내
및 교황 요한 바오로
2세의 교리 교육용 일반 알현 강론 말씀들의 모음은 다음에
있으니, 별도의 시간을
내어서라도 차분히 꼭 읽도록 하라:
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/soh/894.htm (클릭하십시오)
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The liturgy of the Church uses this passage from the book of Samuel for the
solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, together with the passage
about the crucifixion (Lk 23:35-43). Jesus won his kingdom through his obedience,
which has its climax in death on the cross, bringing about the definitive salvation
of all mankind.
교회의 전례는, 십자가 형벌(crucifixion)에
관한 부분(passage)과 함께(오늘의
복음
말씀인 루카 복음서 23,35-43),
전우주의 왕(Universal King)이신 우리의 주님이신 예수
그리스도 대축일(즉
그리스도 왕 대축일)을
위하여 사무엘(Samuel)의 책으로부터
이 부분을 사용합니다. 예수님께서는 당신의 순종을 통하여
당신의 나라를 얻으셨는데,
이 순종은 십자가 위에서의 죽음에서 그 절정에 달하여, 그
결과 모든 인류의 최종적
구원을 가져다 줍니다.
2nd Reading: Colossians 1:12-20
Prayer for Advancement in Holiness;
Exhortation to Gratitude (Continuation)
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[l2] Give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance
of the saints in light. [13] He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, [14] in whom we have
redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Hymn in Praise of Christ as Head of All Creation
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[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; [16] for
in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities--all things were
created through him and for him. [17] He is before all things, and in him all
things hold together. [18] He is the head of the body, the church, he is the
beginning; the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be
preeminent. [19] For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
[20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things.
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Commentary:
12-14. "The dominion of darkness": the condition of enslavement to the devil
of a person in the state of sin. As is frequent in Sacred Scripture (cf. Is 58:10;
Jn 12:35; 1 Jn 1:5; 2:8; 2 Cor 6:14; Rom 13:11-14; Eph 5:7-13), the simile of
movement from darkness to light is used to refer to "redemption" or the change
from a condition of sin to one of righteousness and friendship with God, which
is effected by infusion of sanctifying grace (cf. St Thomas, "Commentary on
Col, ad loc.").
"Light: this is a symbol of the risen Christ and also of the abundance of graces
which he won for mankind in his Easter Mystery. It also describes the whole
ensemble of supernatural benefits which grace brings with it--goodness,
righteousness (or holiness) and truth (cf. Eph 5:9), which lead to the glory of
heaven (cf. 2 Cor 4:6). Hence the "rite of light", so richly a symbol of
supernatural realities, which has formed part of baptismal liturgy since the first
centuries.
The struggle between light and the power of darkness is referred to in many
passages of Sacred Scripture (cf. Jn 1:5, 9-11). Darkness means both evil and
the power of the Evil One. Before the redemption took place, all men--as a
consequence of original sin and their personal sins--were slaves to sin; this
slavery darkened their minds and made it difficult for them to know God, who
is the true light. Christ our Lord, by carrying out the redemption and obtaining
forgiveness for our sins (cf. v. 14), rescued us from the kingdom of darkness
from the tyranny of the Evil One, and brought us into the kingdom of light, the
kingdom of truth and justice, of love and of peace (cf. "Preface for the
Solemnity of Christ the King"), enabling us to enjoy "the glorious freedom
of the children of God" (Rom 8:21).
"His beloved Son": the Hebrew expression "Son of his love", which is
paralleled in the Greek, is one of the ways Jesus Christ is referred to in the
New Testament (cf. Mt 12:6; Lk 20:13). A variation, "my Son, the Beloved",
is spoken by the voice from heaven, that is, by the Father, at Jesus' baptism
(cf. Mt 3:17; Mk 1:11; Lk 3:22) and at the Transfiguration (cf. Mt 17:5; Mk 9:7;
Lk 9:35).
By speaking in this way St Paul, like St John, is underlining the fact that
"God is love" (l Jn 4:8). God's love for us was made manifest by his sending
his only Son into the world so that we might live through him (cf. 1 Jn 4:9).
By dying on the Cross he won life for us; by redeeming us with his blood he
obtained forgiveness for our sins
(cf. Col 1:14; Eph 2:4ff): "He revealed to us
that God is love, and he gave us the 'new commandment' of love (Jn 13:34),
at the same time communicating to us the certainty that the path of love is
open for all people, so that the effort to establish universal brotherhood is
not a vain one (cf. "Gaudium Et Spes", 38). By conquering through his death
on the Cross evil and the power of sin, by his loving obedience he brought
salvation to all" (John Paul II, "Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia", 10).
On the meaning of "redemption" and
"forgiveness of sins", see the note on
Eph 1:7-8.
"구속"/"속량"(redemption)
그리고 "죄들의
용서"(forgiveness of sins)"의
의미에 대하여서는, 에페소서 1,7-8에 대한 주석을
보십시오.(*)
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(*) 번역자 주: 다음의 주소에
접속하면, 가톨릭 교회의 전례력에 있어, 나해 연중
제15주일 제2독서(에페소 1,3-14)에 대한 본 주석서의 해설
전문을 학습할 수 있다:
http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/navarre/b_ot_15.htm
<----- 필독 권고
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12. We Christians should be grateful to God for his great mercy in deigning
to free us from the power of the devil, forgiving our sins and making us worthy
to "share in the inheritance of the saints". We have benefited in so many
ways: "In addition to the gift itself, he also gives us the power we need so
receive it [...]. God has not only honored us by making us share in the
inheritance, but has made us worthy to possess it. And so we receive a
double honor from God--firstly, the position itself; and secondly, the capacity
to measure up to it" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on Col, ad loc.").
Our sharing in "the inheritance of the saints" enables us to draw on the
treasury of spiritual goods which the Church is continually applying to its
members--prayers, sacrifices and all kinds of meritorious actions, which
benefit every Christian. This "inheritance of the saints"--in which we begin to
share in this present life--will be found in its full and permanent form by those
who attain everlasting joy. The grace of conversion originates in God's loving
kindness. "Prior to God's gift of grace, although not every man might be sinful
there is nothing that he does or can do which would merit forgiveness or the
grace of God. You must realize", St John of Avila says, "that it is God who
has brought you out of darkness into his wonderful light [...]. And what
caused him to do so was not your past merits or any service you have
rendered him, but his kindness alone and the merits of our only mediator,
Jesus Christ our Lord" ("Audi, Filia", 65).
15-20. Now we come to a very beautiful hymn in praise of Christ's sublime
dignity as God and as man. This was a truth deserving emphasis in view of
the danger to the faith which the false apostles' teaching represented (cf.
note on vv. 7-8). However, quite apart from the particular situation in
Colossae, the sublime teaching contained in this canticle holds good for all
times; it is one of the most important Christological texts in St Paul's writings.
The real protagonist of this passage is the Son of God made man, whose two
natures, divine and human, are always linked in the divine person of the Word.
However, at some points St Paul stresses his divinity (vv. 16, 17, 18b and 19)
and at others his humanity (vv. 15, 18a, 18c and 20). The underlying theme of
the hymn is Christ's total pre-eminence over all creation.
We can distinguish two stanzas in the hymn. In the first (vv. 15-17) Christ's
dominion is stated to embrace the entire cosmos, stemming as it does from
his action as Creator: "in him all things were created" (v. 16). This same
statement is made in the prologue to the fourth Gospel (cf. Jn 1:3), and it is
implied in the Book of Genesis, which tells us that creation was effected by
God's word (cf. Gen 1:3, 6, 9, etc.). Since Christ is the Word of God, he is
above all things, and therefore St Paul stresses that all angels--irrespective of
their hierarchy or order--come under his sway.
Christ's pre-eminence over natural creation is followed by his primacy in the
economy of supernatural salvation, a second creation worked by God through
grace. The second stanza (vv. 18-20) refers to this further primacy of Christ: by
his death on the cross, Christ has restored peace and has reconciled all things
-- the world and mankind--to God. Jews and Gentiles both are called to form
part of one body, the Church, of which Christ is the head; and all the celestial
powers are subject to his authority.
This passage is, then, a sublime canticle celebrating Christ, the head by virtue
of his surpassing excellence and his salvific action. "The Son of God and of the
Blessed Virgin", Pius XII teaches, "must be called the head of the Church for
the special reason of his preeminence. For the head holds the highest place. But
none holds a higher place than Christ as God for he is the Word of the Eternal
Father and is therefore justly called 'the first-born of all creation'. None holds a
higher place than Christ as man, for he, born of the immaculate Virgin, is the
true and natural Son of God, and by reason of his miraculous and glorious
resurrection by which he triumphed over death he is 'the first-born from the dead'.
And none stands higher than he who, being the 'one mediator between God and
man' (1 Tim 2:5), admirably unites earth with heaven; who, exalted on the Cross
as on his throne of mercy, has drawn all things to himself" ("Mystici Corporis",
15).
15. By the unaided use of reason man can work out that God exists, but he
could never, on his own, have grasped the essence of God: in this sense God is
said to be invisible (cf. St Thomas, "Commentary on Col, ad loc."). This is why
it is said in St John's Gospel that "no one has ever seen God" (Jn 1:18).
In Sacred Scripture we are told that man was created "in the image of God" (Gen
1:26). However, only the second person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son, is the
perfect image and likeness of the Father. "The image [likeness] of a thing may be
found in something else in two ways; in one way it is found in something of the
same specific nature--as the image of the king is found in his son; in another way
it is found in something of a different nature, as the king's image on the coin. In
the first sense the Son is the image of the Father; in the second sense man is
called the image of God; and therefore in order to express the imperfect character
of the divine image in man, man is not simply called 'the image' but is referred to
as being 'according to the image', whereby is expressed a certain movement or
tendency to perfection. But it cannot be said that the Son of God is 'according
to the image', because he is the perfect image of the Father" ("Summa Theologiae",
I, q. 35, a. 2 ad 3). And so, "for something to be truly an image, it has to proceed
from another as similar to it in species,or at least in some aspect of the species"
("Summa Theologiae", I, q. 35, a. 1, c.) To say that the Son is "image of the
invisible God" means that the Father and the Son are one-in-substance--that is,
both possess the same divine nature--, with the nuance that the Son proceeds
from the Father. It also conveys the fact that they are two distinct persons, for no
one is the image of himself.
The supreme revelation of God is that effected by the Son of God through his
Incarnation. He is the only one who can say, "He who has seen me has seen
the Father" (Jn 14:9). His sacred humanity, therefore, reflects the perfections of
God, which he possesses by virtue of the hypostatic union--the union of divine
nature and human nature which occurs in his person, which is divine. The second
Person of the Trinity restored man to his original dignity. The image of God,
imperfect though it be, which there is in every man and woman, was blurred by
Adam's sin; but it was restored in Christ: God's true self-image takes on a nature
the same as ours, and thanks to the redemption wrought by his death, we obtain
forgiveness of sins (v. 14).
Jesus Christ is the "first-born of all creation" by virtue of the hypostatic union. He
is, of course, prior to all creation, for he proceeds eternally from the Father by
generation. This the Church has always believed, and it proclaims it in the Creed:
"born of the Father before time began ..., begotten, not made, of one being
[consubstantial] with the Father" ("Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed").
In Jewish culture, the first-born was first in honor and in law. When the Apostle
calls Jesus "the first-born of all creation", he is referring to the fact that Christ
has pre-eminence and headship over all created things, because not only does
he pre-date them but they were all created "through him" and "for him" (v. 16).
16-17. Jesus Christ is God; this is why he has pre-eminence over all created
things. The relationships between Christ and creation are spelled out by three
prepositions. "In him all things were created": in Christ: he is their source, their
center and their model or exemplary cause. "All things were created through
him and for him": through him, in other words, God the Father, through God
the Son, creates all things; and for him, because he is the last end, the
purpose or goal of everything.
St Paul goes on to say that "in him all things hold together"; "the Son of God
has not only created everything: he conserves everything in being; thus, if his
sovereign will were to cease to operate for even an instant, everything would
return into the nothingness from which he drew everything that exists"
(Chrysostom, "Hom. on Col, ad loc.").
All created things, then, continue in existence because they share, albeit in a
limited way, in Christ's infinite fullness of existence or perfection. His dominion
extends not only over celestial things but also over all material things, however
insignificant they may seem: it embraces everything in heaven and in the
physical universe. The sacred text also points to Christ's supremacy over
invisible creation, that is, over the angels and celestial hierarchies (cf. Heb
1:5). If St Paul stresses this fact, it is to expose the errors of those who were
depicting Jesus as a creature intermediary between corporeal beings and
spiritual created beings, and, therefore, lower than the angels.
18. "He is the head of the body, the church": this image shows the relationship
of Christ with the Church, to which he sends his grace in abundance, bearing
life to all its members. 'The head," St Augustine says, "is our very Savior, who
suffered under Pontius Pilate and now, after rising from the dead, is seated at
the right hand of the Father. And his body is the Church [...] For the whole
Church, made up of the assembly of the faithful--for all the faithful are Christ's
members--has Christ, as its head, who rules his body from on high"
("Enarrationes in Psalmos", 56, 1).
St Paul unequivocally teaches that the Church is a body. "Now if the Church is
a body it must be something one and undivided, according to the statement of
St Paul: 'We, though many, are one body in Christ' (Rom 12:5). And not only
must it be one and undivided, it must also be something concrete and visible,
as our Predecessor of happy memory, Leo XIII, says in his Encyclical "Satis
Cognitum": 'By the very fact of being a body the Church is visible.' It is therefore
an aberration from divine truth to represent the Church as something intangible
and invisible, as a mere 'pneumatic' entity joining together by an invisible link a
number of communities of Christians in spite of their difference in faith.
"But a body requires a number of members so connected that they help one
another. And, in fact, as in our mortal organism when one member suffers the
others suffer with it, and the healthy members come to the assistance of those
who are ailing, so in the Church individual members do not live only for
themselves but also help one another, alleviating their suffering and helping to
build up the entire body" (Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis", 7).
"He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead": this can be said because he
was the first man to rise from the dead, never again to die (cf. 1 Cor 15:20; Rev
1:5), and also because thanks to him it enabled men to experience resurrection
in glory (cf. 1 Cor 15:22; Rom 8:11), because they are justified through him (cf.
Rom 4:25). So, just as the previous verses looked to Christ's pre-eminent role
in creations the hymn now focuses on his primacy in a new creation--the rebirth
of mankind, and all creation in its train, in the supernatural order of grace and
glory. Christ rose from the dead to enable us also to walk in newness of life (cf.
Rom 6:4). Therefore, in every way Jesus Christ is "pre-eminent."
19. The word "pleroma" translated here as "fullness", has two meanings in
Greek: one, an active meaning, describes something that "fills" or "completes";
for example, a ship's full load can be referred to as its "pleroma". The other
meaning is passive, "that which is filled" or "that which is complete", so that
a ship can be said to be "pleroma" when it is fully loaded. In this passage St
Paul is using the word in both senses: Christ is the fullness (passive sense)
of the Godhead (cf. Col 2:9), because he is full of all the perfections of the
divine essence; and he is the fullness (active sense), because he fills the
Church and all creation.
St John Chrysostom suggests that "the word 'fullness' is to be taken to mean
the divinity of Jesus Christ [...]. This term has been chosen the better to show
that the very essence of the godhead resides in Jesus Christ" ("Hom. on Col,
ad loc.").
Since Christ possesses the divine nature, he also possesses the fullness
of the supernatural gifts, for himself and for all mankind.Hence St Thomas'
comment that pleroma "reveals the dignity of the head in so far as it has the
fullness of all grace" (Commentary on Col, ad loc.). In this sense, Christ is
the fullness of the Church, for as its head he vivifies his body with all kinds
of unmerited gifts. Finally, the entire created universe can be termed the
"fullness" ("pleroma") of Christ, because everything that exists in heaven
and on earth has been created and is maintained in existence by him (cf.
vv. 16-17); they are ever-present to him and are ruled by him (cf. Is 6:3; Ps
139:8; Wis1:7; etc.). Thus, the world, which was created good (cf. Gen
1:31) tends towards its fulfillment insofar as it clearly reflects the imprint
God gave it at the start of creation.
20. Since Christ is pre-eminent over all creation, the Father chose to
reconcile all things to himself through him. Sin had cut man off from God,
rupturing the perfect order which originally reigned in the created world.
By shedding his blood on the cross, Christ obtained peace for us; nothing
in the universe falls outside the scope of his peace-giving influence. He who
in the beginning created all things in heaven and on earth has reestablished
peace throughout creation.
This reconciliation of all things, ushered in by Christ, is fostered by the Holy
Spirit who enables the Church to continue the process of reconciliation. However,
we will not attain the fullness of this reconciliation until we reach heaven, when
the entire created universe, along with mankind, will be perfectly renewed in
Christ (cf. "Lumen Gentium", 48).
"The history of salvation--the salvation of the whole of humanity, as well as of
every human being of whatever period--is the wonderful history of a reconciliation;
the reconciliation whereby God, as Father, in the Blood and the Cross of his
Son made man, reconciles the world to himself and thus brings into being a new
family of those who have been reconciled.
"Reconciliation becomes necessary because there has been the break of sin
from which derive all the other forms of break within man and about him.
Reconciliation therefore, in order to be complete, necessarily requires liberation
from sin, which is to be rejected in its deepest roots. Thus a close internal link
unites "conversion" and "reconciliation". It is impossible to split these two
realities or to speak of one and say nothing of the other (John Paul II,
"Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia", 13).
Jesus Christ also counts on the cooperation of every individual Christian to
apply his work of redemption and peace to all creation. The founder of Opus Dei
says, in this connection: "We must love the world and work and all human things.
For the world is good. Adam's sin destroyed the divine balance of creation; but
God the Father sent his only Son to reestablish peace, so that we his children
by adoption, might free creation from disorder and reconcile all things to God"
("Christ Is Passing By", 112).
Gospel Reading: Luke 23:35-43
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."
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: 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 in Your kingly power." [43] And He said to him, "Truly, I say
to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
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 to forgive 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.
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. 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).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase
The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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