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A Pillar of Iron

COME HOLY SPIRIT

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Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B


An icon of the Christian Pentecost, in the Greek Orthodox tradition. This is the Icon of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. At the bottom is an allegorical figure, called Kosmos, which symbolizes the world.

COME, HOLY SPIRIT

“Come, O Holy Spirit, send from heaven a ray of your light. Come, O giver of graces; come, O light of hearts. You are rest in our labor, peace in difficulties and solace in our grief. O most holy Light! Fill the inmost being of the hearts of your faithful. Grant to your children trust in your seven holy gifts. Give them reward for virtue; give them salvation; give them everlasting joy!

To Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit:

THE HAIL MARY

Hail, Mary, full of grace, our Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.Amen.

BREATHE IN ME

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy, Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy.
Guard me, O Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy.
A Prayer of St. Augustine

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, please grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul the work of Your grace and Your love.

Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal. The Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth. The Spirit on Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven. The Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation. The Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God, know myself, and grow perfect in the science of the Saints. The Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable. The Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT BY ST. ANTIOCHUS

O Holy Spirit, most merciful Comforter: You proceed from the Father in a manner beyond our understanding. Come, I beseech You, and take up you abode in my heart. Purify and cleanse me from all sin, and sanctify my soul. Cleanse it from every impurity, water its dryness, melt its coldness, and save it from sinful ways. Make me truly humble and resigned, that I may be pleasing to You, and that You abide with me forever. Most blessed Light, most amiable Light, enlighten me. O rapturous Joy of Paradise, Fount of purest delight, my God, give yourself to me, and kindle in my innermost soul the fire of your love. My Lord, please instruct, direct, and defend me in all things. Give me strength against all immoderate fears and against despondency. Bestow upon me a true faith, a firm hope, and a sincere and perfect love. Grant that I always do your most gracious will.

Amen.

Citazioni di
Ac 10,25-26. 34-35.44-48: www.clerus.org/bibliaclerusonline/en/9bfhjcj.htm
1Io 4,7-10: www.clerus.org/bibliaclerusonline/en/9ak0lmd.htm
Io 15,9-17: www.clerus.org/bibliaclerusonline/en/9asskgo.htm

“I no longer call you slaves, […] I have called you friends” (John 15:15). These words, spoken to us by the Risen Lord, should be a source of abundant joy and the certain hope for whatever the future holds for us. They are the roots of our life, ever new, always given in a passionate love for Christ, for the Truth and for all humanity.

These words are the bearers of a radical new relationship between God and humanity. They reveal something that humanity, in its human condition and sinfulness, could never have imagined: that the Son of God, the only Son of the Father, calls us His friends.

We should probably think again about what this word ‘friendship’ really means. Like ‘love’, it has been used and abused to such an extent that it seems today to be almost emptied of its real meaning. But Jesus explains to us in today’s Gospel what the authentic friendship of God really means.

The Lord tells us that the status of friends is, as we might put it, qualitatively superior to that of servants. This seems obvious to us today when think of the idea of servitude as against our rights. The condition of a servant seems to us to be clearly unworthy of a human being, who should be able to live freely and able to achieve our great ideals.

Yet we can see that this way of understanding the words of Jesus is incorrect. It’s incorrect in the historical context of the time, and in terms of the unique relationship which is being discussed. The relationship between God and humanity goes deeper than our simple understanding of the words ‘friend’ and ‘servant’. It is not just a relationship between one person and another, but a relationship between man and His Creator and Redeemer.

The situation of servitude before God was, in fact, what made Israel the chosen nation. Israel was called out of slavery in Egypt and put above all the nations of the world to serve the Lord. It was, and is, an honour and privilege for a people to be chosen and called to be servants of God.

Now, through grace, we can say that God has truly descended into our midst in order to raise us up to His Presence.

In Christ, we see the plan of the Father fulfilled. He is the real promised land, that was prepared for us in the womb of the Virgin Mary. We are not like Moses, the servant of the Lord (c.f. Deut 32: 52), destined only to see the promised land from a distance. We are able to enter and dwell there: “as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you […] I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father” (John 15: 9, 15).

This is what is so radically new in this friendship. Humanity, chosen and loved by God, created and called to serve Him, is now destined for a love which is beyond compare. “A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). The Son of God, made man, gives His whole Self and lifts us up towards the Father. He opens the door of his dwelling and welcomes the faithful to the wedding feast.

By choosing us, which really means that He called each of us personally, Christ gives us the joy of sharing in His Life and Sonship. We become participants, as St Peter says, in the divine nature (c.f. 2 Peter 1:4).

Animated by this new and profound communion with the Risen Lord, that accompanies us always and everywhere, we implore the Blessed Virgin Mary, Refuge of Sinners and Our Lady of Fatima, to help us to ‘remain’ in the love of Christ, to love one another and bear fruit as befits the children of God. Amen!

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FIRST READING: Acts 2:1-11.

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

EXPLANATION: “Pentecost” which means “fiftieth” was the second of the three most important of the annual feasts in the Jewish calendar. It occurred seven weeks after Passover and was primarily a feast of thanksgiving for the harvest: the first-fruits of the wheat crop were offered to God on that day. Later on the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai was also commemorated on this feast day. All Jewish men, not legitimately impeded, were expected to come to Jerusalem, to the temple, for the feast. Hundreds of Jews from outside of Palestine also came, and the city was usually full to overflowing. It was very fitting therefore that this feast day was chosen for the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. The Christian religion was to be universal, and the gift of tongues showed its universality. The law given by God to Moses was for the Jews only; the new law, given by Christ, and confirmed by the power of the Holy Spirit, was for all men. The vast gathering of Jews from Palestine and from all nations was a very suitable occasion on which to proclaim publicly the message of Christ given through the mouth of Peter.

Suddenly…a sound came: The Apostles had been told by Our LOrd to wait in Jerusalem (Lk. 24:49), until the Holy Spirit came on them. They were all in one place, probably the room of the Last Supper where Jesus had appeared to them twice after his resurrection.

like the rush of a mighty…: Spirit means breath or wind, so it was fitting the Holy Spirit made his presence felt by the noise of a strong driving wind.

Tongues as of fire appeared: Something that looked like a flame rested on each of them. When God gave the Law to Moses, peals of thunder and lightning flashes signified God’s presence and made the people tremble (see Ex. 19:18ff). The loud noise and the flames signified the presence of the Holy Spirit.

to speak in other tongues…: The first signs of the power of the Spirit. They were given foreign languages and a new superhuman courage to proclaim their faith. Hitherto they had sheltered from the Jews.

and at this sound: This sound “like a driving wind” was heard all over the city, and by devout Jews from “every nation under heaven,” a pious exaggeration and a way of saying that they came from most of the known nations of the Roman Empire, which was the whole world then known to the Jews.

each one heard: Each foreigner who spoke the language of the country he came from heard one or other of the Apostles speaking his language.

amazed…wondered: Little wonder they were amazed. They had enquired of the local Jews, and knew that the Apostles were simple men, with little education, from Galilee. Where did they learn all these foreign languages?

Parthians…: These foreigners say they are from Mesopotamia, Greece, Asia Minor, Egypt and North Africa, Crete and Arabia. There are even Romans present, most of them Jews, but Gentile proselytes also among them.

we hear…tongues: This was the cause of their amazement, these simple folk from Galilee speaking all kinds of languages.

the mighty works of God: The Apostles were speaking of Christ, his teaching, and his resurrection. St. Peter develops this theme later (2:14ff).

APPLICATION: Pentecost day is called the “birthday” of the Church. The Apostles had already received the Holy Spirit on Christ’s first appearance to them after his resurrection (Jn. 20:22). But on Pentecost day the descent of the Holy Spirit was a public manifestation intended to impress and amaze the crowds of local and foreign Jews who thronged Jerusalem on that great festive occasion. The signs and wonders that manifested his coming brought these Jews in huge crowds to the place where the Apostles were staying, and immediately the gift of tongues was used by the Apostles to explain the occurrence. It was a marvel wrought by God, a necessary consequence of the sojourn of Christ among them. He was the Christ whom the Jews had crucified but whom God had raised from the dead, thus proving he was the promised Messiah and his own beloved Son. Christ had chosen the Apostles to bring his good news to all nations—the good news that all men were once more reconciled to God their Creator, and were now adopted sons of God and heirs to heaven.

Today was the day chosen for the opening of this mission of the Apostles. That they were backed by the divine power of the Holy Spirit was proved not only by the gift of tongues but more especially by the change his coming wrought on the Apostles. From this day forward they were men dedicated to one purpose and to one purpose only, to bring the good news, the Gospel of Christ, to the world.

When Peter, representing the eleven, preached Christ, crucified, raised from the tomb by the power of the Father, and now seated at his right hand in heaven, he raised the Christian standard aloft. He and his fellow Apostles (including Matthias and Paul later) gave their lives gladly to plant it throughout the Roman Empire. The remaining twenty six chapters of the book of Acts and the inspired letters of the Apostles tell the story of the growth of the infant Church. It was brought about by frail and mortal men, turned into spiritual heroes by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Twenty centuries separate us from those heroic men of God, but the truth of their labors is with us still thanks to the same Holy Spirit who has remained with the Church down through the years. From generation to generation the message and the means of salvation have been handed down, sometimes through periods of peace and evident progress, but more often through years of persecution and apparent near-extermination. The Church survived because men of God valued eternal life, and the Church as the means of reaching it, more than their own comfort or personal safety.

Our own generation too needs men of principle, men of generosity, men who will put the eternal values before personal conveniences or earthly gain. The Church today has her enemies. They shout loud and long—the same centuries-old themes are put to some of the present-day pop music. But we need not fear. The voice of the Holy Spirit is still as strong as it was on that first Pentecost day in Jerusalem. His powers are divine and will never diminish. He is still at the helm of the barque of Peter and will continue to bring millions to the shores of the eternal kingdom as he has done during the past two thousand years.

“Come, Holy Spirit, enkindle in the hearts of the faithful the fire of divine love.”

Second ReadingSECOND READING: 1 Cor. 12:2-7, 12-13.

No one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

But just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

EXPLANATION: The gifts of the Holy Spirit were very evident in the infant Church. This was necessary to prove to the pagans that the Christian religion was from the real God who controlled all things. As pagans they had their local god or gods to whom supernatural powers were often falsely attributed. But the God of the Christians had real powers and they were distributed freely by the Holy Spirit when occasion demanded. St. Paul in this part of his first letter to the Corinthians is emphasizing that these gifts are not given to an individual for his honor or glory but to help to build up the Church.

No one…the Spirit: One of the first tests of the genuineness of a gift from the Holy Spirit was conformity with the Christian faith. If any man claimed he was moved by the Holy Spirit to blaspheme Jesus, he was evidently a liar and a fraud. On the other hand he who sincerely professed that Christ was God was moved by the Holy Spirit. Faith is a gift from God.

varieties…same Spirit: All the gifts given to the early Christian converts were from the same Holy Spirit and each had its special purpose. It is possible that Paul wished to prevent any temptation for one to boast that he had a better gift than his neighbor. All were from the same source.

varieties…service: The ability to help in administering the affairs of the early Christian communities was a gift of God—each one receiving the gift necessary for his particular task. Helping the sick, feeding the poor, calling the assemblies together, explaining the faith, powers of healing, are all examples of these different ministries, but they all came from the same God.

given for the common good: These gifts were given for the good of the whole community—to help build up the Church, and so that no one should refuse to use the gift he got or claim it as his own.

The body is one: St. Paul now introduces the simile of the human body made up of many members, to describe the Church of Christ. From this we get the title of “Mystical Body of Christ” to describe the Church.

for by one Spirit: It was the Holy Spirit, sent by Christ on his ascension to heaven to direct and inspire his newly-founded Church, who gave us the grace to become members of Christ’s Body.

Jews or Greeks: Meaning all men. Greek stood for Gentile, that was the rest of the world apart from the Jews.

were baptized: The sacrament instituted by Christ to make men members of his Church, his body.

APPLICATION: These verses of St. Paul are very suitable on this the feast day of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. Not only did he make his presence felt by the external exercise of his powers on that first Pentecost day, but he continued to do so for some years until the Church had laid solid foundations in the Gentile world.

These gifts of the Spirit were foretold in the Old Testament as signs of the Messiah’s arrival (see Joel 3:1ff; Acts 2:16ff), and were manifested in the early Church in Jerusalem (Acts 2:4), Samaria (8:17), Ephesus (19:6), Rome (Rom. 12:6), Galatia (Gal. 3:5), and in Corinth. St. Paul has much to say of the gifts given in Corinth because there was evidently some abuse of them or some dissensions because of them in that city.

But for us the important point to bear in mind today on this the anniversary of the public manifestation of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles is the infinite love of God for us, his Chosen People of the new covenant. Through the Incarnation men are empowered to become adopted sons of God; through baptism we become members of Christ’s body, his Church. Through the direct reception of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation, we are made active members of the Christian Church, with all the strength and powers necessary to be effective members, on active service daily, true soldiers of Christ.

Let each one of us take an honest look at himself today and ask himself: Am I really an active member of the body of Christ? Am I spiritually healthy, living in God’s grace and thus helping the whole body to be healthy? Or am I a diseased member, and not only sickly and weak through my personal sins, but spreading that sickness and weakness to my neighboring members by my bad example? But perhaps I can claim I have no very big sins and give no grave scandal, but I am lukewarm in the practice of my religion. I haven’t much time for things of that sort. If I am one of these two types—a diseased member or a lukewarm one—I could hardly call myself a soldier of Christ on active service. Deserters and dishonest draft-dodgers are not at the front.

Thank God, a large percentage of Christians do strive to remain healthy members of his mystical body—they may weaken now and then but they call on their divine physician and put things right again. This is as it should be, but is it all that is expected of us?

The Holy Spirit came to us in Confirmation with his gifts and graces to enable us to work for the whole Church, for the whole body of Christ. We are made soldiers to form an army that will work together for the protection of our nation and our freedom. No man is put into military uniform in order to look after his own interests. We too are not made soldiers of Christ in order to save our own souls only—we are soldiers in order to help our fellow Christians and all men in their common fight against sin and Godlessness. We must then take an active part in the battles of the Church, against everything that impedes the practice of the Christian virtues.

There is a place for everyone in the Church’s line of battle. We need not search far to find it. We need not be physical or intellectual giants in order to fulfill the role destined for us. What we need is sincerity and a bit of moral courage; sincerity in our belief that it is the future life that counts—the present is only a few years of training; moral courage to face opposition and criticism from enemies and often from false friends. When God and the Holy Spirit are on our side, we need not worry about the opinions or sneers of worldly-minded men. If we are true soldiers of Christ we shall win our battles, not by crushing our enemies but by making them too children of God and our brothers for all eternity.

GospelGOSPEL: John 20:19-23.

On the evening of the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

EXPLANATION: For the explanation of these five verses of St. John, see the Second Sunday of Easter. They are repeated here today, the Feast of the Holy Spirit, because on that first appearance of the Risen Lord he conferred the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. Today’s feast commemorates the solemn public and publicized conferral of the same Holy Spirit.

evening of…first day: The evening of the Sunday.

the doors being shut…: He came through the closed door, which shows the spiritual qualities of the resurrected body (see 1 Cor. 15:44-48).

came and stood among them: To prove that he was the Christ who had been crucified and who was now alive once more.

Peace be with you: Jews saluted one another by wishing peace, that is, health and prosperity both in the material and spiritual sense. Here Christ is not only wishing “well-being,” especially the spiritual well-being, but he is giving it (see 14:27).

so I send you: He is now conferring on them the mission he had promised them before his death (see Mt. 4:19; Jn. 17:18; etc.), which was the continuation of the work of divine salvation inaugurated by himself.

Receive the Holy Spirit: He breathed on them and said these words—the sacramental action. He had promised them the Holy Spirit when he had returned to his Father in glory (7:39, 16:7). This condition had been fulfilled that Easter morning.

If you forgive…sins: Catholic tradition has rightly seen in this act the institution of the Sacrament of Penance.

APPLICATION: The liturgical cycle, which each year represents to us God’s mercy and kindness in our regard, closes today with this great Feast of Pentecost, the public solemn descent of the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, on the Christian Church. During Advent we try to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Son of God to dwell as Man among us. Christmas recalls to our minds and hearts the great act of divine love. Lent prepares us for the sufferings endured by Christ during Holy Week on our behalf. Easter is the feast of triumph, Christ’s triumph over death, the guarantee of our final triumph and union with him in his eternal glory. Pentecost crowns Christ’s work among us. The Holy Spirit comes to abide with the Church, directing and effectively aiding its leaders to preserve, explain and spread the gospel of hope and love which Christ had brought on earth. This same spirit helps and aids each member of the Church to live a life of holiness by following the teaching of Christ and by helping his fellow man to do likewise.

Briefly, this annual series of Church feast days recalls to our minds the infinite love of the Blessed Trinity for us finite, mortal men. At the same time it shows us the part played by each of the divine Persons in the eternal plan to share with us the perfect peace and the unending happiness which they enjoy in their heavenly kingdom.

God the Father created us with the intention and plan to raise us up to adopted sonship with him. God the Son took human nature so that we might share in the divinity. Representing all men he gave perfect obedience and reverence to the Creator “even unto death on a cross,” and thus merited sonship for us. The Holy Spirit, the “fruit of divine love,” came from the Father and the Son to bring to perfection the work of our sanctification. Thus the three divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity have cooperated in the great work of infinite love and condescension which opens for us a future of unending happiness, if only we have the common sense to appreciate what has been done for us, and the simple common decency to do in return the few relatively easy little tasks asked of us.

May the Holy Spirit today fill us with gratitude for all that God has done for us.

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

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Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B

Citazioni di
Ac 10,25-26. 34-35.44-48: www.clerus.org/bibliaclerusonline/en/9bfhjcj.htm
1Io 4,7-10: www.clerus.org/bibliaclerusonline/en/9ak0lmd.htm
Io 15,9-17: www.clerus.org/bibliaclerusonline/en/9asskgo.htm

“I no longer call you slaves, […] I have called you friends” (John 15:15). These words, spoken to us by the Risen Lord, should be a source of abundant joy and the certain hope for whatever the future holds for us. They are the roots of our life, ever new, always given in a passionate love for Christ, for the Truth and for all humanity.

These words are the bearers of a radical new relationship between God and humanity. They reveal something that humanity, in its human condition and sinfulness, could never have imagined: that the Son of God, the only Son of the Father, calls us His friends.

We should probably think again about what this word ‘friendship’ really means. Like ‘love’, it has been used and abused to such an extent that it seems today to be almost emptied of its real meaning. But Jesus explains to us in today’s Gospel what the authentic friendship of God really means.

The Lord tells us that the status of friends is, as we might put it, qualitatively superior to that of servants. This seems obvious to us today when think of the idea of servitude as against our rights. The condition of a servant seems to us to be clearly unworthy of a human being, who should be able to live freely and able to achieve our great ideals.

Yet we can see that this way of understanding the words of Jesus is incorrect. It’s incorrect in the historical context of the time, and in terms of the unique relationship which is being discussed. The relationship between God and humanity goes deeper than our simple understanding of the words ‘friend’ and ‘servant’. It is not just a relationship between one person and another, but a relationship between man and His Creator and Redeemer.

The situation of servitude before God was, in fact, what made Israel the chosen nation. Israel was called out of slavery in Egypt and put above all the nations of the world to serve the Lord. It was, and is, an honour and privilege for a people to be chosen and called to be servants of God.

Now, through grace, we can say that God has truly descended into our midst in order to raise us up to His Presence.

In Christ, we see the plan of the Father fulfilled. He is the real promised land, that was prepared for us in the womb of the Virgin Mary. We are not like Moses, the servant of the Lord (c.f. Deut 32: 52), destined only to see the promised land from a distance. We are able to enter and dwell there: “as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you […] I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father” (John 15: 9, 15).

This is what is so radically new in this friendship. Humanity, chosen and loved by God, created and called to serve Him, is now destined for a love which is beyond compare. “A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). The Son of God, made man, gives His whole Self and lifts us up towards the Father. He opens the door of his dwelling and welcomes the faithful to the wedding feast.

By choosing us, which really means that He called each of us personally, Christ gives us the joy of sharing in His Life and Sonship. We become participants, as St Peter says, in the divine nature (c.f. 2 Peter 1:4).

Animated by this new and profound communion with the Risen Lord, that accompanies us always and everywhere, we implore the Blessed Virgin Mary, Refuge of Sinners and Our Lady of Fatima, to help us to ‘remain’ in the love of Christ, to love one another and bear fruit as befits the children of God. Amen

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FIRST READING: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48.

When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.”

And Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”

While Peter was still saying this the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can any one forbid water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Today’s text from the Acts of the Apostles describes the reception of the first Gentiles into the Christian Church. Cornelius, a Roman centurion stationed in Caesarea, had been an admirer of the God of the Jews. He gave alms generously and prayed much. God told him through an angel to send for Simon Peter who was in Jaffa. Peter, already prepared by a vision of clean and unclean animals (10:8-16) in which he was taught that what God had made clean must not be called unclean, came to Caesarea. The vision given him in Jaffa became clear on seeing the religious faith of Cornelius. He had no hesitation in entering a pagan household, something strictly forbidden to a Jew. He preached Christ’s life, death and resurrection to the assembled Gentiles and while he was preaching the Holy Spirit descended on them and they began to praise God in various languages, just as the Apostles and disciples had done on Pentecost day in Jerusalem. What greater proof was needed to convince Peter and his companions that God wanted the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, in his Church? Thus Cornelius and his household were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and became the first Gentiles to enter the Church.

Cornelius…feet: The Roman centurion wanted to honor Peter as a God, but Peter made him stand up telling him that he, Peter, was a mere man and should not be honored thus.

Peter said: Having learned from Cornelius about the vision of the angel and the command to send for Peter, the Apostle declares that he now understands that all men, Gentiles as well as Jews, are acceptable to God, if they turn to him. His own vision in Jaffa had prepared him for this.

still…this: While Peter was explaining Christ and his teaching (10:36-43), the Holy Spirit came upon all the Gentiles present.

believers…circumcised: The converted Jews, “brothers from Jaffa” (10:23) who had accompanied Peter, “were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles,” for they still had the idea that Christ was the Messiah of the Jews only. Although Peter had no hesitation in accepting Cornelius and his household into the Church, the Council of Jerusalem had to be called to correct this wrong Jewish idea (Acts 15:1-29).

Can…baptizing: With the incontrovertible evidence that the Holy Spirit had descended on these Gentiles, Peter rightly declared that no manmade opinion could or should prevent them from full membership of the Church. They were then baptized with Christian baptism.

“God shows no partiality but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” These inspired and inspiring words of Peter, the head of the Apostles, removed any doubts which his fellow Jewish-Christians from Jaffa had as to the right of Cornelius and his household to be baptized and become Christians like themselves. They should also have opened the minds of all Jewish converts to the mission of Christ as a mission of salvation for all nations and not for Jews only. Unfortunately, there were some who exaggerated their own claims on God and who still looked down on the Gentiles. There were among the Jewish-Christians those who grudgingly admitted that Gentiles could be received into the Christian Church, but only if they became Jews first by accepting circumcision.

These people were a serious embarrassment to St. Paul in his missionary activity among the Gentiles. They followed him through Asia Minor telling the converted Gentiles that they were not really members of the Christian Church for they had not first become Jews. These “Judaizers,” as they were called, were causing such upsets among the Gentile converts that Paul and Barnabas were forced to ask the Apostles, assembled in the first Council of the Church in Jerusalem, to give a definitive answer to this question (Acts 15:1-2). They did, and the false teaching of the Judaizers was condemned. Gentiles could and should be received directly into the Church, without passing through any form of Judaism or without accepting any of the Jewish ritualistic practices.

God, through the Holy Spirit, has been with his Church right down through the ages and from its very beginning. The case of the conversion of Cornelius, narrated in today’s reading, happened in order that Peter, the head of the Apostles and the principal speaker at the Council of Jerusalem, should have visible proof from God that he wished Gentiles to be taken directly into his Church without any of the Jewish ritual observances. Peter’s address to the Council, describing what happened at Caesarea, silenced all opposition and settled this question for all time. But before the vision of the clean and unclean animals shown him in Jaffa, and the proofs of the presence of the Holy Spirit which he witnessed in Caesarea, Peter too had his narrow Judaizing tendencies.

The lesson for all Christians is that God has been, and will be, always with his Church. Christ has committed it to the care of mortal and fallible men but he has given them (and us) the assurance that he will be with them always even unto the end of time (Mt. 28:20). Today, many devout and sincere Christians are worried because of evident dissension between theologians on moral and dogmatic questions. Since the Second Vatican Council there has been a flood of writings from the pens of reputable theologians and sometimes from men with less depth of knowledge and less balanced judgement. This is but a natural consequence of the winds of change to which the saintly Pope John opened the windows of the Church.

Ever since Trent (1546), when the cold war with the Reformers began, the Catholic Church had remained rather static in its exposition of faith and morals. While the world around us had made giant strides in the study of man and the world in which he lived, and also in the study of ancient literature and culture, our seminary textbooks were faithfully copying the sixteenth century expositions of the theologians of that day. This in itself was right as far as it went, since the defined dogmas of the Church remain fixed for all time. However, it did not go far enough; it paid little or no heed to the immense growth in secular knowledge, or to the change in terminology and linguistics which the new philosophies had introduced. Scripture, especially which, with Tradition, is the basis of all theology, was very much neglected, to the detriment of our people’s knowledge of the revealed word of God.

Thanks to the Holy Spirit, who worked through Pope John and Vatican II, that has all been changed, or rather is being gradually changed. As in all change, there must be upsets and a disturbance of the status quo ante. There will be naturally men who oppose change, and on the other hand there are likely to be men who want to change too much. We are going through this period of change at present, and some people are surprised, if not shocked, at some of the moral and dogmatic pronouncements of present-day writers. Knowing, as we do, that the Holy Spirit is with the Church, we need have no fear. She has had similar experiences in the past—nearly all her great General Councils were preceded by disputes between theologians and would-be theologizers. The Councils, guided by the Holy Spirit, defined and expounded the true faith.

Truth will prevail; we can look forward confidently to the day when present disputes will end. Our Christian faith and morals will continue to be expounded authoritatively with the backing of the Holy Spirit, by the successors of the Apostles whom he sent to teach all nations.

SECOND READING: 1 John 4:7-10.

Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.

On this Epistle see the Second Sunday of Easter. In today’s four verses, St. John is urging us to love one another, for we are sons of God whose very essence is love. He proved this when out of the infinity of his love he sent his own divine Son to give us eternal life and make expiation for the sins of the world.

let…another: The love St. John urges us to have for our fellow man is not the natural attraction which has its basis in family bonds, or sex, or some qualities we hold in common. It is that supernatural respect, interest and esteem which we have for all men. It is based on our knowledge of God as our common Father.

love is of God: This supernatural love of neighbor derives from God, whose very nature is love, and it is a free gift which he has instilled into us together with faith and hope in our baptism.

born…God: The man who has this supernatural love is a son of God by adoption, it was in his adoption ceremony that he was given this gift. He therefore knows God, not in the sense of the Gnostics but in the true sense; he is intimately associated with God through participation in the very nature of God which has been given him in baptism, in the divine gift of love.

God…Son: This is the manifestation of God’s love for us: he sent his only Son to live and die among us.

might…him: Through the Incarnation, the coming of God the Son as man among us, we have been made sons of God and heirs of eternal life.

not that we loved God: John is stressing the gratuitousness of God’s love for us. He loved us when we were incapable of loving him; even before we existed. His Son died for us while we were still sinners. As St. Paul says: “for someone really worthy a man might be prepared to die—but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners” (Rom. 5:7-8).

It is told that when St. John was too old and feeble to say Mass, he insisted on being carried to the Church on Sundays to preach to the congregation. Sunday after Sunday his sermon consisted of one short sentence: “Little children, love one another.” After some weeks of this repetition, the presiding priest had the courage to say to the Apostle: “Father, could you not say something more?” The answer that he got was: “No, for if they do this they are doing everything.” Undoubtedly the Beloved Disciple was the Apostle of love. His Gospel and Epistles are dominated by the thought of “the Word made flesh,” the mystery of God’s love for us which brought about the Incarnation. Having been made children of God, we must, of course, love God for this gratuitous gift; but the real proof of our love of God is our love for our neighbor.

“He who does not love (his neighbor) does not know God.” This hardly needs proof. If we do know God we know the marvelous thing he has done for us in making us his children and heirs to heaven through the Incarnation, and the natural and supernatural reaction to such knowledge should be the desire to do something for God in return. And God himself through Christ has told us what we can do for him—we can be charitable toward his little ones, our fellow children of God on earth. Everything kind and good we do for them, we are doing it for himself, he tells us (Mt. 25:40).

Therefore, we are expected, and what is more, we are commanded, to love all God’s children. This is the way in which the good God allows us to make some little return for all he has done for us. Generous souls would not need a commandment, they would rejoice at the opportunity of doing something for God, but most of us are not too given to generosity, and so God has given us a commandment to do our duty. On the fulfilling of that commandment our own eternal welfare will depend. “I was hungry and you fed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick, I was in prison, and you visited me; well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord.”

These are words we all would like to hear when called to judgement. We shall hear them if we keep our part of the contract. If we carry out the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, whenever and wherever we can, we need have no fear about God doing his part. We may not have much of this world’s goods, and we may not be able therefore to help our neighbor much in his bodily needs, but we can help him with our prayers, with words of consolation and encouragement. There is a little poem on kindness written by Father Faber which brings out what a help even the poorest of us can be to his neighbor, if only true charity inspires us. It runs like this:

“It was but a sunny smile and little it cost in the giving, But it scattered the night like the morning light, And made the day worth living.

It was only a kindly word, a word that was easily spoken, But it was not in vain for it chilled the pain, Of a heart that was nearly broken.

It was but a helping hand and it seemed of little availing, But its clasp was warm and it saved from harm, A brother whose strength was failing.”

Which of us is so poor in spirit, so weak in charity, that he cannot give a sunny smile to his neighbor whenever he meets him, or speak a kind word to someone in need of consoling, or give a helping hand, be it ever so little, to one in greater need than himself?

GOSPEL: John 15:9-17.

Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. This I command you, to love one another.”

Today’s verses are a continuation of last Sunday’s quotation from Our Lord’s Last Supper discourse to his disciples on Holy Thursday night. In last Sunday’s Gospel, Our Lord used the image of the vine and the branches to describe the intimate association between himself and his followers that was necessary if his disciples were to produce fruit for eternal life. Today, Our Lord urges his followers to abide in his love and to love one another. This love for neighbor must have as its model and exemplar Christ’s love for his disciples, which made him lay down his life for them. The disciples are not Christ’s servants but his intimate associates: they will bear lasting fruit in their life work if they trust in God and are motivated by true love of God and neighbor.

As the Father has loved me: The Father loves the Son with an infinite love. As God, Christ’s love for his followers (represented by the disciples) is infinite; as man, it is as complete as human love can be.

if…commandments: God’s commandments were Christ’s also. Keeping the commandment’s is man’s way of proving his love for Christ.

I have…commandments: As man, he obeyed every wish and command of the Father in every detail, “not my will but thine be done.”

greater…friends: There is nothing greater that a man can do for those he loves than to give his life for them. Christ did this.

servant…know: His relationship with his disciples was not that of master and servant, for he had brought them into the intimacy of the divine family. He had revealed the Father to them during his years with them; he had made them adopted sons of the Father.

I chose you: Their vocation was Christ’s free gift to them. He chose them, not they him.

bear fruit: That fruit for heaven was the number of their brothers who would be brought to eternal life. This fruit will last forever.

ask…name: He is their (and our) mediator with God. All our petitions to the Father, made through him, will be answered because by his life, death and resurrection he has earned for us all spiritual and, where necessary for the spiritual, temporal rewards.

This I command you: Christ ends by repeating the second of the greatest commandments: love of neighbor.

It is only a few weeks since Good Friday when we commemorated the agonizing death of Christ on Mount Calvary. This was an excruciating, shameful death even for hardened criminals who deserved it. But for our loving Savior, the innocent lamb of God, one who had never offended God or neighbor, it was something of which the whole human race should be ashamed forever. What caused Christ that torment and death on the cross was our sins, the sins of all mankind and not the spite and hatred of his Jewish opponents, who were only instruments in the tragedy. Atonement had to be made to God for the sins of the world, so that men could reach the eternal inheritance which the Incarnation made available to them. However, not all the acts of the entire human race could make a sufficient atonement to God. A sacrifice, an expiation of infinite value was needed. The death of the Son of God in his human nature was alone capable of making such an expiation.

That Christ willingly accepted crucifixion for our sakes, that he gave the greatest proof of love which the world has ever known, by laying down his life for his friends, did not make his sufferings any less, did not ease any of the pains of Calvary. His agony in the Garden before his arrest shows this: he foresaw all the tortures and pains which he was to undergo and sweated blood at the thought of what awaited him. But he was to keep his Father’s commandment: “not my will but thine be done.” We Christians must have hearts of stone, hearts devoid of all sense of gratitude, when we forget what Christ has done for us and deliberately offend him! Alas, this is what all of us do sometimes, and many of us do all the time. Christ died to bring us to heaven but we tell him, by our sins, that he was wasting his time. We do not want to go to heaven, we are making our happiness here!

How far can human ingratitude and thanklessness go? Christ told us, through the disciples on Holy Thursday night, that he had made us his friends, his intimates. We are no longer servants in the household, who merely earn their daily wage and have no intimacy with the family and no hope of ever sharing in the family possessions. Instead, we have been adopted into the family by Christ becoming man, we have been guaranteed all the rights of children: intimacy with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and the future sharing in the eternal happiness of that divine household. Christ’s Incarnation made us God’s children; Christ’s death on the cross removed sin. Sin is the one obstacle that could prevent us reaching our eternal inheritance.

Because God gave us a free will we can in a moment of folly, a moment of madness really, deprive ourselves of the privileges and possessions which Christ has made available to us. We can choose to exchange an eternity of happiness for a few fleeting years of self-indulgence on earth. We can fling Christ’s gift of love back in his face and tell him we don’t want it. God forbid that we should ever act like this, that we should ever forget God’s purpose in creating us. It is a marvelous thing to be alive, if we have hope in a future life. If nothing awaited us but the grave, then to live on this earth, which is a valley of sorrow and tears for the vast majority, would be the cruelest of jests. But of this we need have no fear. Life on earth is but a short prelude to our real existence. If we use this brief period as Christ has told us how to use it, death for us will be the passage into the eternal mansions. Be grateful to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, love the Blessed Trinity; prove your love by loving your fellow man. By doing this you are fulfilling the whole law and the prophets; and you are assuring yourself of the place in heaven which Christ has won for you.

Imitate St. John of Avila

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Pope Benedict XVI met on May 10 with students and faculty from the Pontifical Spanish College in Rome, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its current foundation.

Remembering the many Spanish priests who have been trained at the Roman institution, the Holy Father said that the proper formation of clerics is a critical challenge for the Church. He encouraged the students to give top priority to their own spiritual lives, saying: “You can not bring Christ to your brethren, nor can you find Him in the poor and the sick,” said Pope Benedict, “if you do not discover Him first in fervent and constant prayer.”

The Pope reminded his Spanish visitors that he will soon formally declare their countryman, St. John of Avila, a Doctor of the Church. He encouraged them all to imitate the saint’s example, saying: “His profound knowledge of Holy Scripture, the Fathers, the Councils, liturgy and sound theology, accompanied by his faithful and filial love for the Church, made him a true renovator at a difficult time in
ecclesiastical history.”

John of Avila

 

Alasdair McIntyre’s recent book, God, Philosophy, Universities

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Moving more deeply into Catholic thought, this week Jeff reviews Alasdair McIntyre’s recent book, God, Philosophy, Universities. It deserves a major review, which I hope you’ll find instructive. See Dr. Jeff Mirus
President
Trinity Communications latest In Depth Analysis: Why Philosophy Matters.

PRAYERS TO INSPIRE GRACE

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PRAYERS TO INSPIRE GRACE

Pope John Paul II has written: “It is a beautiful and salutary thought that, wherever people are praying in the world, there the Holy Spirit is, the living breath of prayer.”

Whether it be done publicly in our liturgy or privately in those quiet moments of intimacy with God, the Holy Spirit helps us to pray and binds us to the Father and the Son in a deep communion of love. Through prayer offered to God in the Spirit, we find that peace which the Risen Lord gave to His Apostles, a peace which satisfies the deepest longings of our hearts. For this reason, the Church has, since ancient times, prayed to the Holy Spirit:

COME, HOLY SPIRIT

“Come, O Holy Spirit, send from heaven a ray of your light. Come, O giver of graces; come, O light of hearts. You are rest in our labor, peace in difficulties and solace in our grief. O most holy Light! Fill the inmost being of the hearts of your faithful. Grant to your children trust in your seven holy gifts. Give them reward for virtue; give them salvation; give them everlasting joy!

To Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit:

THE HAIL MARY

Hail, Mary, full of grace, our Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.Amen.

BREATHE IN ME

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy, Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy.
Guard me, O Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy.
A Prayer of St. Augustine

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, please grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul the work of Your grace and Your love.

Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal. The Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth. The Spirit on Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven. The Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation. The Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God, know myself, and grow perfect in the science of the Saints. The Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable. The Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT BY ST. ANTIOCHUS

O Holy Spirit, most merciful Comforter: You proceed from the Father in a manner beyond our understanding. Come, I beseech You, and take up you abode in my heart. Purify and cleanse me from all sin, and sanctify my soul. Cleanse it from every impurity, water its dryness, melt its coldness, and save it from sinful ways. Make me truly humble and resigned, that I may be pleasing to You, and that You abide with me forever. Most blessed Light, most amiable Light, enlighten me. O rapturous Joy of Paradise, Fount of purest delight, my God, give yourself to me, and kindle in my innermost soul the fire of your love. My Lord, please instruct, direct, and defend me in all things. Give me strength against all immoderate fears and against despondency. Bestow upon me a true faith, a firm hope, and a sincere and perfect love. Grant that I always do your most gracious will.

Amen.

SAINT PATRICK’S BREASTPLATE

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness

PRAYER TO THE HEART OF JESUS

Does our life become from day to day more painful, more oppressive, more replete with sufferings? Blessed be He a thousand times who desires it so. If life be harder, love makes it also stronger, and only this love, grounded on suffering, can carry the Cross of my Lord, Jesus Christ.”

“I believe, O Lord, but strengthen my faith… Heart of Jesus, I love Thee, but increase my love. Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee, but give greater vigor to my confidence.

Heart of Jesus, I give my heart to Thee, but so enclose it in Thee that it may never be separated from Thee. Heart of Jesus, I am all Thine, but take care of my promise so that I may be able to put it in practice even unto the complete sacrifice of my life.”

Prayer of Blessed Miguel Pro, Jesuit Priest, and Mexican Martyr Executed By Firing Squad

The image “http://wpcontent.answers.com/wikipedia/en/a/a9/Miguel_Pro.gif” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

Blessed Miguel Pro

COME HOLY SPIRIT, CREATOR BLEST

Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, and in our souls take up Thy rest.

Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

O Comforter, to Thee we cry, O heavenly gift of God Most High,

O fount of life and fire of love, and sweet anointing from above.

Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known; Thou, finger of God’s hand we own; Thou, promise of the Father, Thou Who dost the tongue with power imbue.

Kindle our sense from above, and make our hearts overflow with love;

with patience firm and virtue high the weakness of our flesh supply.

Far from us drive the foe we dread, and grant us Thy peace instead;

so shall we not, with Thee for guide, turn from the path of life aside.

Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow the Father and the Son to know;

and Thee, through endless times confessed, of both the eternal Spirit blest.

Now to the Father and the Son, Who rose from death, be glory given,

with Thou, O Holy Comforter, henceforth by all in earth and heaven.

Amen.

Tacitus on Christ

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The Roman historian and senator Tacitus referred to Christ, his execution by Pontius Pilate and the existence of early Christians in Rome in his final work, Annals (written ca. 116 AD), book 15, chapter 44. The Annals survive only in parts, with only Books 1-4 and 12-15 intact. [1]

The context of the passage is the six-day Great Fire of Rome that burned much of the city in 64 AD during the reign of Roman Emperor Nero.[2] The passage is one of the earliest non-Christian references to the origin of Christianity, the execution of Christ described in the Canonical gospels, and the presence and persecution of Christians in 1st-century Rome.[3][4]

Scholars generally consider Tacitus’s reference to the execution of Jesus by Pontius Pilate to be both authentic, and of historical value as an independent Roman source, [5][6][7] although the authenticity of the Annals has been challenged and disputed, with authors like John Wilson Ross noting that the Annals were not mentioned in antiquity. [8][9]

The passage is also of historical value in establishing three separate facts about Rome around 60 AD, namely that there was a sizable number of Christians in Rome at the time, that it was possible to distinguish between Christians and Jews in Rome and that at the time pagans made a connection between Christianity in Rome and its origin in Judea.[10][11]

The earliest surviving manuscript of the Annals dates from the ninth century, known as the “first Medicean” (technically referred to as M or M1). [12]

The key part of the passage reads as follows:

“Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judæa, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind”.

Tacitus then describes the torture of Christians. The exact cause of the fire remains uncertain, but much of the population of Rome suspected that Emperor Nero had started the fire himself.[3] To divert attention from himself, Nero accused the Christians of starting the fire and persecuted them, making this the first confrontation between Christians and the authorities in Rome.[3] Tacitus never accused Nero of playing the lyre while Rome burned – that statement came from Cassius Dio who died in the 3rd century.[2] But Tacitus did suggest that Nero used the Christians as scapegoats.[13]

Scholars generally consider Tacitus’s reference to be genuine and of historical value as an independent Roman source about early Christianity that is in unison with other historical records.[5][46][47][36]

Robert E. Van Voorst states that “of all Roman writers, Tacitus gives us the most precise information about Christ”.[35] John Dominic Crossan considers the passage important in establishing that Jesus existed and was crucified, and states: “That he was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be, since both Josephus and Tacitus…agree with the Christian accounts on at least that basic fact.”[48]

Some scholars have debated the historical value of the passage, given that Tacitus does not reveal the source of his information.[49] Gerd Theissen and Annette Merz argue that Tacitus at times had drawn on earlier historical works now lost to us, and he may have used official sources from a Roman archive in this case; however, if Tacitus had been copying from an official source, some scholars would expect him to have labeled Pilate correctly as a prefect rather than a procurator.[50] Theissen and Merz state that Tacitus gives us a description of widespread prejudices about Christianity and a few precise details about “Christus” and Christianity, the source of which remains unclear.[51] However, Paul R. Eddy has stated that given his position as a senator Tacitus was also likely to have had access to official Roman documents of the time and did not need other sources.[23]

Scholars have also debated the issue of hearsay in the reference by Tacitus. Charles Guignebert argued that “So long as there is that possibility [that Tacitus is merely echoing what Christians themselves were saying], the passage remains quite worthless”.[52] R. T. France states that the Tacitus passage is at best just Tacitus repeating what he had heard through Christians.[53] However, Paul R. Eddy has stated that as Rome’s preeminent historian, Tacitus was generally known for checking his sources and was not in the habit of reporting gossip.[23] Biblical scholar Bart D. Ehrman wrote: “Tacitus’s report confirms what we know from other sources, that Jesus was executed by order of the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, sometime during Tiberius’s reign.”[54]

James D. G. Dunn considers the passage as useful in establishing facts about early Christians, e.g. that there was a sizable number of Christians in Rome around AD 60.[10] Dunn states that Tacitus seems to be under the impression that Christians were some form of Judaism, although distinguished from them.[10] Raymond E. Brown and John P. Meier state that in addition to establishing that there was a large body of Christians in Rome, the Tacitus passage provides two other important pieces of historical information, namely that by around AD 60 it was possible to distinguish between Christians and Jews in Rome and that even pagans made a connection between Christianity in Rome and its origin in Judea.[11]

The image “http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Karl_von_Piloty_Nero_R%C3%B3ma_%C3%A9g%C3%A9s%C3%A9t_szeml%C3%A9li.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

The Fire of Rome, by Karl von Piloty, 1861. According to Tacitus, Nero targeted Christians as those responsible for the fire.

 

Perpetual War – Pax Americana

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Auferre, trucidare, rapere, falsis nominibus imperium; atque, ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.

Translation: They plunder, they slaughter, and they steal: this they falsely name Empire, and where they make a wasteland, they call it peace.

A shocking crime was committed on the unscrupulous initiative of few individuals, with the blessing of more, and amid the passive acquiescence of all.

Step by step they were led to things which dispose to vice, the lounge, the bath, the elegant banquet. All this in their ignorance they called civilisation, when it was but a part of their servitude.


Tacitus