Dad’s Lenten Blog

Thoughts during Lent

Tag: Fathers

  • A Good Vintage

    There is something special about really good wine. Where it came from, somewhere in the hills of France or Italy or California. And there, grapes were harvested, processed, and eventually bottled some times 10 or 20 years earlier. And when one of those wines are opened, its like they have a life of their own, as the air touches the wine for the first time in years the wine comes to life and the flavors just get better and better.

    Why is wine interwoven in our faith and in a bigger sense all human history? I don’t know. But it absolutely plays a huge part. The most significant is the fact of transubstantiation. It is wine, that becomes Christ blood. Jesus could’ve chosen any liquid, water, grape juice, anything, but he clearly chose wine.

    But outside of the Eucharist, it is Jesus‘s first miracle that has such deep meaning for me. It’s not necessarily about the wine, as it is about Jesus‘s mother, Mary.

    There are very few words that that Mary speaks in the Bible. They are all very substantial. But I do love the the night of the wedding in Cana. 

    So, these wedding feasts go on for days and I imagine a lot of wine is drunk. And as we all know the story, the hosts somehow run out of wine early.

    Though the Bible doesn’t specifically say it,  we have to believe that Mary senses the anxiety of the hosts. And so She goes to Jesus and simply says “they have no wine“. That’s it. Maybe She didn’t have to say another word. He knew what She was requesting because She and Joseph were the only ones in the world who knew who Jesus was. What was Jesus‘s reply? “ Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come”.

    Whoa! That was pretty tough response. Almost a rebuke.

    But then something amazing happens, Mary just turns to the servant standing near and says “do whatever he tells you“.

    We know the story, Jesus tells the servants to fill six jars that held 30 gallons each, with water. ( ok, I had to look that up ; -) That would be like 180 gallons. And with the His first miracle, turns that water into wine. And when the master of the wedding tastes it, he can’t believe the quality! Can any of us imagine how good that wine must have been!

    But not only did Jesus fulfill Mary’s request to help someone else. He fulfilled in a way that was bountiful. 180 gallons!!!!! That must have been some wedding.

    Mary is our mother. And as any good mother, She is concerned always for the well being of Her children. A mother senses things about her children. So when Mary senses what was happening, the embarrassment and bummer for all the party goers and the bride and groom, what did She do? She went directly to Her Son. And He could not turn Her away.

    Why do we ask our Blessed Mother to pray for us? Because She loves us only a mother could. And Jesus can’t say no to His mother. She knows what is good for us. What is good for our souls. And She wants us to be with Her Son, forever, in Heaven. 

  • Waiting

    Something struck me at Mass on Sunday. It was the Transfiguration gospel. It was when at that when at the top of the mountain Elijah and Moses appeared in front of Jesus, they began to speak to each other.

    We are not told of the conversation.

    Here’s the thing. There were no mortal souls in heaven. Every human being ever born from the beginning of time was waiting for the Resurrection of Jesus to enter to heaven. There is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ.  So all the souls of those who had  departed the earth were waiting , anticipating, hoping and I have to believe, praying. 

    So what could’ve been this conversation between Moses and Elijah and Jesus? Neither Moses or Elijah were in heaven. They must’ve known that Jesus’s mission was unfolding. That heavens gate would soon be opened.

    There was a famous visionary named Anne Catherine Emmerick in the 17th century who is had visions of the Passion of Christ. Much of Mel Gibson’s movie was based on those visions. 

    In one story I had read, Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane and, as we all know, in great anguish of about what was going to happen.

    She described her vision and said, “Jesus, in his great agony, turned and saw the multitude of souls on their knees, praying for Him.” I don’t know why that is always stuck with me when I picture Him there in the garden, but it has. He knew He would be abandoned by his closest friends and followers. The pain and burden about to placed on Him. Maybe that sight fortified Him in some way. 

    How many hundreds or thousands of years were those souls anticipating this moment not fully understanding its magnitude. From the simplest of people to the great prophets. Maybe Jesus told Moses and Elijah to go back and tell all the souls to prepare.?

    Where did Jesus go for three days between His death and Resurrection? We say, in the Creed, that after his death, he descended into hell. But it is not the hell of eternal damnation. It was the dwelling place for  those souls. 

    All the souls who had been waiting.