2026/01/12

230. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant: Give Me a Drink

In John 4, Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman who has come to draw water from the well, saying, "Give me a drink" (Jn 4:7), and a dialogue begins between them. The Samaritan woman exhibits a strong eagerness to continue the conversation and an attitude of wanting to know her interlocutor. Even if she did not recognise him as God, she possessed a sensibility capable of intuitively holding great expectation that she could empathise with Jesus. A woman who has been granted the womb to nurture the life of a person desired by God instinctively feels that she has received something “complete” from God within herself. For when the womb carries a child, life “is” there. This sensibility, overflowing from this feeling, has drawn many women towards God. 

In the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, an intuitive and smooth flow is discernible. This is because Jesus, who is "I AM," was guiding the Samaritan woman who possessed this sensitivity. These exchanges occurred while the disciples were absent (cf. Jn 4:8) because the sensibility of the disciples, who were not yet endowed with that priesthood, would not be able to follow the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman even if the disciples administering baptism with water foreshadowed the priesthood of the New Covenant (cf. 4:2). Yet their exclusion from this conversation was not solely for that reason. 

At the conclusion of his conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus revealed a crucial aspect of the priesthood of the New Covenant. Hearing it, she recognised that Jesus was "the Messiah" (Jn 4:25), drawing from him the words "I am he" (4:26), that is, "I AM". Jesus’ testimony was this: "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth" (4:21–24). 

This teaching must have been unacceptable to the disciples at that time, who were Jewish men and had not yet been conferred the priesthood of the New Covenant. Yet these words of Jesus were a blessing for the Gentiles, and the Samaritan woman, guided by Jesus, was becoming the very worshipper the Father seeks. Jesus, who declared, "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth," fulfilled these words by preparing everything necessary for future believers—those who would live directly connected to the Holy Spirit—to fully exercise the roles arising from their respective vocations, established by God’s creation of man and woman. 

The words "Give me a drink" evoke Jesus's words on the cross, "I thirst" (Jn 19:28). In that scene, Jesus received the sour wine offered to him, said "It is finished" (19:30), and breathed his last. That was because the night before, he had already instituted the Holy Eucharist and conferred the priesthood of the New Covenant upon the Apostles. Thus, the "kingdom of God" to which Jesus had said, "I tell you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes" (Lk 22:18), was proclaimed as having arrived. The "kingdom of God" refers to the space-time that brings forth the moment and place where Jesus instituted the Eucharist and conferred the priesthood of the New Covenant upon the Apostles with his command, "Do this in remembrance of me" (Lk 22:19)– namely, the space-time that emerges in the Mass liturgy. The priesthood of the New Covenant was present under the cross in the form of Jesus' mother and the "disciple whom he loved." This was so that Jesus' words might be fulfilled: "that whoever believes in him may have eternal life" (Jn 3:15). 

At this time, all those called to the cross of Jesus, except the "disciple whom he loved", were women (cf. Jn 19:25). The "my church" (Mat 16:18) born there seems as though it were founded upon women. The absence of the other male disciples here is partly because, for men, approaching the cross entailed too great a danger at that time. Yet there is more to it. Before the feast of Passover, Jesus "loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end" (Jn 13:1). The "disciple whom he loved" was among them, and he stood beneath the cross representing, as it were, the "beloved disciples." That is because all male believers are called towards the vocation of the "disciple whom he loved," who was bound to Jesus’ mother by a filial bond, that is, the priesthood of the New Covenant. 

Not all women conceive children, but there is no doubt that women are oriented towards conceiving children. Similarly, not every man born anew of water and the Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God receives the Priesthood of the New Covenant. Yet there is no doubt that the male believer is directed towards receiving the Priesthood of the New Covenant. The entire Scriptures bear witness to this. Therefore, just as a woman's womb is ever prepared to receive life, so too should the memory of the male believer be ever prepared to receive the Priesthood of the New Covenant. Even if a man is certain he will never become a priest for life, he must undergo the necessary stages of formation. This is so that he may be ready to respond to the Church's needs at any time, like Matthias, one of the disciples (cf. Acts 1:26). In modern times, attending such formation is readily possible, provided learning opportunities are offered. 

This entails women learning alongside men. Women must grasp the full scope of how men are formed for the priesthood of the New Covenant. Since all human life is born of women, so too is the priest, the man conferred with the priesthood of the New Covenant, born of a woman. It is this priest who, during the Mass, asks the Father that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christso, so that the Eucharist may be born. The Eucharist, consumed by the faithful, can thus serve all human life born of women. That is as Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst" (Jn 6:35). 

Maria K. M. 

(Notice) 

A new article has been posted on the blog, TheWind of Patmos. It is a translation of an article I submitted to and was published in the Japanese internet magazine, Catholic Ai.

 2026/01/05

229. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant: The Wind Blows Where It Wills

At Jesus' final supper, His words and actions instituting the Eucharist, along with His command, "Do this in remembrance of me" (Lk 22:19), were united and placed in the memory of the Apostles as the priesthood of the New Covenant. The priesthood of the New Covenant is drawn forth in the Mass liturgy from the memory of the priest, a man who has inherited it, and becomes one with the Holy Spirit sent in Jesus' name. Then, as the priest prays to the Father, "It may become for us the Body and Blood of your most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ," the Eucharist is born on the altar. In selflessness, the priest listens to that voice of the prayer coming from within him as the voice of the Holy Spirit and is filled with joy when he hears it. Then, the words of Jesus instituting the Eucharist, spoken by the priest, become living words reaching the congregation. And the faithful, together with the priest, realise the following words of Jesus. 

"The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit" (Jn 3:8). 

We see the Holy Spirit working in the Mass liturgy. Just as it is written, "The wind blows where it wills," so the Holy Spirit draws the priesthood of the New Covenant freely from the priest's memory. The expression "whence it comes or whither it goes" refers to "past and future." When the priest, from whom the priesthood of the New Covenant has been drawn forth, listens intently to that voice emerging from within him as the voice of the Holy Spirit, and concentrates upon it, he no longer thinks of past or future, but simply collaborates with the Holy Spirit before the altar in utter selflessness. Seeing the priest thus collaborating with the Holy Spirit and hearing that voice emerging from within the priest as the voice of the Holy Spirit, the congregation is filled with joy. This is what is meant by "it is with every one who is born of the Spirit." Within this joy enveloping the priest and the congregation, the Eucharist is born. 

In the Gospel of John, Jesus prayed to the Father before His arrest. In that prayer, Jesus declared, "And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent" (Jn 17:3), revealing what eternal life is. To "know" the Father and the Son is to commune with the Father and the Son. Eternal life thus suggests receiving the Eucharist, where the Father and the Son are truly present. 

Then Jesus prayed: "They may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us" (Jn 17:21). And He prayed: "The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one" (17:22-23). These prayers are fulfilled through the Eucharist. The Eucharist unites the faithful who receive it completely. Therefore, the "glory which thou hast given me" that Jesus bestowed upon the faithful is the priesthood of the New Covenant. 

The Holy Spirit is present with the Eucharist. The Father and the Son are both present in the Eucharist. Jesus prayed to the Father for us: "Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which thou hast given me in thy love for me before the foundation of the world" (Jn 17:24). This was precisely so that the Father might grant us the liturgy of the Mass. 

As we have seen thus far, in John's Gospel chapters 1–3, images emerge of the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—the Messiah, the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, which confer the priesthood, the Son of God, the sacrament of the Eucharist, and the work of the Holy Spirit. In chapter 4, Jesus uses his dialogue with the Samaritan woman to reveal and testify to the nature of the Eucharist. During this conversation, "his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food" (Jn 4:8). Their absence was to prevent them—all males—who were unable to intuitively grasp Jesus' teaching on the Eucharist, from harbouring doubts. 

The long narrative of the Old Testament, beginning with Genesis, was a history of training and maturing Adam—that is, the males of God's chosen people—to be worthy of receiving the priesthood of the New Covenant that God intended to. This was to bestow upon men the "perfect thing" and enable them to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. The womb, which nurtures the human life God desires, was complete at the time of Creation. Women who have been given the womb possess an instinctive sense that they hold within themselves the "perfect thing." Indeed, the woman’s womb exists entirely for the sake of another's life. A current unfolds in Jesus' dialogue with the Samaritan woman that the male disciples, lacking such an organ, cannot intuitively grasp. 

Maria K. M.

 2025/12/29

228. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant: The Bride of the Holy Spirit

John the Baptist said, "I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God" (Jn 1:33-34). In these words, the priesthood of the New Covenant, which Jesus would later give to the Apostles, was manifested through the images of baptism, confirmation, and ordination. However, John the Baptist testifies not to the words that "he who sent me" said, but that "this is the Son of God". He must not have been able to capture the words "he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." He could not bring out words he did not remember, but his intuition saw that Jesus, upon whom the Holy Spirit descended and remained, was the Son of God. 

The situation above becomes clearer when we compare it with the words of the Apostle Peter in the Gospel of Matthew, which we discussed last time, to which Jesus testified that they were the words revealed by his heavenly Father. When Jesus asked, "But who do you say that I am?" (Mt 16:15), Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (16:16). John the Baptist also suggested that Jesus was the "Messiah" when he first saw him, saying, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (Jn 1:29). He then testified that Jesus was the Son of God. John the Baptist had understood correctly who Jesus was. He did not realise at the time that the words which were "given him from heaven," "he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit," did not testify to Jesus, but to what Jesus had borne from the Father, the priesthood of the New Covenant. 

At the beginning of chapter 4 of John's Gospel, an explanatory note is added: "although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples" (Jn 4:2). The note clearly shows that Jesus, the God who brought the priesthood of the New Covenant, does not baptize people. It was Jesus' disciples who were baptizing. As intuitive fishermen, they believed in Jesus when they witnessed His signs, and they accepted Him as they were with Him. Eventually, at Jesus' last table, the words of His eucharistic institution and the actions He performed, together with His command to "Do this in remembrance of me" (Lk 22:19), would be united and placed in their memory as the priesthood of the New Covenant. 

Thus, after Pentecost, the priesthood of the New Covenant, placed in the memory of the Apostles by Jesus, unites with the Holy Spirit sent in Jesus' name to give birth to the Eucharist on the altar of the Mass liturgy. That altar has a nuptial meaning in the Holy Spirit and the priesthood of the New Covenant. Hence, the Apostles taste the prophecy of John the Baptist as their own in front of the altar: "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice; therefore this joy of mine is now full. He must increase, but I must decrease" (Jn 3:29-30). The priesthood of the New Covenant is drawn from their memory. They become selfless, with their memory decreasing, and cooperate with the Holy Spirit. In their selflessness, they listen to the voice that comes from within them as the voice of the Holy Spirit, who breathes life into the Word, and when they hear it, they rejoice greatly and are filled with joy. 

The "bride" in the Book of Revelation alludes to that very thing. The "bride" described as "Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready" (Rev 19:7) is the priesthood of the New Covenant that Jesus brought to earth and is united with the Holy Spirit on the altar of the Mass liturgy. That is because the Lamb in Revelation is the Holy Spirit sent in the name of Jesus, as described: "And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth" (5:6). 

Revelation continues, "It was granted her [the bride] to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure" -- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints" (Rev 19:8). These words express the action of the priest who, listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, who breathes life into the words and works of the priesthood of the New Covenant, celebrates the Mass in collaboration with the Holy Spirit in a state of selflessness. So, Revelation says: "And the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' And he said to me, 'These are true words of God.'" (Rev 19:9). 

In the New Testament, the following two could fall under the phrase "These are true words of God": the words "this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit" that God gave to John the Baptist to manifest the priesthood of the New Covenant that Jesus had brought, and the words "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" that Heavenly Father revealed to the Apostle Peter to testify to Jesus. The Eucharist is there, first of all, to prepare the way for the believer, who is qualified to be a child of God, to have a true experience of union with God and to become a child of God. Then, just as Jesus died and descended into Hades to save the dead, and in order to save the evil spirits, whom He did nothing but cast out while He was alive as a man, so the Eucharist is eaten by the believers and dies again and again. 

A man who has been given the priesthood of the New Covenant asks, and the God who says "I AM" is born as the Eucharist and is eaten by believers to death. That is so that God may serve the life of the man who is desired by God and is born of a woman. That is as Jesus said, "For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mk 10:45). 

Maria K. M.

 2025/12/22

227. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant: Except What Is Given Him from Heaven

As discussed in blog posts №224-226, the Gospel of John chapter 1 begins by depicting the triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—using the key concepts of God, the Word, and life/light. Then, through the testimony and prophecy of John the Baptist, we saw within expressions such as "the Lamb of God," "baptise with water," "the Spirit descend," and "he who baptises with the Holy Spirit," the image of the Messiah and the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, conferring the priesthood. Moreover, in chapter 2, the image of His blood is reflected at the wedding at Cana, and the image of His body is reflected in the episode at the temple in Jerusalem, revealing the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Thus, from its very first chapter, the Gospel of John portrays the priesthood of the New Covenant as its central theme. Chapter 3 expresses this same theme through Jesus' own words. 

In his dialogue with Nicodemus, Jesus mentioned baptism, confirmation, and the kingdom of God (cf. Jn 3:5), revealing Himself as the Triune God by using the pronoun "we" (3:11). He also invoked the ancient story of those who looked at the bronze serpent lifted up by Moses in the wilderness and lived, thereby presenting an image of Jesus Himself to be lifted up on the cross and hinting at the Body of Christ to be lifted up by the hands of the priest (cf. 3:14-15). The subsequent message about eternal life and the salvation of the world also pertains to both Jesus Himself and the Eucharist. John the Baptist then reappears, prophesying about the priesthood of the New Covenant (cf. 3:22-36/Blog No. 222). 

In this episode, John the Baptist said, "No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him" (Jn 3:27-28). This prompts the readers to recall the scene when Jesus came to be baptised by John the Baptist with water. The readers were present there with the disciples of John the Baptist. At that time, John the Baptist said, "I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'" (1:33). He was given words from heaven and received the opportunity to bear witness to the Son of God (cf. 1:34). 

Thus, John the Baptist’s words, "No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven," came from his own experience. "Heaven" here refers to God. Within the New Testament, there is another who received words directly from God: the Apostle Peter. We can see that because, when Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (16:16), answering Jesus' question, "But who do you say that I am?" (Mat 16:15), Jesus testified, "For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (16:17). 

Apostle Peter, like John the Baptist, was given words from heaven. And he received Jesus' subsequent words: "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Mat 16:18-19). According to the Gospel of John, Jesus had decided to call him Peter at their first meeting (cf. Jn 1:42). Jesus had chosen him from the beginning for this very moment. The words Jesus spoke first, "I tell you, you are Peter," were imbued with this intention. 

The time came for Jesus' choice to be realised. Peter was given the words revealed by the heavenly Father and spoke the words. He then received Jesus' words. The "rock" of which Jesus said, "on this rock I will build my church," was the very words the heavenly Father revealed to the Apostle Peter: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." This declaration of who Jesus Christ is is the cornerstone of Jesus' Church, against which "the powers of death shall not prevail." Yet, as Peter writes in his epistle, it also becomes "A stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall" (1 Pt 2:8). That is because, after Jesus' Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, to whom these words are to be addressed, is the Holy Eucharist. 

I fervently hope that the day will come when, whilst the Mass on earth and in heaven remain united through the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" bestowed upon the Apostle Peter, believers worldwide publicly proclaim that the Eucharist is the Christ, the Son of God. 

Maria K. M.

 2025/12/15

226. The Gospel of John and the New Covenant Priesthood: Nicodemus

The Gospel of John clearly conveyed that Jesus was God, presenting the image of the Triune God at the beginning. As examined in the previous issue, we confirmed that the four sacraments taught by our Church—Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and the Eucharist—were already manifested in the words of John the Baptist, in the first sign performed for Jesus' mother at the wedding at Cana, and in the episode at the Temple in Jerusalem. That means within the New Testament, a path is established for those who receive Jesus, those who believe in his name, to be given the power to become children of God (cf. Jn 1:12). And at the end of chapter 2, the following explanation is inserted, linking to the episode in chapter 3. 

"Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did; but Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man" (Jn 2:23-25). 

Jesus did not trust himself to them because they did not receive him, though they saw the signs and believed in his name. Chapter 3 then reveals "what was in man" through the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus. In this dialogue, Jesus shows that He Himself is the Triune God and that God’s own way of fulfilling man's true need lies in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. Jesus seeks to make Nicodemus realise that he has come out of darkness into the light. At the end of chapter 3, John the Baptist reappears, and within this episode, the priesthood of the New Covenant is prophesied (cf. Jn 3:22-36/blog 222). These events consolidate the themes presented in Chapters 1 and 2. 

When Nicodemus met Jesus, he said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him" (Jn 3:2). The expression "we" here reveals that he unconsciously carries his community on his shoulders. Jesus then took up Nicodemus's words about "God is with him" and replied, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (3:3). 

Hearing Jesus's words, Nicodemus asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" (Jn 3:4). As Jesus later pointed out, Nicodemus was startled by the phrase "unless one is born anew" and failed to pay attention to the words, "the kingdom of God." This reveals that his own words, "God is with him," were hollow. They may have been a stock phrase used towards those regarded as rabbis in his milieu. Yet he carried within him a sense of doubt about the environment to which he belonged, and a feeling that he must resolve it. This resonates with us today. 

Therefore, Jesus said again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (Jn 3:5), implying the grace of baptism and confirmation. He then continued, testifying to the work of the Holy Spirit: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.' The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit" (3:6–8). The crucial point here is to "hear the sound of it." 

However, Nicodemus, unable to grasp the full meaning of these words of Jesus, could only respond, "How can this be?" (Jn 3:9). He remained unaware of the heavy darkness enveloping him. He was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews, but he did not align with the values and nature of his community (cf. 7:45–52). Burdened by this weight, his self-awareness—derived from his inherent character, abilities, and acquired knowledge—had shrunk. Jesus encouraged him to awaken, recognise his state, and act of his own accord, saying, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?" (3:10). Nicodemus was indeed then with God. 

Jesus continued speaking, moving from allusions about the Eucharist to mentioning "eternal life" (cf. Jn 3:14–15). We now know this. And we understand that Jesus' words, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life"(3:16), later connect to his declaration: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh" (6:51). 

Even if Nicodemus did not understand these words, the words he heard lodged in his memory. That is God's way of doing things. God seeks ears that hear what the Spirit reveals. Nicodemus came to the light of his own accord. Therefore, the following words Jesus spoke at the end reached Nicodemus's heart. Observing his subsequent appearances, one sees him gradually becoming freer, developing ears to hear what the Spirit reveals. The word of God quietly yet powerfully worked within him: helping him realise the burden of his own community (cf. Jn 7:45–52), and linking his spontaneity in decision-making with the word, so that he might attain true self-realisation (cf. 19:38–42). 

"And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God" (Jn 3:19-21). 

Maria K.M.

 2025/12/08

225. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant -- The Mother of Jesus

Reading the Gospel of John from the perspective of the priesthood of the New Covenant, we will notice a number of things. As discussed in the last issue, the beginning of chapter 1 of John's Gospel conveys the image of the Triune God. As the Holy Spirit descended and remained on Jesus, who later said, "I and the Father are one" (Jn 10:30), and as Jesus himself said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am" (8:58), Jesus was the Triune God. It was because Jesus was God that the words, "No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known" (1:18) were realised. 

In the testimony of John the Baptist, the words "baptize with water," "the Spirit descend and remain," and "he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit" appear (cf. Jn 1:33). There we see the three sacraments that our Church teaches: baptism, confirmation and holy orders. Baptism and confirmation are the pass through which those who accept Jesus and believe in His name are given the power to become children of God (cf. 1:12). They are sacraments conferred in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And that is why there is "he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." That is the priesthood of the New Covenant, brought to earth by Jesus, who is God, to be conferred on the Apostles in due course. 

When John the Baptist was convinced that Jesus was the Son of God after witnessing the Holy Spirit descending on Him, he urged his disciples to follow Him (cf. Jn 1:35-37). The disciples of John the Baptist, who had witnessed and heard their master's experiences with Jesus at his elbow, could follow Jesus immediately. When Andrew, one of them, brought his brother Simon to Jesus, "Jesus looked at him, and said, 'So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas' (which means Peter)" (1:42). It was at this first meeting with Simon that Jesus chose the head of the Apostles as the foundation of "my church" (Mt 16:18). The Gospel of John left a well-written account of when and where this important scene, which must not be obscured for the New Covenant priesthood, took place. 

Later, Jesus also added Philip and Nathanael to his disciples (cf. Jn 1:43-51). Philip was "from Beth-sa'ida, the city of Andrew and Peter" (1:44), and Nathanael was "from Cana in Galilee" (21:2). Cana in Galilee was the place where "the first of his signs" (2:11), mentioned at the beginning of the following chapter 2, took place. Thus, men called to the priesthood of the New Covenant are placed in the hands of God's carrying and become associated with the life of Jesus Christ. Their relationship with Jesus, specially prepared for them, is then directed towards communion with the mother of Jesus. She was the one who first accepted Jesus and believed in His name in response to the angel's announcement. 

In chapter 2, which begins, "On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples" (Jn 2:1-2), our attention is drawn to the response of Jesus' mother, who had shared her whole life with Jesus. Her request to the servants for Jesus' work continues even after the descent of the Holy Spirit, sent in Jesus' name. The mother of Jesus is still with the Apostles and their successors who were given the priesthood of the New Covenant and asks and encourages them in the same words as they listen to and follow the Holy Spirit: "Do whatever he tells you" (2:5). 

At the wedding scene at Cana, Jesus performed the first sign of turning water into wine. This episode overlaps in imagery with the scene of the institution of the Eucharist, where Jesus took the cup of wine at the last table and said, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood" (Lk 22:20). The Gospel of John then describes the scene of the expulsion of the merchants from the temple following the wedding at Cana (cf. Jn 2:13-22) and inserts the commentary that "he spoke of the temple of his body" (2:21). These can be considered to indicate that in chapter 2 the sacrament of Eucharist is manifested. 

The priesthood of the New Covenant is an office that concerns the life of God and people. God, who calls Himself "I am," desired to be born of the man who received the priesthood of the New Covenant as Eucharist and to serve the life of people, which He desired to be and is born of a woman. This is so that believers who have accepted Jesus, believed in His name and have been given the power to become children of God through baptism, may be nurtured by the Eucharist and become children of God. 

(Notice) 

A new article has been posted on the blog, The Wind of Patmos. It is a translation of an article I submitted to and was published in the Japanese internet magazine, Catholic Ai.

Maria K.M.

 2025/12/01

224. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant: Its Beginnings

When reading the opening description in John 1 with Jesus' words "I and the Father are one" (Jn 10:30) in mind, one realises this portrayal expresses the triune God. That is as the Gospel of John states concerning Jesus entering his public ministry, "No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known" (1:18). Jesus appeared in the world as a male because it was essential for men who receive the priesthood of the New Covenant -- which was to work in cooperation with the Holy Spirit -- to be perfected as those who recognise the Holy Spirit, the Divine. (cf. 1:16-18).

Those who receive the priesthood of the New Covenant, though male, are overshadowed by the power of the Holy Spirit like the mother of Jesus, for the birth of the Eucharist. They become those who ask the Father in Jesus' name for the birth of the Eucharist, receive it, and are filled with joy (cf. Jn 16:20-24). This priestly mission is concerned with the life of the Eucharist, just as a woman who conceives a foetus is concerned with human life. For the human life, which God desired to be, and which is born of a woman, God, who calls Himself "I am," willed to be born of a man, who was given the priesthood of the New Covenant, to serve human life as the Eucharist.

For those male believers who receive the priesthood of the New Covenant, it is essential to understand Jesus' words, "I and the Father are one," and thereby to see the Holy Spirit. Yet that is a sense all believers ought to possess, and one that must be consciously acquired. The Holy Spirit, sent by the Father in Jesus' name, touches us through the Word, the Son. We, believers, must understand and acknowledge the priesthood of the New Covenant, which, before the altar, is not only touched by the Holy Spirit but maintains a constant connection with Him. It is precisely this that serves as an umbilical cord linking our lives as believers to the Holy Eucharist.

Jesus declared, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me" (Jn 14:6). The "way" is the Father's will. As Jesus said, "For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself is doing" (5:20), the way to the Father is borne by Jesus, the Word. "Truth" is Jesus Himself. The words Jesus speaks are true. "Life" lies in the understanding to which the Holy Spirit guides by teaching truth. When the Father desires that there be life in a person, the Word speaks to him that there may be life, and when the Holy Spirit makes him understand the words, the life of the person begins. All life is born in this way.

The Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father and appeared in the world through Jesus Christ. Therefore, Jesus said, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (Jn 14:26). Jesus, the Word, became flesh, dwelt among men, and spoke with all His might, so that the Holy Spirit sent by the Father in Jesus' name might enable people to recall everything Jesus had spoken.

The Gospel of John begins thus: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (Jn 1:1-5). The first half, from "In the beginning was the Word" to "without him was not anything made that was made," expresses the fact that "I and the Father are one."

"In him was life" signifies the fact that Jesus, who was God yet became man, received baptism by water, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him, as John the Baptist testified. Thus, Jesus demonstrated that his words would fulfil in humanity: "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself" (Jn 5:26). Herein lies the mechanism whereby, through His words and the works, people come to believe in the Holy Spirit who enlightens them to the truth. The Holy Spirit is the light that illuminates humanity. The "darkness" mentioned in "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" refers to man’s information and knowledge.

At the beginning of Genesis chapter 2, it reads, "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them" (Gen 2:1). And on that day, God rested (cf. 2:2). Thus, the opening description in chapter 1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters" (1:1-2), seems to depict God taking a moment's pause after creating the heavens and the earth, before creating the all the host of them (cf. 1:3-31). Viewed thus, this opening depicts the Holy Spirit at work after the Word (the Son) accomplished the will of God (the Father) to create the heavens and the earth.

The phrase "the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters" signifies the words of the Son, who fulfilled the Father's will, being transformed into understanding by the Holy Spirit. "The deep" represents the profound abyss of God's knowledge. The Gospel of Luke says, "And they [demons] begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss" (Lk 8:31). The Book of Revelation also talks of "the key of the shaft of the bottomless pit" (Rev 9:1). If the "deep" signifies the deep abyss of God’s knowledge, it must surely be a grave for man’s information and knowledge.

Thus, the image of the Triune God is also present in the Old Testament. The Gospel of John introduces John the Baptist beginning in chapter 1, verse 6. He went before the Lord as the final prophet, bearing witness to the Holy Spirit and prophesying the priesthood of the New Covenant. Genesis also moves towards the concrete act of creation from chapter 1, verse 3.

Maria K. M.