2025/11/17

222. Prophecy by John the Baptist

John the Baptist said, "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him" (Jn 1:32). And he repeated his claim, "I saw," by saying, "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" (1:33-34). He testified that he had seen the "light", i.e., the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, just as John the Evangelist wrote of John the Baptist: "He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light" (1:8). So, Jesus later said, "You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth" (5:33). 

And the Evangelist's subsequent words, "The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world" (Jn 1:9), allude to what happened at Pentecost he himself had experienced. As he wrote, "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (1:17), and as Jesus himself testified, "I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness" (12:46), the Holy Spirit, the "light" of grace and truth, came into the world through Jesus. Thus, John the Baptist did not come to witness to Jesus. 

Jesus said, "Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light" (Jn 5:34-35). John the Baptist was radiating the light of the "burning and shining lamp." In that light, his mission as the last prophet was manifested. 

When a dispute arose between the disciples of John the Baptist and a Jew over purifying, John the Baptist said to his disciples: "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 word "bride" in this context is a special word that appears only here in the Gospels. John the Baptist prophesied a certain divine plan, which he likened to a "bride". 

That plan is what Jesus, who accomplished everything, testified to, and what the New Testament intends as the New Covenant, i.e., the "priesthood of the New Covenant." The "bride" was a metaphor for the priesthood of the New Covenant accomplished in Jesus Christ, the Word of the Father. It was the work of Jesus instituting the Eucharist, which he gave to the Apostles on the night he was to suffer, commanding them to perform in memory of him (cf. Lk 22:14-20). So, after Jesus' ascension, the one who can be likened to the "bridegroom" is the Holy Spirit, who was to be sent anew in Jesus' name. For the words of the Eucharistic institution, given that night only to the Apostles, to become real, they had to wait for Pentecost. 

For the "priesthood of the New Covenant" to be put into practice, males chosen as Apostles were essential. From the expulsion of Adam from the Garden of Eden in Genesis to the Last Supper of Jesus attended only by the Apostles, God has guided His people throughout history, an incredibly long time for human beings. That was as Jesus said: "I have earnestly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer" (Lk 22:15). And women, created as bearers of God's work of human creation, have followed God, giving birth to and supporting human lives from the beginning of Genesis. Thus, women have also developed with men. 

Priests, who were given the "priesthood of the New Covenant," stand by the Holy Spirit as "friends of the bridegroom", like John the Baptist, listening to his voice and rejoicing when they hear it. The "friends of the bridegroom" in the New Covenant are "friends of the Holy Spirit". Jesus called them "friends", meaning "beloved ones" (cf. Jn 15:14-16). Jesus added thereto the words, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (15:13). 

Jesus, on the cross, then joined his mother and one of the Apostles in a parent-child bond so that they themselves would become a table that supported his Eucharist and the tree of the cross that had supported him. The mother was the mother of Jesus, who supported the body of Jesus, the Son of God, who became man, in her own body. Here, the priests of the New Covenant were born. In time, when the Holy Spirit descends on them, the words of the angel to the mother of Jesus will be fulfilled in them: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God" (Lk 1:35). For their sake, Jesus prayed to the Father as follows. 

"They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth" (Jn 17:16-19). 

Maria K. M.

 2025/11/10

221. He Who Baptises with the Holy Spirit

The Gospel of John introduced John the Baptist in the beginning as follows: "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light" (Jn 1:6-8). This "light" refers to the "light" described earlier: "In him [the Word] was life, and the life was the light of men" (1:4). 

John the Baptist explained his reason for baptising by saying, "I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel" (Jn 1:31). He then 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" (1:33-34). "He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit" was Jesus. 

As John the Baptist testified, the Holy Spirit remained in Jesus to work with him so that the words of Jesus, who spoke as a man even though he was God, would become the living Word. Thus, life in the Word becomes the light that illuminates man from within. In this passage, John the Evangelist emphasises the words of John the Baptist by repeating them twice: "I myself did not know him." That was to draw the reader's attention to the scene in the Gospel of Luke where John the Baptist, when he was six months in the womb of his mother Elizabeth, leaped in her womb at the greeting of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who came to her with Jesus in her womb. That is because Mary's words of the Magnificat at that time explain well what it means to "baptise with the Holy Spirit." 

The Magnificat begins as follows. "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me" (Lk 1:46-49). Mary realised that the angel's words had come true: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God" (1:35), and she rejoiced in God the Savior by the power of the Holy Spirit. The realisation that "he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden" is the proof that one has been baptised with the Holy Spirit. 

The words of Mary that follow explain how one obtains that realisation. "Holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away" (Lk 1:49-53). 

"Holy is his name" refers to the Holy Spirit (cf. Mt 12:31-32). The words of Jesus, which have become the Word of Life through the work of the Holy Spirit, work on those who fear the Lord and listen to his voice. The Word, which has become a light illuminating man in his innermost being, shows its strength with its arm, the two-edged sword, to scatter the memories of the man that make him conceited and to pull him down from the illusion that he is in authority until he realises that he is of low estate in the sight of God. That is to raise him to the position of a child of God. In this way, God fills those who are hungry for the Word with good things and sends away those who are filled with human knowledge in ignorance. 

In the Gospel of Luke, when Jesus finished teaching the people from Peter's boat and instructed Peter to let down the nets for a catch, Peter said, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets" (Lk 5:5). Peter, also surprised by the great catch, said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (5:8). In this way, Jesus gave a Magnificat experience to those who were in the presence of Jesus, fearing the Lord and listening to his voice. 

At the last supper Jesus said, "[The Father will give you] even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you" (Jn 14:17), testifying that his disciples had already received the Holy Spirit at this time. They had been baptised by Jesus with the Holy Spirit. 

The author of the Gospel of John writes that on the last day of the feast, Jesus said, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water’" (Jn 7:37-38). He then explains: "Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (7:39). The "Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive" refers to Pentecost, and Jesus' reference to "as the scripture has said" refers to the future New Testament, in which the "priesthood of the New Covenant" would be revealed. 

Maria K.M.

 2025/11/03

220. Priesthood of the New Covenant

The word "apostle" does not appear in the Gospel of John. This is because the theme of the Gospel of John is the "priesthood of the New Covenant." However, God planned the "priesthood of the New Covenant" to be inseparable from the apostolate (cf. Jn 19:26-27), which makes it difficult for us to draw attention on that theme. Thus, we tend to think that this Gospel simply deals with highly spiritual issues. 

Furthermore, the fact that the "priesthood of the New Covenant" is inextricably linked to the Eucharist makes us feel even more challenged by John's Gospel. Therein lies an unknown territory that human information and knowledge, even today, cannot quite keep up with. The lack of clarity about it may cause a particular conflict between the "priesthood of the New Covenant" and the men who receive it, concerning the Eucharist, such as "I am not a Eucharist-making machine" and "I have an apostolate to aspire to." 

It seems to me that this is very similar to the conflict that occurs between pregnancy and the woman who accepts it. For example, a particular conflict may arise concerning the child she bears in her body, such as "I am not a child-making machine" or "I have my own life." There may be similarities between these two cases in the various issues that arise there, even though they seem unrelated. The fact that they feel conflicted in this way and that problems arise in these situations is itself proof that each of them is sincerely, if unconsciously, engaged with eternal life and human life. This proof is supported by the sincere response of those around them who are not directly involved in these issues at the moment. I believe that increasing their supporting power also depends ultimately on revealing the truth about the "priesthood of the New Covenant." 

The Gospel of Luke tells us that when Jesus instituted the Eucharist, he said, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me" and "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood" (Lk 22:19-20). The "new covenant," said to be "for you," is the “priesthood of the New Covenant”. Jesus commanded, "Do this." This command is addressed to all believers gathered in Jesus' name. The Gospel of John does not depict the scene of the institution of the Eucharist, so that the "priesthood of the New Covenant" described in the Synoptic Gospels can be highlighted. 

Observing the opening phrases of the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of Matthew begins with Abraham, the Gospel of Mark begins with a quotation from the prophet Isaiah, and the Gospel of Luke takes the form of a report. If we focus only on this distinction, we can imagine, in the Gospel of Matthew, the Father who intends God's plan, in the Gospel of Mark, the Son who fulfills prophecy, and in the Gospel of Luke, the Holy Spirit who leads us to the result (enlightenment). The characteristics of these Gospels are easy to understand, as they seem to point in different directions and yet deal with the same theme of apostolate. 

The Gospel of John, on the other hand, begins with the words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God" (Jn 1:1-2). These words imply that the Father and the Son are one. It is proof that the "priesthood of the New Covenant," which Jesus conferred on the Apostles along with the Eucharist, was in accordance with the will of the Father. The following words, "all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made" (1:3), indicate that at Jesus' last table, as at Creation, the body and blood of Christ were made through the Word. 

Many of the disciples who heard the words of Jesus testifying about the bread of life did not understand his words, as it is written, "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 1:4-5) (cf. 6:60). Similarly, it is also difficult to understand the "priesthood of the New Covenant." But in the "priesthood of the New Covenant," which is with the Eucharist, made through the Word, is life, and it is the light of men. The light shines in the darkness. At the end of the scene on the bread of life, we read as follows. 

"After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also wish to go away?' Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.'" (Jn 6:66-69). 

Maria K. M.

 2025/10/27

219. The Priesthood and the Gospel of John

The fishermen who followed Jesus and became Apostles after hearing his word became the first to eat from the Tree of Life, which no one had ever eaten from before. Thus, Jesus Christ showed the world "the way to the tree of life" (Gen 3:24), which God had protected by expelling Adam and placing cherubim east of the Garden of Eden with the flaming sword turning every way. That was as Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me" (Jn 14:6). Jesus spoke these words in the Gospel of John. 

The priesthood is a major theme in the Gospel of John. The words that the priest says to the heavenly Father on the altar, "so that it may become for us the Body and Blood of your most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ," cause the same phenomenon in the priest as what happened to Mary, the mother of Jesus. At that moment, the Holy Spirit descends on the priest, and the power of the Most High overshadows him. So, the child to be born, the Eucharist, "will be called holy, the Son of God" (Lk 1:35). The Mother who gave birth to Jesus in the world, filled with the Holy Spirit, symbolises the priesthood. On the cross, Jesus united his mother and the disciple whom he loved in a parent-child tie. The Gospel says, "And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home" (Jn 19:27). This scene informs the successors of the Apostles that the proof is here that Jesus conferred the new priesthood on the Apostles and that they received it. 

The content of John's Gospel develops, often relating to the three Synoptic Gospels, as described below. It does so in order to get at the theme of the priesthood. As discussed in the previous issue, the dialogue between Jesus and Peter in Luke's Gospel, when Jesus summons the first disciples, contained a significant context for the priesthood. When Jesus finished teaching the people from Peter's boat, he instructed Peter to let down the nets for a catch. To which Peter replied, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets" (Lk 5:5). These words of obedience by one man who would later receive the priesthood, cancelled Adam's disobedience to God, which was the source of many people's sins. This obedience, which was derived under Jesus' guidance, was inherited by the successors of the Apostles and became the foundation on which many were made righteous. 

Peter, surprised by the great catch, said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Lk 5:8). These words were accepted by God as words that met his will and made up for Adam's treachery to God. Peter was chosen to be the one to fulfil God's words to Adam in Genesis, "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return" (Gen 3:19), i.e., the one to assume the priesthood. The words, "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread," refer to the priesthood. In the words of God that follow, the hope is implied that even with the natural body of a creature returning to the earth, one will be resurrected as one who returns to a body of dust, which God has formed from the dust of the earth and breathed into it the "breath of life" (2:7). The new priesthood is charged with bringing this hope to all. That is testified to by the words of Jesus when he said, "Henceforth you will be catching men" (Lk 5:10). 

Apostle Peter was not only chosen as the head of the Apostles and the rock of the Church, but was also the Second Adam, so to speak, whom Old Testament history had prepared to be given the priesthood so that He could celebrate with the people the days that He had blessed and hallowed (cf. Gen 2:3). This important dialogue between Jesus and Peter in Luke's Gospel can be more clearly understood by connecting it with the scene in John's Gospel when he summons the first disciples, as follows. And we can also make up for the fact that the name of Peter's brother, Andrew, is not mentioned in this important scene. 

According to the Gospel of John, one of the first two among the disciples of John the Baptist to follow Jesus was Simon Peter's brother, Andrew. He took 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)" (Jn 1:42). If we read the scene of the fishermen in Luke's Gospel based on this sequence of events, we see that Jesus and Peter had not met each other for the first time, which makes us focus on the dialogue between them here. 

Maria K. M.

 2025/10/20

218. The Establishment of Reconciliation

As Christians, we can still read God's plan from what is written in Genesis. That is because the New Testament has been established. 

When creatures of the same species become plural, accidental information is generated among them. This accidental information first appeared when God brought the woman he had created to the man. The man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" (Gen 2:23). However, Genesis states that God used the bone of the "man" in the creation of the woman but does not mention the flesh. I believe the man expressed the accidental information because God had taken one of ribs of the "man" and "closed up its place with flesh" (2:21). 

The man, Adam, was not created by God specifically as a male. The "man" -- the one before there were men or women --, when one of his ribs had been taken away, became the man, Adam. So, the man, who inherited the body and memories of the "man", had three memories. The memory of God-given "work" (cf. Gen 2:15), the memory of "knowledge": "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die" (2:16-17), and the memory of the "experience": "Whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him" (2:19-20). However, as we later learn, as for the memory of "knowledge", the man could not exactly share it with the woman. That is because human accidental information continually arose between them, and their memories were newly overwritten (cf. 3:1-5). 

"In the cool of the day" (Gen 3:8), the Lord God came walking through the garden and called Adam. God had a plan. He planned to prepare Adam for priesthood so that He could celebrate with the people the day which he had blessed and hallowed (cf. 2:3). For this purpose, "The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it" (2:15). But Adam and the woman, whose memory had been overwritten, forgot God's command, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden" (2:16), and did not take from the "tree of life" and eat. Instead, they took and ate from the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil", of which God had commanded, "You shall not eat" (2:17). 

Adam then ignored the memory of his "experience" that "for the man there was not found a helper fit for him" (Gen 2:20) in those he had named, and named the woman, whom God created from "the man", as he had given names to other creatures. That was because he was misinformed that "she was the mother of all living" (3:20). Thus, Adam's disobedience in perceiving the woman as equal to other living creatures was decisive, and he was driven out of the Garden. However, God did not change His plan to give Adam the priesthood, as it is written, "The LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken" (3:23). 

Eventually, Noah, who had survived the flood, built an altar to the Lord (cf. Gen 8:20), Abraham met Melchizedek, king of Salem, the priest of God Most High (cf. 14:18), and God ordained Aaron and his sons as priests (cf. Ex 29:9). Thus, the long story of the Old Testament, beginning with Genesis, shaped the history of the formation and development of Adam, i.e. men, to make them fit for the priesthood that God planned. These Old Testament histories and the old priesthood end with the birth and life of John the Baptist as Jesus said, "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John" (Mt 11:13). And Jesus Christ, the Son of God, at the beginning of his ministry, finally found a new Adam to whom he gave the priesthood of the New Covenant. They, later called the Apostles, were the very descendants of Adam who grew to the extent that they achieved reconciliation with God. 

"And he [Jesus] saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat" (Lk 5:2-3). 

The fishermen must have somehow listened to what Jesus was saying. "And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, 'Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.' And Simon answered, 'Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.'" (Lk 5:4-5). How long God had been waiting to have such an exchange with the descendants of Adam! 

"And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, ... But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.'" (Lk 5:6-8). With these words of Peter, God has received the true answer of the man to the question He had asked that day in Genesis, "Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" (Gen 3:11). 

"And so also were James and John, sons of Zeb'edee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.' And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him" (Lk 5:10-11). Having heard Jesus' words and followed him, they became the first to take the fruit from the "tree of life" and eat of it. 

Maria K. M.

 2025/10/13

217. Reconciliation

As we discussed in the previous issue, the words that the priest says to the heavenly Father on the altar, "so that it may become for us the Body and Blood of your most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ," cause the same phenomenon as what happened to Mary, the mother of Jesus. At that moment, the Holy Spirit descends on the priest, and the power of the Most High overshadows him. So, the child to be born, the Eucharist, "will be called holy, the Son of God" (Lk 1:35). The words Mary received from the angel were testified to by the Apostle Peter, who called Jesus "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt 16:16) and "the Holy One of God" (Jn 6:69). In imitation of this, priests and believers today are to witness to these words of Peter continually to the Eucharist. 

But when Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” why did Jesus noted that the Father's will was in those words, saying, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Mt 16:17)? This question takes us back to the Genesis account, "And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man" (Gen 3:8-9). God may have called Adam to give him a mission. But they had already disobeyed God's will at that time. God did not know this because the Lord God, who had "created man in his own image" (1:27), did not dare to know how the will of man, whom He had "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" (2:7), making him His likeness, would work. 

So, God must have been very disappointed when Adam replied, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate" (Gen 3:12). For not only had he disobeyed God, but he had also attributed the cause of his disobedience to God. Adam was literally not created by God as a male in particular. What God created was "man," before there was a man or a woman, and then a "woman." And it is the "woman" with her womb who will carry on God's work of creating man (man and woman). As for the male, God had a plan for what was to come. God must have wanted to be reconciled with the "man." 

God encouraged Adam by saying, "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return" (Gen 3:19). We can now see that these words were an allusion to the fact that one day Adam would work with the sweat of his face to obtain the "bread of life," die and return to the ground, and be resurrected with a body of dust into which God had breathed the "breath of life." God's plan, which He had tried to announce to Adam when He called him in the Garden, was to give him the priesthood and to celebrate with the people the day which God had blessed and hallowed (cf. 2:3). This plan was fulfilled by Jesus Christ in the priesthood of the New Covenant. This priesthood is a mission to life, like that of a woman carrying an unborn child. That is the mission regarding the Eucharist. 

What takes the initiative in the placentation process in the pregnant woman's womb is the fertilized ovum, or foetus, while the maternal body is passively involved. Therefore, it is the foetus, not the mother, who is the main placental maker. Half of the genes in the foetus and placenta are of paternal origin and are therefore "foreign" to the maternal body. Nevertheless, the mother does not reject the foetus. This reminds us that many of the disciples who rejected Jesus' words about the “bread of life” left and no longer walked with him, but the Apostles remained with him (cf. Jn 6:66-69). 

Placenta formation is said to be based on a close dialogue between the maternal and foetal sides. The foetus re-educates the mother's immunity, so to speak, and the mother permits and controls the foetus's invasion. The mechanism by which the uterus accepts the placenta is so precise that it is a "miracle of reconciliation between mother and foetus," a placentation process unique to the human species. This delicate balance of negotiations is the essence of the phenomenon of pregnancy, and the reconciliation that takes place here is not just a static peace, but the maintenance of a dynamic balance. This is what Jesus meant when he said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid" (Jn 14:27). This reconciliation must also be happening to the priest on whom the Holy Spirit descends at the altar. 

The womb is not just an "organ." It supports the establishment of human life. It has an extremely profound meaning that affects the development, immunity, brain, and sociality of the human species. Women bear a burden, unique to the human species, unparalleled in other creatures, in their placentation process. It is the same with the priesthood of the New Covenant. Bearing the role of being filled with the Holy Spirit and giving birth to the Eucharist, priests who live like Mary, the mother of Jesus, will achieve the "reconciliation" that the history of God and man has so strongly demanded. Peter's answer was in accordance with the Father's will when he said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God". Jesus went on to say as follows. 

"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" (Mt 16:18-19). 

Maria K. M.

 2025/10/06

216. Invitation to a New Transubstantiation

In a dream, Joseph was told by the angel: "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins" (Mt 1:21). The "his people" in these words refers to those who, then and now, like us believers, have believed in Jesus. As Jesus had said, "concerning sin, because they do not believe in me" (Jn 16:9), Jesus always saved those who believed in him from this sin. After this episode, the Gospel inserts an explanation: "'Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel' (which means, God with us)" (Mt 1:23). Jesus realised this relationship between God and people for this purpose. Its effects are manifested in those who have believed in Jesus. 

At the time, each believer who followed Jesus and was with him was saved from the sin, "they do not believe in me," by being close to him. Jesus had the opportunity to touch the believers, while believers could feel that God was so near that they could sense God's salvation. Thus, Jesus protected "his people" who would become “my church” (Mt 16:18). By instituting the Eucharist, Jesus prepared the way for what was impossible for himself, who was God but had a body as a man, to become possible. Jesus' words, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood is always in me, and I am always in him” (Jn 6:56), are made possible by the Eucharist, thus continuing the work of God to “save his people from their sins”. It is not that God is near. God enters into the believer. 

The Eucharist is the second mystery of the Incarnation, so to speak, through transubstantiation. The Eucharist continues to save the believers who receive it from the sins, "they do not believe in me." Believers share the things they have learned from the Apostles through the New Testament, such as Jesus’ birth, death, resurrection, and ascension, which Jesus himself testified to, and the fact that his body was gone, even though they had indeed buried it in the tomb and confirmed it. The Eucharist dies by being eaten by us believers, and his body is gone, just as Jesus' body was gone from the tomb. In that short time, a transubstantiation takes place in believers, by the Eucharist, into those who keep in them the body of Christ, in which God is present. Therefore, the memory of those who receive the Eucharist must be firmly imprinted with who the Eucharist is. 

Mary, on the other hand, was first told by the angel: "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end" (Lk 1:31-33). This announcement meant that Jesus would live his public life in such a way, and fulfill the words, "the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David," on the cross. The inscription over Jesus on the cross, "This is the King of the Jews" (23:38), testifies to that. Indeed, "he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." 

Then, the angel said, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God" (Lk 1:35). These words were fulfilled in Mary, who became the mother of Jesus. These words lead us to the scene where Jesus united his mother Mary and an Apostle in a parent-child bond on the cross. They were inherited by the Apostles, who had become the sons of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Hence, when a priest asks the Father, saying, "so that it may become for us the Body and Blood of your most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ," the Holy Spirit descends on the priest and the power of the Most High overshadows him. So, the child who is born, that is, the Eucharist, "will be called holy, the Son of God." 

When Jesus said to his disciples, "But who do you say that I am?" (Mt 16:15), Apostle Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (16:16). Then Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (16:17). The words that the Father revealed to Apostle Peter represent His will that all believers who call God their Father would look at Jesus and say, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." We believers respond to the will of our Father by saying these same words to the Eucharist. 

By repeating the words, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," looking at the Eucharist, the fact that the Eucharist is "the Christ, the Son of the living God" becomes firmly etched in the believer's memory. And when the believer, who calls God his Heavenly Father, receives the Eucharist and, for the short time that the Eucharist remains, undergoes a transubstantiation into a person who has the body of Christ, in which God is present, he comes to realise, even if only slightly, that he is the son of God. This realisation becomes the force that makes faith in Jesus certain. 

Maria K. M.