2023/02/20

79. Collaborator

In Japan, which traditionally has not adopted the eunuch system, the term "eunuch" in the following words of Jesus is translated as "one who does not marry" or "one who has become a bachelor": "There are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it" (Matthew 19:12). But that is not the case. Indeed, Jesus is saying, "eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs." These words must have sounded poignant for his male disciples at the time because "eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven" meant Jesus himself (cf. blog, № 29). 

The advice above shifts the vocation of men from being collaborators of women, the bearers of human life, to being collaborators of the Holy Spirit, the bearer of God's presence, giving God and the Church a parent-child relationship. At the same time, men's vocation to be collaborators of the Holy Spirit gave women two new vocations (cf. blog № 70) in the special way of being called near the cross of Jesus as "Beloved Disciples" and gave birth to Jesus' "my church" (Matthew 16:18). 

The "Beloved Disciple" is the disciple who, like Jesus, lives his whole life as "eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven." Jesus bound his mother, who had become a collaborator for Jesus' birth filled with the Holy Spirit, and the disciple in a parent-child bond. This bond became a sign that the disciple would succeed Jesus' mother and become a collaborator of the Holy Spirit for the birth of the Eucharist. The Eucharist represents the risen Jesus because the bread and wine are the wheat and the grapes that once died and arose. 

The following passage is found in the Gospel of John's description of the risen Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene for the first time: "Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rab-bo'ni!' (which means Teacher)" (John 20:16). From these words we can understand that when Jesus said, "But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren" (Matthew 23:8), in the Gospel of Matthew, the "teacher" refers to the risen Jesus. Now it is the Eucharist. 

Jesus continues, "And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven" (Matthew 23:9), and commands us first to see our earthly father as Jesus' brother so that we, gathering around the Eucharist, may become "all brethren." The true meaning of these words is expressed in the words of Jesus when his parents, having lost sight of the boy Jesus, found him in the temple in Jerusalem: "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49). 

Jesus further continued, "Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ" (Matthew 23:10). The word "master" in these words signifies the Holy Spirit, who, sent in the name of Jesus, guides the faithful and makes them like Christ. Thus, the words of God promising David, "I will be his father, and he shall be my son" (2 Samuel 7:14), are fulfilled between God and the Church.

Maria K. M. 

 2023/02/13

78. Two Lives and the Vocation of Men

As discussed previously, if we delve into the words of God to the woman in Genesis, "Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you" (Genesis 3:16), from the male perspective, we will uncover the responsibility for reproduction, or life, that God has asked men to have dominion over, and discover their male vocation. 

There is a clear difference between the words that God said when he created the creatures of the water and the air and blessed them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth" (Genesis 1:22), and his words when he created man male and female and blessed them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth" (Genesis 1:28). From God's words to them, "Fill the earth and subdue it", we can infer that God had endowed humanity with the ability to practice birth control once human beings fill the earth. That is because they must not become extinct through starvation due to their continuing increase without end. We later find that this ability was bestowed on men as a mechanism of the male body, by the words "he shall rule over you," rather than on women, to whom God declared, "Your desire shall be for your husband." 

Males of animals other than humans perform reproductive behaviour subordinately to the female's oestrus. In contrast, in the case of humans, males act dominantly, independent of the female's oestrus. In other words, men can proactively carry out birth control. Therefore, men can prevent pregnancy and stop lives from being born that may be aborted. When a man reaches puberty, cells that give rise to sperm begin to divide inside his testes, and spermatozoa are produced. Men then have a cycle in which new sperm are made, and old sperm are absorbed into the body. In contrast, a woman's eggs are already fixed in number when she is a foetus, and no new ones are produced in her body after birth. In addition, a woman has no control over her own menstruation caused by the cycle of maturation and ovulation of her eggs for herself. God has made it the source of female sexual desire. Therefore, women have no function to control fertility in their body mechanisms. It is generally accepted that men have a stronger sex drive, but God has entrusted the ability to control conception to men. 

In the Bible, the last time God said, "fill the earth," was when he saved Noah's family from the flood that destroyed the whole earth. At that time, God made it clear that this vocation of responsibility for life was to men. The Bible states: "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth'" (Genesis 9:1). This was God's plan behind the fact that Jesus chose the twelve Apostles among men. The reason for instituting the Sacrament of the Eucharist at the last supper, to which only men, the Apostles, were invited, was to bring them into collaboration with the Holy Spirit in the birth of the Eucharist, in which God is present by the Holy Spirit. God's plan, as it has been from the beginning, chose men as collaborators of women, the bearers of human life, and the Holy Spirit, the bearer of God's presence. The Church must therefore provide the best educational programmes for men who have the mission to defend two lives to be called by their name (cf. blog №77), the human life and the life of the Eucharist.

Maria K. M.

 2023/02/06

77. The Basilica of the Agony: Two Lives

When I came across Fergus Kerr's Twentieth-Century Catholic Theologians, I got to know the term nuptial mysticism for the first time, and I was greatly impressed by the book. I was surprised to find that the image of marriage, inherited from the Old Testament, was planted like leaven in the Church's teachings, unexpectedly becoming theology over the course of two millennia. The Church has interpreted the Bible from the first page, where the family of Adam and Eve appears, to the last page, where the wedding feast of the Bride and the Lamb appears, linking Christ to the groom and the Church to the bride. They must have had an impression that the marital institution, placed in the man-created society as its foundation, was immortal. Although saying this image is an analogy, the Church has actually employed it as an expression and reflected it in the education of believers. However, when using the expressions groom and bride, or husband and wife, which presuppose sexual union between a man and a woman, the terms father and mother take on nothing but a secondary connotation. The theology of the Church has diverted from God's plan to unite God and man in a parent-child bond directly. 

In addition, the Church, which has incorporated the image of the marital institution directly linked to the patriarchal system, could not break free from the hotbed of power and authority. And the Church, accustomed to the image of marriage, continues to produce priests who cause sexual abuse issues and lay people like Jezebel (cf. blog №76), forming "the great harlot who is seated upon many waters" (Revelation 17:1). As a result, the Church in the 21st century is asked for a heavy price for the mistakes it has accumulated from the past. 

One example of this is that even now, there are lives within our Church and society that disappear without ever hearing their name. They are two lives in a very similar situation, namely, the Eucharist and the life of aborted children. They are lives that are too fragile to do anything on their own. The Eucharist is born in the Holy Communion but never hears his name, "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16), from the mouths of the priests and lay people who receive him. That is because once the priest and the faithful proclaim his name in the presence of the Eucharist, the image of marriage would be dispelled, and the reality that the priest is not configured to Christ, the groom, and that the faithful are not Christ' bride would be revealed. There would appear the brothers, sisters, and the mother of Jesus invited to the Passover meal, where no status and no disparity exists. That is because they responded to the angel's words, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9), with "true words of God" (ibid.). 

Similarly, the life to be aborted never hears its own name called, even though born in the mother's womb. Abortion is preceded by pregnancy. In every pregnancy, a man who had sexual relations with the woman is involved. For the aborted life, the appearance of that man before it is a step towards salvation. Catholic clergy, who are men like them, must speak to and dialogue with them. They must listen to their words, elucidate the responsibility for the sexuality that God has asked men to reign in his word to the woman, "your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you" (Genesis 3:16), and for life and discover together the truth of the dignity and mission of men, and link it to education.

Maria K. M.

 2023/01/30

76. Jezebel

Chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Revelation are letters to the angels of the seven churches. When reading them, it is clear that these letters were written so that the next generation could share the experience of the disciples of Jesus who had shared his worldview with him (cf. blog № 75). These letters are addressed to "angels," and this "angel" implies a priest. The reason for this is that singular "you" and plural "you"¹ are written distinctly to evoke the image of a church community with a priest and a congregation and that the promises made to the one "who conquers" in each letter are in turn theologically advanced, which means that these series of letters represent a model for priestly development.² 

The priest likened to an angel, despite his own shortcomings and weaknesses, confronts, for the sake of the ecclesial community to which he is entrusted, "evil men," "those who call themselves apostles but are not," those "who hold the teaching of Balaam," "some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans," as well as "members of the assembly of Satan." Furthermore, it is written that "Satan's throne" is in his dwelling place. The priest who receives the letters is in such a difficult situation. The gravest problem, however, is the presence of a woman named Jezebel, who appears in the fourth letter to the church in Thyatira. The fact that only the fourth letter reveals the author, introduced at the beginning of each letter, as the "Son of God" tells the seriousness of the problem. It reads as follows: "But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jez'ebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols" (Revelation 2:20). 

In the church community, some lay women close to the priest have the illusion that they have the priest's special trust and serve the church as his mouth, hands and feet. In that situation, if the priest has no hesitation in showing his private connection with the woman to the community, the image of a marriage like Ahab and Jezebel in the Book of Kings becomes visible on them. And when she gets into a fictional world where she believes she has the backing of the priests' authority, the problems described above occur. Even though the priest prides himself on his ability to manage, he is seen by God as "tolerate" her. That is because some congregations of the church community suffer at the sight of the two. 

The "Son of God" encourages them by saying, "But to the rest of you in Thyati'ra, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay upon you any other burden; only hold fast what you have, until I come" (Revelation 2:24-25). "What you have" means continuing the training of reciting and hearing the words of this prophecy and holding on to the worldview of Jesus Christ. Revelation says: "Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is near" (Revelation 1:3); "'And behold, I am coming soon.' Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book" (Revelation 22:7).

[References] 1. Revelation 2:10, 13, 23, 24  2. Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 28, 3:5, 12, 21

Maria K. M.

 2023/01/23

75. Solomon's Peep Window

We have examined Mary of Bethany (cf. blog № 71, № 72), Martha (cf. blog № 73) and the adulterous woman (cf. blog № 74) in John's Gospel. Mary of Bethany and the adulterous woman are depicted as women of an old covenant worldview different from that of Jesus since no dialogue is elicited from him, and they appear in conjunction with the chief priests, the scribes and the Pharisees (cf. John 8:3, 11:45-47). 

Martha, who confessed before Jesus who he was, on the other hand, is a woman who, guided by Jesus, elicits specific dialogue from him, spontaneously seeks the word of God and links its fruit to her own words and deeds, like the mother of Jesus in the scene of Jesus turning water into wine (cf. John 2:1-11), the Samaritan woman who drew out the themes of the water of life and the new way of worship from the dialogue with Jesus (cf. John 4:1-30), and Mary Magdalene, who received her woman-specific vocation from the risen Jesus (cf. blog № 35, № 70). They represented a new type of people who shared with Jesus his worldview, and about them, John wrote in his letter: "[T]he anointing which you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you" (1 John 2:27). 

However, after giving that exhortation, John realized that their experience would not be shared with the next generation in the current state of affairs. The worldview of Jesus Christ was essential for the disciples, who would not see Jesus yet believe in him, to abide in the Son (cf. blog № 36). Therefore, the Holy Spirit prompted John to complete the book of Revelation. By continuing the training of reciting and hearing the words of this prophecy, one becomes able to make the worldview of Jesus Christ appear in his memory and keep it. The time was at hand (cf. Revelation 1:3). 

Nevertheless, the Church, in leading believers, brought the traditional image of marriage into the relationship between Christ and the Church. The source of that teaching is found in the Song of Solomon, said to have been written by Solomon. The Song of Solomon, which sensually expresses the image of marriage, is like a peep window into the fictional world of Solomon, who failed to establish a parent-child bond with God. If believers are led based on that worldview, they will eventually be drawn, without knowing it, into the fire of their own love. And the more their hearts burn in the fire of that love, the more they will be drawn to their own love. If they turn to others in this state and engage in selfish acts, they have no way of knowing that they have done so since their self has only been replaced by the other. For them, the loving and the loved are the same. In this illusion, they can easily coerce, abuse, and threaten vulnerable others. But the cost is too high, just as written, "[Y]ou, O Solomon, may have the thousand, and the keepers of the fruit two hundred" (Song of Solomon 8:12).

Maria K. M.

 2023/01/16

74. The Basilica of the Agony

In the Gospel of John, there is another woman like Mary of Bethany, whom we have discussed (cf. blog № 71, № 72). She is the woman caught in adultery (cf. John 8:1-11). The episode of the woman is connected to the story of Jesus, who had healed the sick on the Sabbath (cf. John 5:1-18), defending himself based on the Law of Moses and trying to testify to himself (cf. John 7:14-39). When the chief priests and Pharisees heard this story, they sent their officers, but they could not arrest Jesus (cf. John 7:32-53). So, this time, the scribes and Pharisees took advantage of the time when Jesus began to teach the people, and brought the woman to Jesus and asked him, "Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?" (John 8:5). But they were dismayed by Jesus' unexpected reaction and left there one by one. And at last, only Jesus and the woman remained. Jesus said, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" (John 8:10), but at this point, she was calm and expressed no surprise or emotion that she had been saved. This attitude suggests that the woman was in collusion with them. Therefore, Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you" (John 8:11). "Go, and do not sin again," he continued, which is an admonition not to stay with the scribes and Pharisees and be part of their conspiracy. 

After that (cf. John 8:12-20), Jesus said to these Pharisees, "You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone that judge, but I and he who sent me" (John 8:15-16). Next, Jesus admonished the Jews who did not believe in Jesus (cf. John 8:21-30), saying, "When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me" (John 8:28). And to the Jews who believed in Jesus (cf. John 8:31-59), he explained, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God" (John 8:54). 

The reason Jesus continued to preach the name of God the Father and who he was to such an extent was because of his words, "For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40). From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus has spoken of his heavenly Father (cf. John 2:16). He did not mind argument, but always told the truth sincerely and diligently. Even amid the agonizingly heated exchanges, he continued to make known the name of his Heavenly Father and who he was. But the Church, which took over the will of this Jesus, bruised its own heel with the image of marriage (cf. Genesis 3:15).

Maria K. M.

 2023/01/09

73. The Gate to the Destruction Part 3

There is no information in Luke's Gospel about Mary of Bethany, who is equated with Judas in John's Gospel, except that she sat at Jesus' feet and listened to him (cf. Luke 10:38-42). Martha, on the other hand, welcomed Jesus in Luke as in John. So, in this article, we will discuss Martha. 

Martha was busy with serving because many others had listened to Jesus there. Then Martha went to Jesus and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me" (Luke 10:40). This frank conversation shows the relationship of trust had already been established between them. We see that Jesus had a special closeness to Martha, as he responded to her by calling her name twice in succession, "Martha, Martha." Jesus then said, "[Y]ou are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41-42). From this advice, Martha got an insight into the teaching that she should respect the spontaneity of her sister, who chose the better one for herself and should not force her to serve. This fact is reflected in the scene of Lazarus' resurrection, where Martha went out to meet him alone upon hearing that Jesus had come. She did not bother Mary, who had decided to sit at home. 

This teaching of Jesus means that respecting the spontaneity of others first gives the power to open up one's own spontaneity. It elicits dialogue with Jesus. That is because one's spontaneity is "the breath God breathed in" (cf. Genesis 2:7), which calls for the word of God. It is an important teaching the faithful who live aiming for the Mass should keep in mind to get to the Mass amid the everyday interactions with the people they encounter. The faithful go to the Mass to welcome the Word and the Eucharist. So, the faithful, like Martha, can answer, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world" (John 11:27), to Jesus, who asks, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"(John 11:25-26). 

Now, the faithful must make this answer to Jesus, who is present in the Eucharist. It is in the Mass that we can publicly recite these words. The faithful have a right to express their faith in the Mass to Jesus in the Eucharist. That is because, like Martha, they need to engage openly with Jesus in the Eucharist, create trust, and have a particular intimacy with him. However, the Church has not given the faithful over the world the opportunity to share the experience of Martha. Therefore, even today, many priests and lay people end their lives without confessing their faith to Jesus in the Eucharist. That is as is written, "[T]he gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many" (Matthew 7:13).

Maria K. M.