2024/01/08

125. Baptism of the Lord

John the Baptist threw harsh words at the crowd who came out to be baptised: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits that befit repentance" (Luke 3:7-8). The word 'brood of vipers' overlaps with the image of the descendants of the 'serpent' in Genesis. 

Observing the events associated with the 'tree of the knowledge of good and evil', of which the 'serpent' said that "when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5) (cf. Genesis 3:1-24), the following discussion can be done. People have an unconscious faculty of thought that judges something about the object of action (cf. Genesis 3:1-5). Judgments that appear in consciousness after a delay develop episodic memories, which are unique to humans and closely related to their linguistic expressions (cf. Genesis 3:6-8). From this perspective, the centre of the Garden of Eden, where God made the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil grow (cf. Genesis 2:9, 3:3), can be seen as the centre of human consciousness. From this perspective, the centre of the Garden of Eden, where God made the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil grow (cf. Genesis 2:9, 3:3), can be seen as the centre of human consciousness. 

See blog №124

The baptism of the Lord is the event in which Jesus Christ inserted his own life into biblical history. A Christian follows Jesus Christ by being baptised. By jumping into the future of the New Testament world where Jesus Christ is and living as an inhabitant of it, he, so to speak, prolongs the historical time of the New Testament world. The Mass liturgy, which emerged from the New Testament, makes this possible. 

For us believers who were to live within this prolonged New Testament reality of God, Jesus carefully redeemed with his Word each of the human errors that occurred in the book of Genesis (cf. blog № 116) and, by his own Passion and death, redeemed the sin of Cain, the first murderer, and the history of human sin (cf. blog № 117). Then, by being placed in the tomb as a dead man and resurrected, he erased first all mistakes, sins and death for all eternity to come. God testified with the new Bible that the memory of all the mistakes, sins and death in the Bible had been erased by Jesus Christ. 

John the Baptist's testimony about the baptism of the Lord, "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him" (John 1:32), is the grace of their own baptism, which many believers still hold dear in their consciousness. They hope to hear the voice: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). 

The Gospel of John says: "And many came to him; and they said, 'John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.' And many believed in him there" (John 10:41-42). John the Baptist certainly fulfilled his mission.

Maria K. M.

 2024/01/01

124. Mary, the Holy Mother of God

When Mary of Nazareth was pregnant with Jesus, the angel who appeared to her husband Joseph in a dream told him that "that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:20). Mary's words when she visited Elizabeth: "[F]or he who is mighty has done great things for me" (Luke 1:49), show that she was well aware of the work of the Holy Spirit that had been bestowed on her. 

Figure 1

The Holy Spirit works in various ways to make us realize what Jesus has achieved to be a reality. God created every reality using the words 'Let there be -,' based on his essence of 'I Am.' As shown in Figure 1, living creatures have proportionate knowledge and memory to live spontaneously and to procreate. They multiply, and the accidental information unique to their species is generated among them, allowing them to evolve over long periods of time. That is so that they may live with people. 

Man, on the other hand, was created as shown in Figure 2. The 'breath of life' that God breathed, if spontaneously connected to the 'tree of life', will become likeness of the divine essence of 'I Am,' as God said in Genesis, "Let us make man … after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26). The words 'I Am' show an image of the combination of God's will and knowledge. 

Figure 2

Just as God's will spontaneously orients itself toward his knowledge, so the 'breath of life,' which is of God and comes from God, spontaneously connects with the 'tree of life.' The 'tree of life' must contain the divine plan that each person has been given. In other words, it is, for the person, the one and only 'good,' the knowledge of God. 

Once this image of 'good' is transmitted to the 'tree of the knowledge of good and evil,' and the 'tree of the knowledge of good and evil' knows the image of 'good,' it begins to distinguish man's accidental information. But God appears to have been unaware of when the 'breath of life' that belongs to him would exert its spontaneity. God may have partially waived his omnipotence for the freedom of the 'breath of life' that belongs to him. 

Even after the expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the 'enmity that God placed' had been breathing in the people. Eventually, inspired by it, the 'tree of the knowledge of good and evil' began to function, and prophets came to appear who obeyed God's voice. After a long time, in the age of Jesus' Nativity, people like John the Baptist, Mary and Joseph began to appear. The fullness of time had come. God chose Mary to be the mother of God so that his mercy might be on those who fear him from generation to generation (cf. Luke 1:50).

Maria K.M.

 2023/12/25

123. Nativity of the Lord

For a long time, terms such as the 2045 problem, when artificial intelligence (AI) is predicted to surpass human intelligence, and the technological singularity have been a hot topic. Artificial intelligence, in which deep learning using artificial neural networks has been implemented, is evolving by finding features and laws from the vast amount of data inputted and learning by itself. Furthermore, research into supercomputers and quantum computers, each with different purposes and calculation methods, as well as hybrid computers combining both technologies, is underway, and they are expected to surpass the limits of current computers once they are completed. As a matter of fact, we amateurs cannot but watch these rapid evolutions anxiously lest they make a fatal mistake. 

This situation is similar to that in Genesis. That is to say, the first 'man' was divided into the 'man' and 'woman' and became plural, generating accidental information between them. And they took it in as knowledge and eventually made a mistake. This initial informatisation brought man's knowledge a rapid evolution, so much so that their dialogue with God at that time (cf. Genesis 3:9-13) is no different from that among us today. God coped with this crisis of humankind caused by informatisation by putting 'enmity' between man and accidental information (cf. Genesis 3:15), making it inherited. Then, about the result of the mistakes committed by the two (cf. blog № 113) and the problem of sin that happened later (cf. blog № 117), God solved them by himself being born as a human being. 

Although there are only a few people around me who believe in the event of God becoming man, there is no doubt that since that time, the unique evolution of humankind has accelerated and that the last five hundred years have seen dramatic developments in science, technology, economics, and other fields. In recent years, there has been a momentum to share the benefits of these developments on a global scale and to narrow the various gaps. 

In the course of such a world, we who believe in the event of God's becoming man and who live as those who, in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, have witnessed the birth of the Lord and experienced his death, need to complete the Mass liturgy in which we collaborate with the Holy Spirit, who goes ahead with God's plan inheriting Christ's work of atonement. And the liturgy must be the one that meets the needs of the congregation, who constantly seek clarity and the best way of understanding, so that they can be equipped with these experiences.   

Maria K. M.

 2023/12/18

122. How Is It That You Sought Me?

The wise men from the east, guided by the star, and the shepherds, guided by an angel, found the Infant Jesus laid in a manger in Bethlehem. Similarly, Jesus' parents, on their way back from travelling to Jerusalem for the Passover, lost sight of the twelve-year-old Jesus who was with them and found him in the temple (cf. Luke 2:41-51). At this point, Jesus said to his parents, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49). Jesus attached special significance to his presence in the temple. 

After coming of age and entering public life, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the Passover. And when he saw those doing business in the temple, he drove them away, saying, "[Y]ou shall not make my Father's house a house of trade" (John 2:16). When those who opposed this asked for a sign, he said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). John's Gospel explains these words of Jesus as "But he spoke of the temple of his body" (John 2:21).

From this, we can see that the 'Father's house' is the 'temple,' and the temple is the body of Jesus, i.e. the Eucharist. In the scene of the institution of the Eucharist, Jesus himself says: "Take, eat; this is my body" (Matthew 26:26). Furthermore, Revelation says: "And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb" (Revelation 21:22). 

The believers now do not look for Jesus. Jesus is present in the Eucharist, which is born in the Mass. At the last supper, Peter the Apostle asked Jesus, "Lord, where are you going?" and Jesus answered, "Where I am going you cannot follow me now; but you shall follow afterward" (John 13:36). This word of Jesus is now directed to the believers who receive the Eucharist. That is because by taking and eating the body of Christ, they will demonstrate Jesus' words, "you shall follow afterward." So, at the Mass, all believers, looking at the Eucharist, must say first, "You are the Christ, the Son of God." That is because they will witness the birth of the Lord and, at the same time, experience the death of the Lord. 

Maria K. M.

 2023/12/11

121. The Fifth 'Blessedness'

As the 21st century is now a quarter of a century old, the Church grapples with the 'Babylon the Great' of Revelation 17-18. Revelation does not put a 'blessedness' in these verses, but instead puts the following words: "They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful" (Revelation 17:14). This statement coincides with the words in the fourth 'blessedness': "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war" (19:11) and "On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords" (19:16), and urges the Church towards the perfection of the liturgy of the Mass. 

That is because, in the prophecy of Revelation, the 'great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication' has already been judged, and the Mass Liturgy has been completed (cf. 19:1-10). In the prophecy, many believers who were purified at the 'great supper of God' (cf. blog № 99-№ 105) and have been guided as heirs of the Apostles (cf. blog № 106-№ 117) were led to discern the human accidental information compared to "the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan"(20:2) (cf. 20:4). 

The description goes on. "Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life, and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection" (20:4-5). 

Here, the statement "I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God" is paired with that in chapter 6: "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne" (6:9). These are the only two places where 'souls' appear in Revelation. 

Of the salvation of these 'souls', the fifth 'blessedness' states: "Blessed and holy is he who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they shall reign with him a thousand years" (20:6). Then, it mentions the accidental information (cf. 20:7-10) and the rest of the dead who 'did not come back to life until the end of the thousand years' (cf. 20:11-15), and the 'Prophecy of the Completion of the Liturgy of the Mass' completes. 

From the next issue on, I will change the angle of consideration and approach the fifth 'blessedness', which concerns the first resurrection and the second death, and the seventh prophecy, 'Prophecy of the Spirituality of the Holy Spirit' (see figure in blog № 120).

Maria K. M.

 2023/12/04

120. Prophetic Composition of Revelation 3/3

A prophecy naturally prepares those who hear it for what it tells. Hence, the prophetic composition of Revelation has the character of a training book that prepares the disciples for the Holy Spirit who testifies about Jesus (cf. John 15:26) (cf. Revelation 1:3). It is written that when the Holy Spirit descended, "there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them" (Acts 2:3). This describes how the Holy Spirit connected with the realm of consciousness in the individual's brain to declare what he has taken from Jesus to the disciples and to train them. 

In the realm of their consciousness emerged an area of habituated and unconscious through their constant and close contact with Jesus, where the worldview of Jesus Christ was placed. The remarkable behaviour of the disciples after Pentecost shows that the worldview of Jesus Christ, which they held in their unconscious area, was brought out into the realm of consciousness by the Holy Spirit at this time. For those of the next generation to share this experience, they needed to have the worldview of Jesus Christ. For this reason, the Book of Revelation was written. 

The figure above shows that through the daily practice of reciting and listening to Revelation, a habitual and unconscious area emerges within the believer's realm of consciousness, where the worldview of Jesus Christ can be placed and maintained. The green zone above represents the realm of human consciousness, while the orange one represents the area of unconsciousness. The established 'New Testament' and the 'Essential Requirements for the Completion of the Mass Liturgy' (cf. blog № 116) derived from it are placed in the realm of consciousness. 

The seven 'blessednesses' that appear at pivotal points in Revelation awaken the trainees each time to the fact that this training is taking place in their realm of consciousness. In addition, the sixth and seventh 'blessednesses' in the Spirituality of the Holy Spirit are one of the motivating forces for the believers who enter here to return to their daily routine with the training of the Book of Revelation and the Mass liturgy (cf. blog№ 94). 

On the other hand, in the 'Prophecy of the Fall of the Church' (chapters 17-18), not 'blessedness' but the words of the victory of 'the Lamb' and 'those with him' (cf. Revelation 17:14) are placed. These words correspond to the words in the 'Prophecy of the Completion of the Mass Liturgy' (cf. Revelation 19:11-16) and draw the Church to the completion of the Mass Liturgy.

Maria K. M.

 2023/11/27

119. Prophetic Composition of Revelation 2/3

The figure above shows the prophetic structure of the Book of Revelation. The first prophecy, "Prophecy about Jesus Christ, who is with the Church" (chapter 1), and the second prophecy, "Prophecy about the problems faced by the Church community and their solutions" (chapters 2-3), lead us to the third prophecy, "Prophecy of the establishment of the New Testament" (chapters 4-11). From the prophecy of the establishment of the New Testament on, after undergoing the fourth prophecy, "Prophecy of the fate of the Church with the priesthood and the Sacrament of the Eucharist hidden in the wilderness and heaven" (chapters 12-16), and the fifth prophecy, "Prophecy of the fall of the Church" (chapters 17-18), we reach the sixth prophecy, "Prophecy of the completion of the liturgy of the Mass" (chapters 19-20), and then enter the midst of the seventh prophecy, "Prophecy of the spirituality of the Holy Spirit" (chapters 21-22). 

As shown in the figure above, 'Babylon the great' appears in the fourth and fifth prophecies. In the fifth prophecy, 'Babylon the great' is depicted as follows: "On her forehead was written a name of mystery: 'Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of earth's abominations'" (Revelation 17:5); "It has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every foul spirit, a haunt of every foul and hateful bird" (18:2). As we have examined, these are the pictures of the Church as it has been demonstrated in history. 

On the other hand, the 'Babylon the great' in the fourth prophecy is the city, "she who made all nations drink the wine of her impure passion" (14:8). This blog has focused on the images and traditions held by the people waiting for the saviour in the time Jesus lived. At the time, they had an image of the saviour as a king with the power to free his people from Roman rule. They also had an epithalamium tradition that interpreted the relationship between God and his people through the allegory of marriage, even though they knew that God wanted to establish a parent-child relationship with his people (cf. blog № 43). When the disciples who had been trained directly by Jesus Christ died, a current arose in the Church that incorporated this tradition into its theology. That is the 'Babylon the great' of the fourth prophecy. 

The 'seven bowls' of the fourth prophecy, shown in the above figure, are said to be "seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives for ever and ever" (15:7) and signify the potency of the New Testament, which was established just at that era. This power, while compelling the Church to go through an agonising time, drives her towards the perfection of the liturgy of the Mass. 

Maria K. M.