Fr. Bona's Blog

The Learned, the Wealthy, and the Powerful Seek Jesus

In the fourth Gospel, the evangelist, John reports that “there were some Greeks among those who had come up to worship at the feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, ‘Sir, we would like to see Jesus’. Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip told Jesus” (John 12; 20-22).

The Greeks in the ancient times were known for their excellence in learning. The reputed fathers of philosophy, that is, the great philosophers of antiquity: Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates, were Greek. Through their learning, the Greeks greatly influenced the civilization of the ancient world. They contributed immensely to the development of politics, music, literature, science, technology, and sports. The Greek language is one the oldest written languages in the world. So, we are not surprised that the New Testament books were originally written in Greek, and from this, it was translated to other languages.

The Gospel according to Luke tells the story of a man called Zacchaeus. He was “a chief tax collector, and also a wealthy man” (Luke 19: 2) and of him it is said he “was seeking to see who Jesus was” (Luke 19: 3). The Jews hated the Romans for the heavy taxes that they imposed on them, and hated more their own fellow Jews who as tax collectors helped the Roman government with extorting taxes from them. The only thing that would have made Jews like Zacchaeus to choose this kind of work was the desire for wealth. He became wealthy but did not have the fulfilment he needed in life.

During the trial of Jesus, Pilate got to know that he was from Galilee, an area under the jurisdiction of Herod. For this reason, and since Herod too was in Jerusalem at the time, Pilate sent Jesus to him to try him. The Scripture says that “Herod was very glad to see Jesus; he had been wanting to see him for a long time…” (Luke 23: 8).

Herod Antipas was a great political power of his time. He was from a noble and royal family. His father, Herod the Great was the one that massacred the innocent children with the intention of having Jesus killed. Herod Antipas imprisoned John the Baptist and ordered him to be beheaded (Matthew 14: 3-12). This was how powerful he was, and yet, this powerful man had a long-lasting desire for Jesus.

Learning, wealth and power represent the great ways, things and positions that men and women in the world desire and seek. People make extreme sacrifices to have these and those who have them are usually admired and accorded respect and honor in society. As good, and as useful as learning, wealth and power might be, they do not guarantee lasting peace, joy, fulfilment, or satisfaction. They are not solutions for the restlessness and emptiness that human beings feel within them.

Jesus has all it takes to give us rest, and he invites us: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11: 28). This invitation is for all, particularly the learned, the wealthy and the powerful. The learned, the wealthy, and the powerful need Jesus and they seek him.

© Fr Bona. 2024, October 1.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, some wise men from the East came to Jerusalem in search of him. According to them, they saw his star in the East and came to worship him (Matthew 2:1). When they saw the child with its mother Mary, they prostrated themselves, worshipped him, and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2: 1-11). These men are traditionally and popularly known as the “wise men” or “the Magi”.

Wisdom, as the ability to make right judgements and to follow a sound course of actions in life, is a value, a virtue and a gift that is highly cherished by people in every age and land. Most human beings desire wisdom and wish to be counted among the wise. The love of wisdom, philosophy, is the mother of all intellectual pursuits.

The Old Testament has a collection of books known as the “Wisdom books”. These books: Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiasticus, Wisdom, Psalms, and Song of Songs, educate people on the meaning, importance and operations of wisdom, and invites them to be wise.

Beyond the Old Testament’s emphasis on wisdom, and its belief that all true wisdom comes from God, the New Testament identifies wisdom with Jesus Christ. The Scripture calls Jesus Christ “the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1: 24). He is “God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for our glory” (1 Corinthians 2: 7).

Jesus repeatedly called the attention of his followers to the need for them to be wise. He concluded the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6, and 7), with these words: “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock….But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand” (Matthew 7: 24,26).

The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25: 1-13) is one of Jesus’ teachings about the importance of wisdom. Virginity is a symbol of purity and innocence. All the ten were virgins, but five of them were wise and the other five, foolish. The foolish virgins lost out because they lacked wisdom.

While sending out his disciples on mission, Jesus gave them this instruction: “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, therefore, be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10: 16). The parable and the instruction show that innocence without wisdom is not sufficient for success in life and salvation.

In Jesus Christ, wisdom became revealed not just as a value or virtue, but as a person. True wisdom cannot be conceived outside Christ Jesus. So, we can understand why the men from the East who came looking for the new-born Jesus are called wise. They are wise on account of their actions in relation to Jesus: they sought Jesus, when they found him, they worshipped him, and they gave him the most precious gifts that they had.

In sum, we can confidently say that they are wise who seek Jesus. They are wise who worship him. They are wise who offer him the best of their treasures. They are wise who listen to him, and they are wise who abide by his words. Human actions, decisions, and choices are wise to the extent that they in Christ, through Christ and with Christ. Such is the wisdom that guarantees the journey of humans through time to eternity. The choice is ours to make, to join or not join the company of the wise. Think of wisdom, think Jesus!

Relationship is something that every human being needs for a meaningful existence. People do not just need relationships; they need lasting ones. Times without number, I hear people say that they want somebody with whom to spend the rest of their lives, and by this, they mean either a wife or a husband. Well, marriage is one of the lasting relationships in human life because it is usually “for better, for worse”, that is, for life.

However, there is no human being that can spend the rest of his or her life with us. This is just the fact. Parents and their children cannot spend the rest of their lives together. Husbands and wives cannot also do so. Friends cannot be there for one another always. There are times when we cannot be there for the people we care for and love.

Jesus is the only person with whom we can spend the rest of our lives. He is the only one who has been with us right from our conception, who is with us throughout our life on earth, and will be with us in eternity. Jesus is Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1: 23).

A personal relationship with Jesus is necessary for human existence. For this reason, every human being is called to a personal relationship with Jesus. This call is not for members of any religion or Church but every man and woman in the world. We are called to be in relationship with Jesus as brothers or sisters, disciples, companions, and friends.

One of the mistakes that people make is that they associate Jesus with religion, Church, morality, or heaven. So, when one speaks of Jesus, they immediately think of religion or Church. This mistake goes to the point that people transfer their anger and disappointment with a religion or Church to Jesus.

Well, the Christian religion takes its origin from Jesus and the Church is the body of Christ, but Jesus did not come for the sake of any religion or any Church. He came to save the world, which includes everybody and everything. This is what the Bible says (John 3: 16): “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him will have eternal life”.

As soon as we get to know who Jesus is, our need for a relationship with him becomes clearer to us. Let us take a few passages of the Bible that shed light on who Jesus is for us. In John 14: 6, Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life”. In John 8: 12, Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life”. In John 8: 36, Jesus said, “If the Son sets you free, then you are truly free”, and in John 10: 10, Jesus said, “I came that they might have life more abundantly”. This is Jesus.

Jesus is everything we need as humans (the life, light, freedom, truth, and way) to be and to do everything is life. So, when we think or talk of Jesus, we have in mind the source of our needs for meaningful existence.

A relationship with Jesus begins with an encounter with him, which can happen in diverse ways, times, and places. Prayer, the word of God, the Eucharist, retreats, works of charity,

and meeting with people are means of encounter with Jesus. The places of encounter with him include the family, school, Church, workplace, etc.

The NDP campus offers us many opportunities of encounter with Jesus. Some of these opportunities include places, people and symbols: the chapel, celebration of Masses, exposition of the Eucharist, monthly adoration, sacrament of reconciliation, devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary especially through the praying of the rosary, daily Examen, retreats, Kairos, visible religious symbols like crosses, chaplets, holy pictures, and so on. Any of these can generate an encounter with Jesus.

Like every healthy personal relationship, our relationship with Jesus requires commitment to presence and communication. Our relationship with Jesus can be measured by the intensity of our presence and communication with him. Sometimes, being present with Jesus requires setting apart time and place for encounter, but often, it does not. The Eucharist gives advantage to Catholics in terms of presence. He is always they for us. Essentially, presence with Jesus is more a matter of consciousness; being aware of his presence with us. This can take place at any time and in any place.

The awareness of Jesus’ presence with us gives rise to communication; we say something to Jesus or listen to him speak to us: “Good morning/afternoon/evening Jesus”, “I know you are with me”, “I love you”, “I need your help now”, “I am sorry for…”, “Please, bless…”, “Thank you for…”, “Bye”, etc. Silence is an effective way of presence and communication.

Having and building up a relationship with Jesus has some challenges. Jesus is not as physical to us as he was to people during his earthly life. Relating with a person that is not visible to us requires faith and imagination. Jesus is not popular to many people in the present generation. Relating with him is like moving against the tide of peer pressures and societal resistance. The enemy, the evil one, because his plans towards us is to kill, steal and kill (John 10: 10), does not want us to be in relationship with Jesus. God has provided us with power to overcome these challenges, namely, our faith and the Holy Spirit. We shall take time to reflect on these gifts later.

My prayer is that we discover and appreciate our need for a relationship with Jesus Christ and have the courage to live by this discovery. Amen.

© Fr Bona September 9, 2024.

15 Minutes with Mary

Praying the rosary is a way of spending quality time with Mary. The Rosary is one of the most beautiful prayers in human-Christian history. It is spending time in the company of Mary.

The Scriptures portray Mary as one who loves the company of people. She is every time seen in company. In the house of Elizabeth, with Jospeh, with Joseph and Jesus, in the wedding in Cana in Galilee (John 2), with the other women at the foot of the Cross (John 19), with the disciples at the Upper Room after the Ascension (Acts 2).

Mary craves the company of people not primarily because of her need but for the sake of the needs of others. She was there for Elizabeth, for the wedding family, for Jesus and for the disciples. Her constant apparitions are for the same purpose.

If there is one person whose company we need in life, it is Mary’s. In her company, we experience God’s favors. Think of the wedding in Cana in Galilee; Jesus and his disciples were there at the wedding, but if it were not for Mary’s presence, the wedding would have ended in obvious shame. The shame was averted because Mary was there.

Mary is the highly favored of God (Luke 1: 28). She is the most highly favored of all the children of Eve and Adam (Luke 1: 42). Favor can be contagious. By associating closely with the favored, we become favored too. Those in need of favor should seek Mary’s company.

Mary is a person of joy. She has a rejoicing-spirit. Her song is a song of praise and rejoicing (Luke 1: 46-55). She is the kind of person we should fellowship with. Joy radiates joy.

The company of Mary gives us an assurance of Jesus’ presence. We cannot have Jesus without Mary. What God has joined together; no human being should separate.

Time spent praying the rosary is time spent with Mary. Five decades of the rosary takes about 15 minutes. Habitually having fifteen minutes with Mary can greatly contribute to transforming our world.

© Fr Bona, 2024, September 3.