Dianne Bergant, C.S.A.

Dec 16 2024

Scripture Study for

The court scene depicted in the first reading describes apostles who are courageous witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus and heralds of this wondrous event to the world. They have been so successful that the high priest is concerned that the temper of the people may have changed and the ruling body might be blamed for Jesus’ death. Peter then launches into a sermon consisting of the fundamental apostolic proclamation. God has reversed the plans of those who put Jesus to death, raising him from the dead and exalting him in a place of honor at God’s own right hand.

The vision that John describes reveals the heavenly throne room, where angels, living creatures, and elders surround the throne of God. The living creatures are reminiscent of the figures that stood guard at the entrance of temples. Twenty-four elders join the four living creatures and the angels in praise. Although the focus is the investiture of the Lamb, the message behind the vision is more specifically theological than Christological. God, not the Lamb, is seated on the throne. Worship of and devotion to Christ must be understood in terms of his relationship with God. To this all cry out, Amen!

Even Jesus’ intimate companions did not recognize the risen Lord. Here recognition comes through his actions, not through his words. Only after the disciples pulled in the multitude of fish did they know it was he. Jesus’ exchange with Peter has many links with Peter’s earlier denial of him. Sobered by that denial, Peter does not now declare that he is capable of being more faithful than the others. Three times Peter denied; three times he is called upon to declare his love. When he does, he is commissioned to assume the role of shepherd in the place of Jesus. He is now a shepherd who can show compassion to those who have failed. As shepherd, he will suffer a fate similar to that which Jesus suffered.

Dec 16 2024

Scripture Study for

“Signs and wonders” refers to the miracles that the apostles were able to accomplish through the divine power bestowed on them by Jesus. This passage is probably a collection of motifs rather than a coherent summary. It states that some people were afraid to join the community of believers; it then contradicts itself by claiming that great numbers were added to their ranks. Actually, both were probably true. The great accomplishments of the early Christians certainly struck fear in the hearts of some, while at the same time they attracted others. Fear and admiration can and do exist side by side, especially when the power of God is evident.

John is caught up by the Spirit and is commissioned by God as were the prophets of old. The function of his vision is twofold: it clarifies the nature of his task, and it confers divine authority on it. John is gripped with fear, literally frightened to death. The figure in the vision responds with the standard declaration of reassurance: Fear not! Do not be afraid! The figure then identifies himself with the classic divine self-revelation: I am! (égó eími). The figure in the vision clearly takes to himself divine characteristics. This vision is not merely for John; it is clearly meant for the churches as well.

It is on the evening of the Resurrection day itself that the Holy Spirit is bestowed on the disciples, who are then commissioned to go forth and declare salvation and judgment. The absent Thomas represents the second generation of Christians, those called to believe through the testimony of others. The faith required of him is, in a way, more demanding than that required of those who actually encountered the risen Lord. Viewed in this way, his doubt might be more understandable. According to Jesus, as profound as was Thomas’ ultimate faith, it does not compare with the faith of those who do not enjoy the kind of experience of the Lord described here.

Dec 16 2024

Scripture Study for

Peter traces the scope and the spread of the gospel. He states that the power of Jesus’ ministry flowed from his having been anointed by God with the Holy Spirit. It was in and through this power that he performed good works. Peter himself was a witness to all of these wonders. Although Jesus’ ministry began with his baptism by John, it continues through people like Peter who are commissioned to preach the gospel and to bear witness to it. The power of the Resurrection is open to all who believe in Jesus. This is truly good news to the Gentiles.

The short passage from Colossians contains the fundamental teaching about the Resurrection and the way the death and resurrection of Christ transform the lives of Christians. It contrasts the world above (heaven) and the world below (earth). Having risen from the dead, Christ is now in the realm of heaven. True Christian behavior flows from belief in this reality. Joined with Christ, believers are already with Christ in God. This is not merely a dimension of Christians’ future expectation, it is an already-accomplished fact. They have not left this world, but they are summoned to be attentive to the things of another world.

The Gospel reading’s reference to darkness rather than the dawn of a new day may be the author’s way of incorporating the light/darkness symbolism. The stone had been moved from Jesus’ tomb and Mary of Magdala presumed that his body had been taken away. She seems to have entertained no thought of his resurrection. She ran off to tell Peter and “the other disciple,” an example of how Jesus’ disciples did not understand the scriptures concerning his resurrection. They would need both a Resurrection experience and the opening of their minds to the meaning of the scriptures. Neither Mary, probably Jesus’ closest female disciple, nor Peter, the leader of the Christian community, nor “the other disciple” grasped the truth of the Resurrection.

Dec 16 2024

Scripture Study for

A heavy price is exacted of the servant spoken of by Isaiah. He suffers both personal insult and physical attack. In the face of his affliction, he maintains that God is his strength. Such maltreatment was usually interpreted as punishment. However, that is not the case here. This is an innocent victim. Much of the content of this passage resonates with that found in many of the laments. However, there is really no complaint here, just a description of the sufferings that accrue from faithfully carrying out the mission assigned by God. If anything, this passage resembles a declaration of confidence in God’s sustaining presence.

Being in the form of God, Christ enjoys a Godlike manner of being. Nonetheless, he did not cling to this or use his exalted status for his own ends. Furthermore, though in the form of God, he chose the form of a servant or slave. This does not mean that he only resembled a human being; he really was one. Having taken on the form of a slave, he made himself obedient. Finally, the exaltation of Christ is as glorious as his humiliation was debasing. Consequently, every knee shall do him homage and every tongue shall proclaim his sovereignty.

The narrative of the Lord’s Supper is a classic farewell scene. Its connection with the Passover underscores the supper’s end-time significance; mention of “covenant in blood” points to its sacrificial character. The events that take place on the Mount of Olives are the prelude to the rejection and the agony in store for Jesus. Faced with the terrors, he accepts them as the will of God. Throughout this narrative, Jesus is portrayed as the non-violent, innocent victim of the unwarranted hatred and bloodthirsty desires of major sections of both the Jewish and the Roman populations. The execution is reported in a matter-of-fact manner. The culminating event of the redemption of the world is accomplished with dispatch.

Dec 16 2024

Scripture Study for

Ezekiel uses bodily resuscitation as a metaphor for Israel’s reestablishment after its exile in a foreign land. The fact that the metaphor describes reconstitution of the dead does not necessarily mean that the people believed in resurrection. In fact, its improbability may be one of the strongest reasons for employing it, for then God’s wondrous power over death itself could be revealed. Resurrection would proclaim that God can bring life out of death, can make the impossible possible. The reconstitution of the bodies is likened to a new creation. Both original creation and this reconstitution are unconditional gifts from a magnanimous God.

Paul contrasts life in the flesh and life in the spirit. By flesh he means human nature in all the limitations that sometimes incline one away from God and the things of God. Life in the spirit is attuned to God and is that dimension of the human being that can be joined to the very Spirit of God. The real point of this passage is the resurrection of those who live a life in the spirit in union with God. Just as Christ conquered death and lives anew, so those joined to Christ will share in his victory and will enjoy new life.

The death of Lazarus became the opportunity for Jesus to identity himself as the Resurrection and the Life. The explanation of this claim is the heart of Jesus’ teaching here. Belief in him establishes a bond of life that not even death can sever. This bond will survive physical death and keep believers from an eternal death. A solemn question is posed: “Do you believe?” Martha’s answer is immediate and unequivocal: “Yes, Lord!” She may not understand, but she believes. The raising of Lazarus could not be denied, but it could be misunderstood. Jesus is not merely a wonder-worker; he himself has the power of resurrection and he is the source of eternal life.