|
|
PART II
12. THE CROSS AND THE CANDLE
“we shall be like a candle which consumes
itself in giving light to others.”
(
Candles, oil lamps, torches,
Christmas/Hanukah/Divali lights, and today, even our lit up cell phones in the dark, all
indicate a human attraction to this mode of expression, to indicate something
important in our life, be it honoring the dead, celebrating important religious
feast days, a birthday or a festive event like a large musical, or entertaining
event like "America's Got Talent".
Let's look closely at what a
Paschal candle can teach us. As we mentioned previously, Christ shines the brightest from the Cross
(click link to view) as stormy clouds block
out the sun, as if wanting to obscure the Brightest
of all 'suns', the Son of God. But it also meets those in darkness, who
from their darkness, are open to come out into the light. In fact, Christ experiences the darkness, as He feels the
absence of his Father while hanging on the Cross.
(Cfr.
Matthew 27:46)
In death, He descends into
lower regions of existence, in a great act of humility.
Or as mentioned before, like
the seed going down into the darkness of the ground, to be raised up by the
Holy Spirit, to new life in the Resurrection.
"Arise! Shine, for your light
has come, the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you. Though
darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds, the peoples. Upon you the
Lord will dawn, and over you his glory will be seen. Nations
shall walk by your light, kings by the radiance of your dawning."
(Isaiah 60:1-3)
We compare Christ to the
Pascal candle, as in His dying out of love for us on the Cross,
He destroys sin and its consequence, eternal death. But DYING TO DEATH, MEANS RISING TO NEW LIFE. We mark on the Paschal candle, that Christ is
present for us today, as well as from the beginning to the end of time, (the
"alpha" and "omega"). The new light shines, burns and
flickers. In the same way, Christ enlightens
us, showing the way, enflames us
with heat of His love, generating
abundant joyful and peaceful life as
if expressed by the flickering of
the flame. The powerful flame of incredible love moves
our hearts, turning us into flames of
love, as each of us light up our
own candles from THE Candle. It is
the same flame that multiplies, just
as the bread was multiplied through the empathetic compassion of Jesus, because
love is life-giving and generates and
multiplies goodness.
When he disembarked and saw the vast
crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep
without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. By now it was
already late and his disciples approached him and said, "This is a
deserted place and it is already very late. Dismiss them so that they can go to
the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” He said to them in reply, "Give them
some food yourselves." But they said to him, "Are we to buy two
hundred days" wages worth of food and give it to them to eat?" He asked them, "How many loaves do you
have? Go and see." And when they had found out they said, "Five
loaves and two fish." So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on
the green grass. The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by
fifties. Then, taking the five loaves
and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the
loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; he also
divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied. (Mark 6:
34-42)
We will feed of this life giving love in the Eucharist, as
we eat His Body and drink His Blood.
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread
of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me
will never thirst.
... “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless
you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within
you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I
will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink. (John
6: 35. 53-56)
This includes remembering,
that we are all part of the Mystical Body of Christ, and that eating the Body of Christ and drinking His blood leads us to take part in building
the Reign of Christ.
Now you are Christ's body, and
individually parts of it. Some people
God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets;
third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration,
and varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have
gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual
gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in human and
angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing
cymbal. And if I have the gift of
prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so
as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away
everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not
have love, I gain nothing.
(1 Corinthians 12: 27-31; 13: 1-3)
It's like the bees that
contribute with the wax they produce, as is mentioned in the "Exultat" of Easter (Paschal) Vigil proclamation:
..But now we know the praises of this
pillar,
which glowing
fire ignites for God's honor,
a fire into
many flames divided,
yet never
dimmed by sharing of its light,
for it is fed
by melting wax,
drawn out by mother
bees
to build a
torch so precious... (cfr. Exultat)
But the wax needs to allow
itself to melt, die to self and offer itself through the wick, for the flame of
the candle to shine. We darken the presence of God in our life through Christ,
when we resist, by not allowing the Holy Spirit to move us from within, so as
to die to self and rise to new life.
The wick is also necessary for this to take place. It runs through the candle
and is engulfed in the flame. In the
same way, the visible presence of Christ as head of the Body, through
established leadership, must also be willing to sacrifice itself for Christ and
for the People of God, whom they serve, just as the wick burns away, so that
the flame is kept ablaze.
13. THE CROSS AND THE
REVOLUTION THROUGH LOVE
