10/01/2023

The Letter to the Hebrews reveals how the first Christians were always interpreting what they had witnessed in the three years that Jesus had walked the earth There were many who had seen the Lord alive and preaching and many of them had seen the tragedy of Calvary and the result of the complete shock of the Resurrection. 

It is amazing but true that eyewitnesses do not always recall the same event identically as each other so in the first centuries there were as many versions of the Good News as there were witnesses. The versions of Scripture we now know as the New Testament were not codified until the middle of the fourth century. Prior to that the recollections of the Apostles and disciples were fragmented throughout the Roman Christianised world. Not only were the deeds of the witnesses recalled differently but the lessons, the revelation by the Holy Spirit for us to learn, were interpreted differently too.

The letter to the Hebrews is a very early attempt to tell us what Jesus is and as such it is part of the basis of billions of words written since then that have also attempted to understand how it could be that the carpenter's son from Nazareth had been crucified buried in his tomb and then risen from death in what was  seemingly the same body ( St Thomas even checked for us the wounds not only by sight but also  by touch) that had been buried in the  Tomb.

The Gospel reading recalls Jesus the living man, a devout Jew who, following the Law of Moses, was keeping his Sabbath holy by joining the congregation in Capernaum. He not only joined the Synagogue but took a prominent part and as he read from the scrolls the charisma that had called the fishermen to follow the stranger from Nazareth was felt by all present as authority

God's creation is far greater than his revelation to us. There are other beings whom we know as Spirits, Angels or Devils and it was one of the later seeing the God he had revolted from who screamed out in fearful recognition. God chose to redeem our world lost by the sin of Adam by becoming human as were Adam and Eve and in this humanity become the sanctifier of our corrupted nature.

God the Evergreater Trinity cannot been explained by all the Theologians, saintly or otherwise, for he is truly beyond comprehension.  He is, however, always knowable as his grace enables us to reflect on the Love which has been lavished on us by so great a saviour and to return that Love by loving conformity to the will of God. Our Faith is in the Father our Hope is in the Son and our Love is the Holy Spirit "thrice blessed three in one."

Dear Lord, help me to return your Love and avoid sin and the occasions of sin. Let me become selfless in my being and learn to live always in your grace praying for all those who wilfully deny you. May Mary whose bearing of you from the first moment of conception cannot be forgotten and who knows you in the humility of your complete humanity and the Glory you now have, help us all this day on earth to live in grace and praise of you our Creator God.