FASHIONING OF MAN FROM THE WORD


TUESDAY, TWENTY SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Gal 1:13-24; Ps 139:1-3,13-15; Lk 10:38-42

The revelation of Jesus Christ in us

We proceed to investigate the mystery of which marriage presents an analogy. St. Paul reminds us of his time as a practicing Jew, how he missed the mark in practicing the Jewish religion with zeal, intending to please God by activities of the religion. Like many of us, he was doing all the traditional things prescribed by the religion, thinking that would make him holy and acceptable to God. But he had no slightest clue that we can never be pleasing to God by our own devices. God works out his good pleasure in us by himself. Just as he put Adam to sleep and took his bone, which he fashioned into a woman for his good purpose and delightful to man, we must go to rest with God and in him, for his word to mould us into what is best for us and in keeping with the divine purpose for us. We move further from God’s plan when we struggle to please God with our works. God made them male and female and united them to become one.

Without God’s intervention in Paul’s life, he would have never been able to make himself pleasing to God. He would never know himself nor be fulfilled because he would never know the mind of God for him, which is in Jesus Christ “Then God, who has specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the pagans.” As the revelation or fashioning of the woman from man enabled what was specifically man to stand out in contrast with the woman, in the same way, what is specifically man stands out when God reveals his Word in each of us. The revelation of the Word in us separates what is specifically human and distinct from the divine within our consciousness or awareness. Just as a bone is taken from Adam to fashion the female, thereby making the male and female distinct awarenesses, or minds and hearts, life is taken from the Word and fashioned into a human consciousness/awareness separate from the Word. For this revelation of the Son of God in Paul, he needed to be alone with God. “I did not stop to discuss this with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were already apostles before me, but I went off to Arabia at once and later went straight back from there to Damascus.” In the loneliness of the desert of Arabia, Saul was transformed into Paul as he slept in the Word, which became distinct from him. The Word is in each of us but in an indistinct manner. 

Only in such a deep sleep will God clear the confusion of our identity. The Psalmist testifies to the mystery we share. “For it was you who created my being, knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank you for the wonder of my being, for the wonders of all your creation.” The wonder of our natural creation is nothing compared to the wonder or mystery of our spiritual creation. In the womb of the Church, God knit us together through his Word which is Spirit and Life. The wonderful activity of God is what is illustrated in the Gospel. God was spiritually knitting Mary together through the word she was attending to. Because of the supreme importance of the moment and the work God was accomplishing in her, our Lord bid Martha not to disturb Mary. “‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’” The secret dwelling and contemplation of the divine Word fashioned Mary into a female Mary before the Eternal Word of God. The new Mary would proclaim the Gospel of the Son of God, who transformed her into a bride. The same transformation produced Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, who preached the Good News to all. Our spiritually fashioned self will preach the Gospel effectively as the bride reveals the Groom. We pray for the grace to seek out the secret place of the Most High.

Let us pray: Grant us, Lord, the grace to understand the need to be quiet before your divine Majesty as Paul did and travelled to Arabia, that quiet and asleep before you, we may be refashioned from attendants to the Bridegroom to brides of your Eternal Word.

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