INVITATION TO PASCHAL CELEBRATION

MONDAY, FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

Isa 65:17-21; Ps 30:2,4-6,11-13; Jn 4:43-54

New Heavens and a New Earth

As we enter the fourth week of Lent, the Church’s focus moves from observances to the paschal mysteries. The purpose of the self-mortifications and other observances is to free our minds and hearts to understand and embrace the abundance of heavenly graces that come with celebrating our paschal mysteries. These mysteries are the new and heavenly realities God creates among us for our salvation. The prophet Isaiah prophesied about these new spiritual things surpassing the old as reality surpasses its shadow. “Thus says the Lord: Now I create new heavens and a new earth, the past will not be remembered and will come no more to men’s minds. Be glad and rejoice forever and ever for what I am creating, because I now create Jerusalem ‘Joy’ and her people ‘Gladness.’” God creates new heavenly realities, spiritually perceived and understood. So, the effort to purify our minds and hearts is to be able to grasp these new spiritual things.

In the paschal events and the mysteries they open for us, eternal life is not promised but is given directly to us. They are in the form of grace, which only faith can receive. Our Lenten observances were attempts to multiply our acts of faith in practicing spiritual exercises. We singled out prayer as the central exercise for the holy season, for it makes us present to God, the sacred presence with us. He promised to renew and heighten his holy presence among us in the paschal celebration. “I shall rejoice over Jerusalem and exult in my people.” The rejoicing and exultation of Yahweh over us are the cause of the paschal mysteries and their fruits in our lives. God is the fullness of life and joy of his people, the renewal of his presence causes an abundance of good things among us. Since the new creations in the paschal events and mysteries are spiritual realities, the flourishing is of spiritual life instead of earthly life. We must, therefore, reckon our blessings in terms of spiritual life instead of physical, for what is physical is transitory, but the spiritual endures forever. He has rescued us from the bondage of sin and restored heavenly life to us through these mysteries. Any physical benefit granted is only a sign pointing to the real blessing in the spirit.

The new heavens Yahweh creates for us are in Jesus Christ our Lord. The mysteries of our Lord Jesus, who is true God from true God, constitute the new heavens we are to possess through walking the new earth he made for us. The sacred humanity of our Lord is the new earth, the way we must walk to access the mysteries of the new heavens. The Father granted us all the manifold blessings of heaven in the Son of Man. Those who had no faith in the Son of Man could not have access to the heavenly blessings he provided for men. In the gospel passage, Jesus left Samaria for Galilee where they did not express faith in him. “He himself had declared that there is no respect for a prophet in his own country, but on his arrival the Galileans received him well, having seen all that he had done at Jerusalem during the festival which they too had attended.” The court official expressed faith in him and received the healing of his son at the point of death. These physical goods or gifts he grants us are signs of higher and better heavenly gifts he has blessed us with. He admonishes us to believe and enter these heavenly realities without the signs. “So you will not believe unless you see signs and portents!” Our celebration of the paschal mysteries offers us an open gate to enter the new heavens and earth the Father has created for us in his Son, Jesus Christ. Let us celebrate with faith.

Let us pray: O God, who renew the world through mysteries beyond all telling, grant, we pray, that your Church may be guided by your eternal design and not be deprived of your help in this present age. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.