2nd L-Sun "TRANSFIGURATION" Lk 9.28-36 (24.02.13)

The Apostle Peter      (leader of the Christian Community of Rom
The Apostle James    ( leader of the Christian Community of Jerusalem
The Apostle John       (special friend of Jesus
Lk tells us: These three main-Apostles, they look at Jesus again and again
First: he is for them the one who has called them, the new profet of Nazareth,
         he is the firstborn son of the carpenter-family Joseph
         he is a famous healer, somehow a "stranger"...
Sec.  The Apostles are on the way do discover more...
         they see in HIM a Moses-figure:
                       ( the one who has a new name for God
                       ( the liberator of Israel out of slavery
                       (the bringer of the 10 commandments
         they see in HIM an Elijah-figure:
                       (the one who burns down the gods
                       (the one who drives the heavon by fire-horses

Such "transfiguration" is a special human capacity. Again and again we see something or somebody and we add more and more new "meanings"
into the old picture, we are on a discovery-journey...
first: we see a house         later: we make it a home
first: we see a girl             later: she becomes a gril-friend
first: we see a rose           later: we use it as a gift
first: we see a profet         later: we adore him as a "Son of God"
first: we see braed       later: we eat the "body of Christ"
first: we "see" Jahwe     later: we discover a Mystery
etc...

1st Lenten-Sunday C Lk 4.1-13 (17.02.2013)

We know already JvN likes to realize the "Kingdom of God" (Lk 4.21)
and we have found a translation thereof:
                              "to participate with the fullness of Life".

The story "temptation in the wilderness" (Lk 4.1-13) clarifies quite well
what is meant by "to participate with the fullness of Life".

Temptation A) "turn stone into bread" ! If yes
it means: the resources (bread) are un-limited...   (= fullness of Life).
Jesu' first answer: No ! because Christian Life-style accepts that all resources
are and remain limited (water, food, oil, forest / power, love, freedom, peace...)
and they draw thereof the consequences.
Jesu' second answer: No ! because we don't live for the use (waste) of the resources (bread), we live because of the challenge of the Word of God.

Temptation B) "worship the devil". If yes
it means: all the kingdoms of the world are un-limited given.
Jesus answers: No ! our worship is limited. We worship the Mystery of God;
nothing else! and therefore we accept all our power and glory as limited.
We don't worship the sun, not the Government, not the money, not the science...

Temptation C) "throw yourwelf down". If yes
it means: angels will allow un-limited behaviour (do whatever you like).
Jesus: No ! our behaviour is limited and we accept it (our view, knowledge, hearing etc... is conditioned and limited). We don't put in question the creation-law.

As we strive to participate with the fullness of Life, we have to recognize:
the resources, the worship, the behaviour - all is limited.
The Life-chance between birth and death is limited - once and for all.
We are Earth-dust or Star-dust...   our AMEN means: we accept to be limited;
we live within limits. We are ambassadors of terminability ( 2 Cor 5.20)

If you fast, you establish a sign of free limitation - you not only accept limits,
you see a great value in the Life-limitation.
How do we integrate our "participation with the fullness of life" into the
experienced Life-limitation ?

ASH-Wednesday (13.02.2013)

Today the Church brings to our attention a FACT: Life is dust, limited!
We are STAR-DUST sure! but we are more - Life is limited!
Birth and Death are the two main facts - we are between - and this is dust.
In the meantime we are blossom and decay, we are Children of God and sinners,
we are lovers and figthers, we are constructors and destroyers;
we are artists... we are...   but all is DUST / STARDUST!
It's wise and rational to accept the fact that all is limited!
Exactly the exercise of this fact is LENTEN-time. To become realistic...
To learn to see things as they are...
Our balance between objective and subjective perception will help us to get a realistic world-view - but more: by this way we let the reality reveal itself.
For this - following Paulus (2 Cor 5.20) - we are Ambassadors: to bring into this world, to bring to our people the reality we have discovered, the reality revealed to us. We hope as baptised Christian we have also discovered the reality of Jesus
Christ; maybe also the reality of the Mystery of God.
It doesn't matter:  remember - you are stardust
                                                and to stardust we will return.        Amen

FISHING Lk 5.1-11 (10.02.2013) 5th Sunday C

Jesus calls Simone Petrus (this means the whole Church) to become
"fisher of men". Every Religion, every Idea, every concept... needs this
activity: to bring people in; to get coworkers. to have members...
it's a natural law to get people to carry the idea further...
the "fishing of men" is all over, at all time - it's the fight for survival.
It's not Jesus Christ, it's not the Holy God, who decides about the
religious majority; it's the people called "fishers of men"!

Jesus has convinced Petrus Simon + Co: if you go out fishing in my name
there will be a great catch! In 2013 the Christianity is the bigest "fishing- enterpriese" between the Religions of the World. But things are going to change!
If we like to have in future a "Christian World" we must increase our fishing-effort!

 "Simon Petrus follows Jesus" - means: he takes over the fishing-method of Jesus.
It's a pity, the Church has not all the time kept to the method of Jesus.
Not "fishing men" is the problem - the problem is the method! And this is what we have to learn again.
We learn the method of Jesus A) as we meditate the gospel
                                               B) as we work togehter with a Christian group
                                               C) as we have the courage to make experiences.
In my view the method of Jesus is composed of:
1.) INVITATION (no force, no order, no gratification, no tricks...)
2.) ATTRACTION (the Church must be made attractive in a good sense)
3.) ANIMATION (to empower people for a free YES)

Attempted murder Lk 4.21-30 (03.02.2013)

Lk shows the situation:
Already at the times of Elijah: as there was a great famine - the profet didn't help
Also at the times of Elisha - there was a great number of lepers -
                                                                                              the profet didn't help
The same now at Nazareth - there are many sick people - the profet cannot help.

Why not ?
Because wonders / signs of Jesus are not meant to satisfy the needs of the people,
to fulfill the desires or the expectations of the people -
wonders are signs to show in which directions "life" has to develop
in order to participate with the fullness of Life.

A very old missunderstanding.
Since there are gods, in some religions there is a tendency to let people believe: gods - if willingly - are able to help. Gods are mighty, are mostly good; if you fulfill god's will, he/she will help - maybe! And this is a reason why people became beggars. Such missunderstanding has taken place also among the Jahwe-believers -
until 2013 -
and if the god is not fulfilling the people's expectations, people can get very angry...

Our question of last Advent:
which kind of God people have in mind - is still actual

Jesus going public Lk 4.14-21 (27.01.2013)

The start of the public work of Jesus in the 4 Evv
By Mt 4.12-25 Jesus goes to the City of Capernaum;
                                   proclaims: the Kingdom of God is at hand
                                   calls disciples and shows his healing power
By Mk 1.14-15 Jesus goes round in Galilee
                                   proclaims: the Kingdom of God is at hand
By Joh 2.1-12   Jesus change water into wine / start with a wonder
By Lk  4.14-21 Jesus identify himself with Isaiah
                                   The Holy Spirit sent me...to bring good news to the afflicted.
                                   And to good news that's me!

In the OLD TESTAMENT the Kingdom of God is a promise
In the NEW TESTAMENT the Kingdom of God is at hand / ready to be activated;
                                      Jesus shows the way...  wonder + cross
In the GLOBAL TESTAMENT the Kingdom of God brings God and Humanity and Kosmos into unity. Quite a great work: the integration into our world-view
of the knowledge about the kosmos, of the teachings of Gods and of the understandings about humanity.

In 2013 we see all three TESTAMENTS at work; into which tradition you like to
integrate yourself ?


                                 

The FIRST of all the wonders Joh 2.1-12 (20.01.2013)

Jesus has started his own profetic work with the slogan: "The kingdom of God is
at hand". He came to activate the kingdom of God.
John the Ev shows us by the story of the FIRST of all the wonders what Jesus
likes to do, what is meant by "kingdom of God":

In the view of Jesus + John etc... Life is a feast!                   (wedding at Cana)
But there is the experience of a shortage of Joy!           (wine the symbol of joy)
The Church knows what to do!               (Mary the symbol of the Church says...)
                  1. To recognize the situation... the shortage  (they have no wine)      
                  2. Why and in which situation to turn to Jesus.
                                        If you turn to Jesus to have fulfilled your needs,your
                                        desires - Jesus will tell you "It's not my kairos"! (chance)
                  3. In every case: "Do whatever he tells you" (HE is the new shepherd).

Now we look at the openning revelation.
                        WATER            HE  CHANGED    into WINE ! ! !
                  (the daily Life)                                          (joy)

The Kingdom of God                       is affirmative            Life-joy.
(The new Life we have started - means: changing the situation into JOY)

This FIRST wonder is the basic of all the other wonders; all wonders of Jesus
are signs, showing us: Jesus likes to change life into JOY (Fulness of Life).
We are a Christian Community to lift up all of us into abundant Life-Joy.