November 1994 - JOHANNINE HOURS - Luke 23,33-49

[The "Johannine hours" are meant as a way of seeking God in silence and
prayer in the midst of our daily life. During the course of a day, take
a moment to read the Bible passage with the short commentary and to
reflect on the questions which follow. Afterwards, a small group people
can meet to share what they have discovered and perhaps for a time of
prayer.]

To renew our trust in God, we need to contemplate what is at the heart
of our faith, the dead and risen Christ.

In his body, Jesus brought the love of God to places where God seemed to
be absent. He experienced anguish, failure, being abandoned by almost
all his close friends, humiliation, torture, exclusion and a violent
death. He knows what it means to be nothing any longer. He speaks to us
from the very last place of all humanity. "He wanted to make our sins
his own" (St Augustine).

Jesus' last words help us to understand the two inner attitudes he
maintains to the very end. Toward human beings, he expresses forgiveness
and intercession (23,34). To God, he entrusts everything into his hands;
he calls him "Father" to the last; he continues to trust in the One who
can create new life even out of this situation (23,46).

Luke tells us how those who saw Jesus die were deeply moved. Looking at
the cross means welcoming within ourselves the two attitudes Jesus
persevered in until his very last breath and in this way taking part in
his mystery. He entrusts this mystery to us so that we can live it out
in the world.

It is true that our forgiveness is not always total. And when we call
God "Father," our trust can remain fragile, this trust in God who gives
us life, who can create something new and who invites us to dare to be
creators in our turn. But it is important to remember that Christ
welcomes the little we have and makes up what is lacking. He forgives
with us. By his Spirit, he says with us and in us: "Father!"

Q: Where do I find the wellsprings of Christ's forgiveness?

Q: How can forgiveness be a priority in our Christian communities?

Q: Am I familiar with this experience: continuing, even in a difficult
   situation, to call God "Father," in other words to trust in him? Did
   this trust help me to deal with suffering and even to find new life
   in the midst of it?

email address taize@cpe.ipl.fr



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file: /pub/resources/text/Taize/johannine: jh9411.txt