Mar 2014 The Road to Daybreak A Spiritual Journey by Henri J M Nouwen

Continue from ...... Announcing the Covenant It was very moving to see the retreatants stand in front of the altar and announce their covenant with Jesus and the poor. As I looked into the faces of my brothers and sisters who had chosen the downward way of Jesus, I realized that they would give me the strength to announce the same covenant when the time for it comes. The more I ponder what Jean Vanier has said, the more I realize how seemingly impossible is the way he calls me to go. Everything in me wants to move upward. Downward mobility with Jesus goes radically against my inclinations, against the advice of the world surrounding me, and against the culture of which I am a part. In choosing to become poor wiht the poor at L'Arche, I still hope to gain praise for that choice. Wherever I turn I am confronted with my deep-seated resistance against following Jesus on his way to the cross and my countless ways of avoiding poverty, whether material, intellectual, or emotional. Only Jesus, in whom the fullness of God dwells, could freely and fully choose to be completely poor. I see clearer now that choosing to become poor is choosing to make every part of my journey with Jesus. Becoming truly poor is impossible, but "nothing is impossible to God" (Lk. 1:37). In and through Jesus I believe that the way to true poverty will open itself to me. After all, it is not my poverty that has any value, but only God's poverty, which becomes visible through my life. This sounds unreal, but when I saw the men and women who announced their covenant with Jesus and the poor, I saw how real this downward way of Jesus is and how, if I go this way, I go not alone, but as a member of the "body of Jesus." Seldom have I experienced so directly the difference between individual heroism and communal obedience. Whenever I think about becoming poor as something I must accomplish, I become depressed. But as soon as I realize that my brothers and sisters call me to go this way with them in obedience to Jesus, I am filled with hope and joy. This afternoon we all returned to our different communities and foyers. It was a very hard week for me, but full of blessings. Passion, Death and Resurrection Being Handed Over Jesus, sitting at table with his disciples, said, "One of you will betray me" (Jn. 13:21). As I look more closely at Jesus' words as they are written in Greek, a better translation would be "One of you will hand me over." The term paradidomi means "to give over, to hand over, to give into the hands of." It is an important term not only to express what Judas did, but also what God did. Paul writes, "...he did not spare his own Son, but 'handed him over' for the sake of all of us" (Rom. 8:32) If we translate Judas' action as "to betray," as applied to Judas, we do not fully express the mystery because Judas is described as being an instrument of God's work. That is why Jesus said, "The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed (handed over)" (Mt. 26:24). This moment when Jesus is handed over to those who do with him as they please is a turning point in Jesus' ministry. It is turning from action to passion. After years of teaching, preaching, healing and moving to wherever he wanted to go, Jesus is handed over to the caprices of his enemies. Things are now no longer done by him, but to him. He is flagellated, crowned with thorns, spat at, laughed at, stripped, and nailed naked to a cross. He is a passive victim, subject to other people's actions. From the moment Jesus is handed over, his passion begins, and through this passion he fulfills his vocation. It is important for me to realize that Jesus fulfills his mission not by what he does, but by what is done to him. Just as with everyone else, most of my life is determined by what is done to me and thus is passion. And because most of my life is passion, things being done to me, only small parts of my life are determined by what I think, say, or do. I am inclined to protest against this and to want all to be action, originated by me. But the truth is that my passion is a much greater part of my life than my action. Not to recognize this is self-deception and not to embrace my passion with love is self-rejection. It is good news to know that Jesus is handed over to passion, and through his passion accomplishes his divine task on earth. It is good news for a world passionately searching for wholeness.

- To Be Continued - © Copyright Shalom 2013. All rights reserved.