Paradise Lost, Paradise Found

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

In Jesus’ condemnation of the attitude of the Pharisees we see how man has corrupted the beautiful destiny God assigned to Him, the destiny we see in the first reading–to rule as just monarch over all creation.

Instead, the Pharisees of Jesus’ time and so, so many in our time as well seek oppression of their fellow man in order to secure their own dominance and power.

The gift of God at creation, dominance over that creation, was lost to man with original sin, and ever since he pitiably seeks to establish some semblance of his sense of dignity, nobility, and greatness. He seeks cheap dominance over his brothers and sisters, and a vain, passing taste of superiority.

The entire story arc of Jesus’ life, and by extension the life of His faithful followers, is the exact inverse of this pitiable clawing for scraps of self-worth. Jesus does not seek to rise, but indeed descends and abases Himself by taking on flesh, out of love. He comes from a place of infinite superiority and perfect security to make Himself the vulnerable servant.

We, His followers, will never get beyond the shadow of the ideal of following in Jesus’ humble footsteps if we do not first fill ourselves with His greatness, His security through our relationship with Him in prayer and in the sacraments. A full dose of these gifts of Jesus comes slowly, through a steadfast commitment to a sometimes “unfulfilling” stretch of daily contemplative prayer. But the reward is a complete upending of our miserable lives, turned over to represent the descending and re-ascending arc of Jesus as we give ourselves to our fellow humans.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Tell Jesus that you want the destiny He has come to give you, which transcends even the original greatness and nobility of Adam. Then ask Him to give you the courage and the means to follow His story arc of self-forgetfulness to bring other humans to the same destiny that you have found.