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Companion book to Snarl (ideal for book clubs)

A SNARL THEOLOGY

A Snarl Theology isn’t just a radical idea. It’s a mind-blowing expansion of God’s love. If animals are truly ours to steward, then their relationship to God plays a part in our caretaking. There’s redemption for the animal kingdom, isn’t there?

I’d like to introduce a deeper discussion.

Previe…

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Dec 28, 2022

Snarl is a work of Catholic fiction which, unlike many others, truly fits both terms. It is a story of poignant, moving drama, following the trials of multiple characters whose inner lives are fleshed out through straightforward and down-to-earth prose fitting their unique personalities – an accomplishment which is raised even h…

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“Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?” (Luke 22:48)

One of the most haunting moments in the Passion of Christ is Judas’ kiss. It is a gesture of love, loyalty, and intimacy that, in a single moment, becomes an instrument of betrayal. Judas doesn’t yell or strike Jesus with his fists; instead, he draws near to Him. His lips perform a sacred action while murder dwells in his heart. We are witnessing something that should shock us to our core. It isn’t distance from Christ; rather, it's closeness without love. An outward sign void of inner truth. Scripture reveals why this is so dangerous:

“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34b)

“But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles.” (Matthew 15:18)

“The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good… for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)

Judas’ kiss was not a singular action; it was the revelation of the heart. As Job declares:

“Your own mouth condemns you… your own lips testify against you.” (Job 15:6)

This same gesture reappears on Good Friday but is transformed.

When we venerate the Cross of Christ, we approach, kneel, and kiss the wood upon which Christ gave His life. The lips and mouth are offered to Christ. There is closeness. But here, nothing is hidden. The kiss is not hiding behind a mask, but a revelation of the heart. It is an act of surrender, love, and recognition: this is the cost of my salvation.

The redemption of the lips:

“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.” (Psalm 51:15)

“Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.” (Psalm 63:3)

“Through him… let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise… the fruit of lips that confess his name.” (Hebrews 13:15)

Judas’ kiss masks betrayal; the kiss of the Cross proclaims love. Judas’ action leads Christ into suffering; we draw near to receive that suffering as love. The contrast is important. It is not simply historical. It is deeply personal. The same lips that draw near kissing the Cross also partake in Holy Communion. The same mouth that proclaims Jesus is Lord can also wound others with anger, slander, gossip, and indifference.

“If you are angry with a brother… if you insult… if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire” (Matthew 5:22)

“You must get rid of… anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth.” (Colossians 3:8)

The conversion of the lips and mouth:

“I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue.” (Psalm 39:1)

“Keep watch over your lips.” (Sirach 1:29)

“Who will set a guard over my mouth… that my tongue may not destroy me?” (Sirach 22:27)

Words are not empty. hey bind the soul. A word once spoken can never be unspoken:

“Whatever your lips utter, you must diligently perform.” (Deuteronomy 23:23)

“From the fruit of the mouth one is filled with good things.” (Proverbs 12:14)

And yet, even wounded lips can be healed:

“Take words with you and return to the Lord… we will offer the fruit of our lips.” (Hosea 14:2)

This is why the prayer of Saint Faustina becomes essential. “When I receive Holy Communion, I entreat and beg the Savior to heal my tongue, that I may never fail in love of neighbor.” (Diary #590)

Saint Faustina’s warning:

“The Holy Spirit does not speak to a soul that is distracted and garrulous… He speaks… to a soul who knows how to keep silent.” (Diary #552)

Good Friday places before us a choice revealed in a single act — a kiss. One kiss betrays. The other adores. One is empty, self-serving, and false. The other is surrendered, truthful, and filled with love. Judas kissed Christ and walked into darkness. The faithful kiss the Cross and enter redemption. The difference is not in the gesture, but in the heart.

Each time we approach Christ in the Eucharist, in prayer, the sign of peace, and in every word we speak, we must ask, “Will my lips betray Him, or glorify Him?”

Lord Jesus, purify my heart and redeem my lips. May every word I speak, every silence I keep, and every kiss of reverence I offer flow from love, not pretense. Heal what is wounded within me, guard my tongue from harm, and let my mouth glorify You in truth, humility, and mercy. Amen

Blessings,

John

(With separate reflection for parents/grandparents. Published as an e-book, which will incrementally roll out the Mysteries of the Rosary. PDF available at the bottom of this page)

Meditations by Margit McCarthy

Illustrator: Breanna Silvia

With a Bible in one hand and rosary beads in the other, prepare to experience meaningful moments of prayer with your children. The Biblical Rosary is a wonderful family prayer tool that uses scripture and reflects on the life of Christ. Establishing the habit of family prayer yields blessings for all family members, which brim over to touch many lives beyond your family circles. It’s a portal of divine grace. Any adult who commits to praying with children discovers that children have an innate ability to engage spiritual motifs and respond with passion. It can be labeled as a spiritual superpower. That’s why Jesus beckons, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Mt 19:14)

The Third Joyful Mystery: The Nativity

Third Joyful Mystery: The Nativity

Glory to God in the Highest. (Luke 2:14a)

In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger,” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. Luke 2:1-20 (NABRE)

Children’s Reflection: Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, a small town in Israel. The Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, could rule many nations, including Israel, because Rome had a strong army. Augustus required these nations to pay heavy taxes so that Rome could gain wealth and maintain their army. He ordered a census to count the number of men who lived in these nations. Joseph was of the family of King David; therefore, he had to travel to Bethlehem, the city where David was born. Joseph and Mary traveled slowly since it was soon time for her to give birth. When they arrived at Bethlehem, there wasn’t any room left in the inn. The city was filled with people because of the census. Joseph wouldn’t give up. Mary needed a place to stay because she would soon give birth. All that he could find was a stable where animals slept. He took Mary there.

He made a bed for her out of hay. The stable was humble yet warm. The animals were happy to have them stay. They sensed the holiness of the moment and kept quiet. There, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Jesus didn’t have a nice crib, but Joseph made a bed for him, too. He used the manger, a wooden trough that animals ate from. He cleaned it for Jesus. Mary wrapped Jesus in the clothes she brought for him. She laid him in the manger. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. That place was filled with immense holiness and love.

A baby is always a blessing from God. The people who care for you understand what this meant for Joseph and Mary. When you were a baby, you too were wrapped in clothes and laid in a warm place to sleep. There probably weren’t any barn animals where you slept, yet maybe you would have liked that? Your room was also filled with love.

Prayer: DDer Jesus, you were once a baby just like I used to be. Angels also sang praises to God when I was born because of your great love for me. Help me to love you too and follow your plan for my life. Goodness and holiness are found in you.

The Lord’s Prayer
Ten Hail Mary’s
The Glory Be

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.

Parents’ Reflection:

Both Matthew and Luke record Our Lord’s Nativity. Their distinct narratives present a harmonic proclamation of His Divine identity and fulfillment of numerous Old Testament prophecies. Convergence centers on His miraculous conception; Mary’s perpetual virginity; Davidic lineage through Joseph’s guardianship; birth in Bethlehem; angelic manifestations; and universal scope of mission signaled by Roman involvement, the Magi’s quest, Judean settings, and lowly Jewish shepherds. Many people sentimentalize the Christmas story, yet closer examination reveals difficult realities. Traveling when Mary was near her due date exposed them to numerous dangers. It emphasized the raw fact that Judea was an occupied nation, her people heavily taxed and oppressed by foreign powers.

It is precisely in this oppressive environment that Jesus chose to be born. Consider the shocking poverty which He freely embraced: subjected to a census which counted people like cattle, traversing rugged terrain, no room for them in the inn, born where oxen, sheep, and donkeys lodged. Mary and Joseph adapted to all these hardships yet remained perplexed. Most likely, they felt woefully inadequate to care for the Son of God. Didn’t Jesus deserve much better?

Christ’s radical solidarity with the plight of Fallen Man had an immediate impact on His family’s lives. We view the Crucifixion as His suffering moment. It is the consummation of a life dedicated to perpetual self-giving love. Contemplate that His entire earthly journey was stamped with cruciformity. Mary and Joseph shared in His walk and matured in God’s ways. They also learned a lot about parenting. Difficult moments twine with the joy and blessings of family life. All parents face numerous challenges. Difficulties open new opportunities to cling to Jesus, who committed Himself to solidarity with each one of us. Everlasting beauty is carved at the expense of the willingness to imitate Christ and let Jesus teach us the ways of authentic love.

Jesus promised to never leave us nor forsake us. Gospel Nativity narratives radiate the spiritual reality of His Abiding Presence available at every moment.

Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart

Rosary Project Third Joyful Mystery The Nativity

7.3MB ∙ PDF file

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(With separate reflection for parents/grandparents. Published as an e-book, which will incrementally roll out the Mysteries of the Rosary. PDF available at the bottom of this page)

Meditations by Margit McCarthy

Illustrator: Breanna Silvia

With a Bible in one hand and rosary beads in the other, prepare to experience meaningful moments of prayer with your children. The Biblical Rosary is a wonderful family prayer tool that uses scripture and reflects on the life of Christ. Establishing the habit of family prayer yields blessings for all family members, which brim over to touch many lives beyond your family circles. It’s a portal of divine grace. Any adult who commits to praying with children discovers that children have an innate ability to engage spiritual motifs and respond with passion. It can be labeled as a spiritual superpower. That’s why Jesus beckons, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Mt 19:14)

The Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation

Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation

Blessed are you who believed (Luke 1:45a)

During those days, Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed, The Mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home. Luke 1:39-56 (NABRE)

Children’s Reflection: The angel Gabriel announced that Mary would become the mother of Jesus. He also told her that a senior relative, Elizabeth, was six months pregnant. God is a miracle worker! Elizabeth always wanted to have a child, but she laid aside this desire as she grew older. Sometimes, we hold a special prayer in our hearts for a long time. God knew her heart. He blessed her with the child she had prayed for. His name would be John.

Mary was overjoyed when she heard the angel’s wonderful news! She went in haste to visit Elizabeth. Mary stayed to help her and was there when John was born. A marvel occurred when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting. John danced for joy: a big, happy dance. The Holy Spirit let Elizabeth know that Mary was pregnant too. Through grace, Elizabeth understood that Mary’s son was the Savior God had promised to send to her people. Like John, Elizabeth responded with great joy, crying out in a loud, happy voice.

These two women frequently prayed together during those three months. Baby Jesus and Baby John the Baptist, both in the womb, could hear their mothers praying together. Mary and Elizabeth talked about the mighty things God was doing in their lives and for their people. Their immense love for God and for each other grew much stronger. Together, they prepared to become mothers.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, you know all the special prayers I hold in my heart. Help me to understand how deeply you love me and my family. Thank you for your love.

The Lord’s Prayer
Ten Hail Mary’s
The Glory Be

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.

Parents’ Reflection:

Traditional commentaries on The Visitation note that Mary wasn’t self-absorbed. A teenage girl facing an unexpected pregnancy, yet she reaches out to meet Elizabeth’s needs. Able to look beyond her own concerns, she offers help to others. Mary is a model of charity and service. While traditional commentaries are meritorious, there is more for us to consider here.

Reflect upon the edifying relationship between two holy women: Mary and Elizabeth. Just as Mary assisted Elizabeth, Elizabeth also offered much that is often overlooked. This older woman embraces the young mother-to-be with confident, affirming love. Yes! Mary trusts in God’s providential care, yet despite her spiritual maturity and virtue, she is still only 14 or 15 years old at this point in her life. Don’t view Mary as stoic nor as a young woman in charge. Matthew’s Gospel states that Joseph had to wrestle with his own commitment (Mt 1:19-25). Joseph also had to ascend to God’s Will and give his “fiat” (consent). Mary had no control over what Joseph would decide to do. Most likely, Mary’s senses were overwhelmed by her angelic encounter and by the Holy Spirit's overshadowing. She had to process what these events meant for her, for Joseph, and for humanity. Learning about Elizabeth’s stunning pregnancy is part of this miracle package: God’s direct intervention in human history to accomplish our salvation. In the still point of Elizabeth’s presence, in her prophetic welcome, God grants Mary extraordinary clarity expressed in her great Canticle of Praise (The Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55). Elizabeth was a woman who prayed intensely for many decades. Her seasoned calm and gratitude, catalyzed by her own wondrous late-in-life pregnancy, set the tone for reciprocal care. Elizabeth is a safe house for Mary. She assists Mary to advance in her perfect fiat (her ongoing yes to God). The sacred ground of loving human bonds remains a favored vessel by the Holy Spirit and His outpouring of mighty deeds.

Connecting with other people who care about you and your family: you are not alone in this challenging walk of holy parenting. Pray that God sends you the right people willing to embrace you and yours. Reach out to those in your life who also strive to follow Jesus. Develop intentional relationships based on prayer. Cultivate joy and gratitude as Elizabeth did because Jesus and Mary come to live with you.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior

Rosary Project, Second Joyful Mystery The Visitation

3.73MB ∙ PDF file

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(With separate reflection for parents/grandparents. Published as an e-book, which will incrementally roll out the Mysteries of the Rosary. PDF available at the bottom of this page)

Meditations by Margit McCarthy

Illustrator: Breanna Silvia

With a Bible in one hand and rosary beads in the other, prepare to experience meaningful moments of prayer with your children. The Biblical Rosary is a wonderful family prayer tool that uses scripture and reflects on the life of Christ. Establishing the habit of family prayer yields blessings for all family members, which brim over to touch many lives beyond your family circles. It’s a portal of divine grace. Any adult who commits to praying with children discovers that children have an innate ability to engage spiritual motifs and respond with passion. It can be labeled as a spiritual superpower. That’s why Jesus beckons, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Mt 19:14)

The First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation

First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation

For nothing will be impossible for God. (Luke 1:37)

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. Luke 1:26-38 (NABRE)

Children’s Reflection: Young people who love God shine with goodness. A teenager who walks with the Lord can change this world and make it a better place. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a radiant teen just like this. She prayed with her heart and cared deeply about others. Her parents taught her that God promised to be with us, to save His people, and to heal our wounds.

Mary trusted that God would keep His promises. She welcomed God’s plan to unfold in her life and in the world, but she didn’t realize how surprising His plan would be. One day, God sent an angel to deliver a special message to Mary. Seeing one of God’s angels is a rare gift. Penetrating light filled the room. The Angel Gabriel told Mary that God is with her and greatly blesses her. He said, “Don’t be afraid.” Then he delivered God’s message that she would become the mother of Jesus. Jesus would be the Savior her people had been waiting for. God keeps His promises.

Mary wanted to know “how” God would do this? Gabriel told her through the power of the Holy Spirit: therefore, Jesus will be called, “the Son of the Most High.” Jesus is the Son of God, “for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary didn’t fully understand. How could she, since God’s plans are always greater than a human being can expect? She never thought that God would ask so much of her. Still, she said yes to God’s plan. She trusted and believed. God knew that she would say, “Yes.” God knew that she loved Him.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, you are always with me. Help me to trust in you. Help me say ‘yes’ to your plan for my life, even when I don’t fully understand it.

The Lord’s Prayer
Ten Hail Mary’s
The Glory Be

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.

Parents’ Reflection:

God sends an angel to deliver a message: an invitation to become a parent and raise a child. God has a glorious vision for both Mary and her Divine Son. The jolting reality of God Himself sharing in our humanity to accomplish our salvation and sanctification. Mary spent the rest of her life pondering in her heart the mighty things God has done for her. God does not coerce Mary! The angel’s announcement is made, partially explained, and then Gabriel awaits her response. All of Creation hangs in the balance at that blessed moment in time and space. Mary generously responds, “May it be done to me according to your word.” So important is her consent that the Church gives it a label. We call Mary’s ‘yes’ her “fiat”. (Latin for let it be done to me).

An angel is sent, yet consider how Mary walked her difficult path with daily faith and challenges as the rest of us ordinary mortals do. You, too, are given a core of the same angelic proclamation: God is with you, do not be afraid, God is calling you to holy parenthood, God has a plan for each child’s life, and nothing will be impossible for God. Mary is assured that all of this serves the greater good: to advance the salvation of humanity. That’s akin to the blessed assurance you are given. Grab it with gusto.

Parents worry about raising children in today’s neo-pagan culture. Don’t be afraid because you and your children were born for a time like this (see Esther 4:14). Your placement here today was intentional by God for the greater good. He will equip you as needed as you learn to walk with Him. The more alienated our culture is from God and from moral righteousness, the more desperately it needs God’s healing grace through you and your children. Become like Mary: vessels of God’s light, love, mercy, and healing power. You may not see or hear angels consciously, but they remain active among us. God is always calling you. How will you respond?

“May it be done to me according to your word.”

Rosary Project First Joyful Mystery The Annunciation

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The nature of our humanity reveals that individuality cannot be denied. I am born as a separate, distinct person, as is every other human being. I am unique in all the world. At the same time, there has always been a measure of group identity in my life. If I had been sufficiently aware at the time of birth, I would have found that I was born into a group. And as I developed and matured, I would inevitably have become aware of more and more groups, and that groups play a significant role in my life. We are both individuals and, at the same time, part of groups. That is a constant and persistent aspect of humanity.

This is hardly a new thought. But I doubt that the observation has been seriously explored as a fact relevant to the spiritual lives of ourselves and others. There was a time when things were different. Days when communities were more cohesive, largely because travel and communication options were so limited. That being the case, it was almost inevitable that the immediate community should have a dominant effect upon individual lives. That was true of their spirituality as well.

Consider the great soaring medieval cathedrals, a treasured legacy from that age. Some took as many as three or four centuries to complete. But their architects and their builders are unknown to us. They may have done the work, but the structure was a community endeavor. All was done for the glory of God. Both divisions within Christendom and developments in science and technology have contributed to a decline in community cohesion. Yet, that cohesion was once taken for granted. But gradually, in the context of human development, an individual’s spirituality has evolved increasingly toward a spirituality of God-and-me.

The best-known stories from the Old Testament might lead one to think of spirituality as a me-and-God issue. After all, what do we read in the Old Testament Scriptural accounts but Abraham and God, Isaac and God, Jacob and God, Moses and God, King David, and God? The call of many Old Testament prophets likewise contributes to this initial impression. But such an interpretation misses a key element: God is always looking toward a people; no one is called for his own sake.

Abraham is called; but the divine promises made to him concern a people. “I will make of you a great nation . . . .” (Genesis 12:2) “All the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants forever.”

Moses is called; but the reason he is called is because of the plight of the people. “I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt . . . I have heard their cry. . . . I know their sufferings. I have come down to deliver them . . . . Come, I will send you to Pharaoh.“ (Exodus 3:7-8)

Strength and guidance are given to the Judges, again for the purpose of dealing with the enemies of God’s people. So too with the Kings. In fact, it must be remembered that the King was more than just the ruler, the one in charge. He was the embodiment of the people. Even in Christian times, such was the case. Entire pagan nations and tribes were baptized because the king became a Christian.

The lesson to be understood in these events is both simple and direct: Salvation was and is within the group, specifically within the group we call the Chosen People.

The following passage from Jeremiah gives insight into the thinking of the time as well as helping us to understand the divine plan.

“Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the islands afar off; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’ For the LORD has ransomed Jacob, and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.” (Jeremiah 31:10-12)

Recall the incident from the book of Genesis (Genesis 32:28) in which Jacob’s name is changed to ‘Israel.’ Recall as well that Jacob’s (Israel’s) twelve sons, who are the origin of the twelve tribes, are the ones who go to Egypt and whose posterity are later enslaved. These are the people who will be brought out from slavery and into the Promised Land at the hand of God working through Moses. Yet, when we read the passage from Jeremiah (and many similar passages in both this and other books of the Old Testament), we find this anomaly: The nation of Israel is composed of twelve tribes, each with thousands of people, but the Lord refers to them in the singular.

Clearly, the emphasis is on the group rather than upon the individual members within it. But the ‘group’ in the Old Testament is not just a collection of individuals. So, what are the characteristics of this group we refer to? Theologians refer to a fancy word of Greek origin that has found its way into Webster’s Dictionary. The word is ‘Amphictyony.’ It means an association of neighboring states in ancient Greece that were to defend a common religious center, or an association of neighboring states created to protect their common interest. The word is useful because it incorporates the three chief characteristics of the kind of group we are talking about.

The first criterion for an Amphictyony is a shared or communal sense of belonging to the group. That factor is easily perceived in the lives of Old Testament Jews. There is no doubt that the Israelites of the Old Testament identified themselves as the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were formerly slaves in Egypt. Now they were the Chosen People, the People of God, the sheep whom the Lord would shepherd.

The second criterion is understood to be an interactive and shared definition. In other words, one’s group/communal identity cannot be determined by the individual alone but only by those who share the essential elements of that group identity. For the Old Testament Jew, that identity would have focused on the Covenant made with the Lord at Mt Sinai. “I will be your God and you will be my people.” This was the essence of who they were as a group. The individual must commit himself to the group, and the group must accept the individual as one with them.

The third criterion for group/communal identity is that members share an emotional recognition or personal investment. This is a telling point. As regards the Israelites of the Old Testament, there are multiple elements to consider. There were obviously individuals. The individuals were members of one of twelve tribes. The tribes AS-A-WHOLE were the Chosen People. This is the ‘group we are talking about, and they — the members of that ‘group were to live and act in a certain way. Among other things, this meant that the needs of others — whether personal or communal — could not be ignored. All were to live for the benefit of all.

The descendants of Jacob’s sons — the twelve tribes — were distinct enough to be identified by their tribal names both when they left Egypt and when they entered the Promised Land. (Check any current map of the region drawn up to show the then-current territories, and you will find tribal designations attached to specific areas.) However, the intent was not that they be distinctive, independent states. Instead, they were to act as consorts to one another. They were to be invested in one another. Each tribe was to contribute to the well-being and protection of all others, both on an individual and tribal basis. That command is most clearly seen in the two books that describe the early years after the Israelites entered the Promised Land. The Old Testament books of Joshua and Judges both call for profound cooperation at the tribal level and describe the tribal failure in this regard. However, the tribal requirement was ultimately pre-empted when the Lord gave them a King. But the Lord’s expectation did not go away. The Prophets’ consistent complaints about the failure to provide for widows and orphans pointed to this expectation at both the individual and community levels.

We see, then, that in the days before Jesus, the members of the ‘group’ were those living not just within a given territory but as part of the Kingdom of Israel. In the New Testament and in the years after, the members of the ‘group’ are those living in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Both Paul and John will also explore the essence of the Old Testament truth. Paul explains this teaching about salvation being within the group throughout his many letters though it is most vividly spelled out in his writing to the Corinthians.

“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ.” (I Corinthians 6:15)

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all. The members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” (I Corinthians 12:12)

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (I Corinthians 12:27)

This teaching from Paul has endured through the ages, not because it is a good image, but because it is a remarkable truth. We are saved by being joined in the group, and Paul identifies that group as those who are of the Body of Christ. Furthermore, it is worth noting something in that last line quoted above from Corinthians: “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (I Corinthians 12:27) You are ONE! YET YOU REMAIN INDIVIDUALS. You are not absorbed in the sense that your individuality is lost. You retain the uniqueness that is you.

But before we leave, Paul has a few more words for us that are worth our attention. These too come from his 1^st letter to the Corinthians.

If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belon to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.

And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.

If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? (1 Corinthians 12:15-17)

But God has so composed the body . . . that there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have some care for one another.

If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. (I Corinthians 12:24-26)

Is it even possible to draw a clearer picture of what was expected of our Old Testament ancestors in faith? Not only is there a shared or communal sense of belonging, not only is there a common central necessity of recognizing that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is our Way, our Truth, and our Life; there is also the expectation that mutual care in joy and suffering will be part of our lives.

John places this same teaching within the context of the Last Supper, the Passover Supper. Consider the following three passages:

“Now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:11)

“That they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21)

“The glory which you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:22-23) (Certain phrases are put in bold because of their pertinence to our present discussion.)

It might be tempting to minimize Jesus’ statements or interpret them as mere hyperbole. Certainly, some have done so with Paul’s statements on the Body of Christ (it’s just an analogy, they say), but that is harder to do with the words we find in John. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are Distinct Persons yet One God. We call this three-in-one aspect of God — the Trinity. That is our faith. So too with us. We are not to lose our individuality even as we really, actually, and truly become members of the Body of Christ or become one as the Father, Son, and Spirit are one. In fact, our identity will be retained even as we become perfectly one.

These Apostolic teachings have been incorporated into the Nicene Creed, which we pray at Sunday Mass: “I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints . . . .” The significance of the phrase “Communion of Saints” is somewhat lost in the shuffle as we proceed quickly into the prayers that follow. Nevertheless, it affirms the same truth that we found in the Old Testament – Salvation comes from within the group; the same truth we found taught by St Paul - “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (I Corinthians 12:27); and the same truth we heard from Jesus at the Last Supper — “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34) “The glory which you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:22-23)

But you may ask, what is this “Communion of Saints?”

The teaching is simple. There are those Christians on earth, those being purified in purgatory, and those who have attained heaven. All who belong to one of these three are ‘saints.’ Further, all are in union with one another – that is the meaning of comm-union. In a definitive way, we are proclaiming the truth that Jesus prayed for and Paul preached. Our salvation comes through our union with the Communion of Saints, the Body of Christ.

In any analysis, it is evident that gathering in groups is a normal part of life. In family, with friends, in times of joy or sorrow, in times when we want to share with others in activities, we get together in groups. But it is equally true that not all groups are equal in substance or significance. Those who gather to celebrate a wedding are not in the same category as those who gather for a concert. Those who gather to remember one who has died are not in the same category as those fans departing the stadium together after their team has lost. Only some of these exhibit any of the three criteria previously mentioned as delimiting the special kind of group we are interested in here. For that reason, our clarity in the matter is better served by using the term ‘community’ to designate the spiritual group (community) we wish to focus on.

As with the mundane aspects of human life, so too with the spiritual aspects of human life. We have seen that, from the beginning, the group (the Community) was normative for the Chosen People and, subsequently, for the Christian people as well. Initially, the Christian Community and its cohesiveness were so remarkable that the wider public took notice. Tertullian was an early Christian theologian; he wrote in the late 2^nd century. His words reflect the continuing character of the Christian Community.

“See how they love one another, they say, for they themselves are animated by mutual hatred; how they are ready to even die for one another, they say, for they themselves would sooner kill.”

The love the early Christians held for one another was not just a private matter but a public witness; it was sufficiently known as to draw attention and admiration from outsiders. While this characteristic of Christians persisted through subsequent centuries, it was gradually undermined in various ways. The establishment of Christianity as a legitimate religion within Imperial Rome readily comes to mind. The mass conversion of European tribes was also a debilitating factor. And obviously, we would be blind to ignore the divisions that came with the Reformation.

Nevertheless, the communal aspect of faith endured for a variety of reasons. The cohesiveness of families and the sacredness of marriage made their contribution. Certain normative facts of life also helped. Most people seldom traveled before the Renaissance. One’s job didn’t require relocation. Exterior dangers still encouraged togetherness.

On the spiritual level, we can also identify beneficial factors: The Church continued to preach what Jesus, the Apostles, and the Church Fathers had taught, and that teaching followed from centuries of the Judaic faith. Christianity and the development of Christendom had become a unifying and stabilizing element throughout Europe. By and large, Church communities were small, and so it was easy to know those with whom you worshiped personally.

The rise of modern Western Civilization changed that. While some of those negative elements were direct or indirect counters to the factors listed above, others were unique to the times. A simple but common saying immediately comes to mind: “We don’t discuss religion or politics.” Why? So as not to disrupt what bonds remain.

It’s time this key element of salvation is restored in the way we live our lives: Salvation comes through the group, the community.

I am personally familiar with two group/community developments that show great promise for allowing the Spirit to work in this dimension of our lives. Both suggest the Spirit’s activity in their development. One arose from a variety of circumstances; the other from direct prayer and planning.

The first of these began twenty-five to thirty years ago in the parish of which I am now a member. I was not living in the area at the time, but some men regularly attended morning Mass. A deacon brought them together after Mass at a local restaurant once a week for a brief prayer, breakfast, and discussion of the day’s Scripture.

Subsequent years brought developments. The average number in attendance grew to about twenty. A new pastor did not wish to participate. The deacon died. But then the community members themselves took over. Initially, only one member provided a weekly reflection on the Scripture of the day, followed by group discussion. Slowly but surely, others (now numbering eight) alternated in reflecting. COVID came, there was no morning Mass, restaurants were closed, but the community persisted. Thank the Lord for ZOOM.

Somewhere along the line, the community got a name. Now it’s known as the OMG or Old Men’s Group. But Covid, Zoom, and the Spirit provided for other developments. There are now members from California, New Hampshire, Mississippi, Kansas, and outlying cities in Colorado. Our bonding in Christ has continued to grow. Some members have died, but new ones have joined, and it should be noted that the new ones are younger. We may have to change the name.

The second development worth noting is one developed and encouraged by INFERNO. Inferno says this about themselves.

“Since our inception in 1917, Inferno has been empowering and gathering men to submit to the Holy Spirit and answer the great commission: “Go make disciples of all nations!” (Matthew 28:19) This call started with a small group (COR, ‘heart’) doing ‘lectio divina’ prayer together in a basement. From the start God directed the mission towards our 3 pillars of: Prayer, Friendship & Evangelization. The simple mission has extended upward and outward, like an unquenchable fire, now growing through Colorado Springs.

Their selection of the word COR to identify their small groups/communities readily attracted my attention. How could it not give the full spectrum of the word’s meaning?

• The core of the planet is that innermost part — the part that determines what kind of planet it is.

• The core of a fruit is where in lies the potential for the future of life.

• The core of an argument is that part of a proposition which is foundational to the whole.

• The physical core is that group of midsection muscles that stabilizes the body.

• And even further, Coeur is French for the heart.

Cor is a slang term originating in the British Cockney accent, often used as a shortened form of “God.”

These varied meanings correspond almost perfectly to the ‘group’ of the Old Testament, in accord with the purpose of a people directed to love God above all and one’s neighbor as oneself.

Cor harkens back to the people who were to live for one another (remember amphictyony) in mutual support and faith as the people of the one God, a word for today that reminds us that together we are the Body of Christ and that we are to be one.

Brooding in the Castle

This tale takes place in the second month of Embers, in the sixth year of the Third Eon, which was also the sixth year of the Second Bush, in the First Age of the King. The chilled frosts of fall had turned early to bitter winter days two for…

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There are countless stories I could share about my dad, but as I write this, my heart is drawn to honor his life by reflecting on something even more precious—his faith.

One of my earliest memories of my father's love for Christ was seeing him on his knees—praying, praising, and crying out from the heart. This wasn't a rare moment, but a consistent expression of devotion I witnessed throughout my childhood. His expression was at times tearful, other times joyful, and often with profound reverence. It was this love for Jesus that gave him hope in difficult times, and peace when the world could offer no comfort.

As I look back in this moment of remembrance, there is nothing more powerful for a young boy than witnessing the man you look up to, in all his strength, compassion, and wisdom, in humble surrender offering everything he is and everything he could be on his knees to Jesus Christ. This action profoundly changed me and became a guiding post for my life. For those who are looking to honor Dave Silvia, my dad, I can say with confidence, the best and only way to truly honor his life, is to encounter Christ for yourself, seek first the Kingdom of God and use his life and actions as inspiration to pursue Jesus Christ with utter abandonment of self and fully purposed in Him.

I am sure there are questions about suffering and why someone who loves God should suffer like he did. It is a question he and I had often discussed over the last several years. Between his first diagnosis and the cancer resurfacing we would talk weekly on the phone, anywhere from one to three hours. The topic was always centered on our Christian faith. I will share some of our discussions with you in the hope that you will not use what he suffered as a reason to run from God, but find in it a reason to run toward Him.

First, the reality: if we remove God from Dad’s life story, he still would have faced cancer. But without Christ, there would have been no peace, no enduring hope amid suffering. His pain would have led to despair, not redemption, a suffering that ends in death, followed by eternal separation from God—a hopelessness Dad never had to face. A more accurate reality is that Jesus called him out of a dark lifestyle in his youth, and without Christ, Dad believed he would have died long ago.

Suffering does not have to be without purpose. When Jesus died for us, He gave us a path to follow. A place to attach our suffering with His, nailed to a cross. In these very moments, we can be united with Jesus in a most intimate way. Where we can physically experience a realization of what He went through for our sake. In our suffering, His struggle becomes mysteriously and intimately woven with our own. While on the outside we witness our loved ones in pain and suffering, in the realm of the spirit they are never alone or forsaken but closer to Jesus than ever before. The healing power of the Divine Surgeon gently rebuilds the pieces we have broken throughout our lives and begins dressing us in wedding garments, in preparation for the eternal wedding feast. We struggle and resist this moment by our nature, even though it is our purpose, until we breathe our last and embrace Christ face to face. It is our final battle from life to death and death to life. Yet we remain in hope, knowing that the battle is already won.

When Jesus died, he experienced death in a way that you and I never will. Life has overcome death. Because of Jesus Christ, to die is to encounter Christ. It is the miracle that is waiting for each of us. There is a burial shroud over all mankind, a division between God and humanity. The miracle of Christ’s death is this: the burial shroud that once separated us from God becomes the tablecloth of the eternal feast, His body becomes the altar, the rich food and drink is His flesh and Blood. Mourning is turned to dancing, sorrow to joy, beauty for ashes, and the funeral becomes the Feast.

Dad now sits at this table, feasting with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Even in his passing from this life, I cannot help but proclaim Glory be to God! Thanks to the example of my mother and Father, I was able to encounter Christ, I was given a choice, and I said Yes. Be it done to me according to Your will! Let Jesus live in me. I will honor my father by living the faith he shared with me. I, too, will have a place at the Heavenly Feast, and I will sit with my Dad once again, and we will worship on our knees together before the God of all creation.

If I could sum up Dad’s example in a quote: “Preach at all times and when necessary, use words.” Dad did proclaim the gospel in words, but his message was alive because of how he lived his life, centered in Jesus Christ.

Holy Week. On Palm Sunday, we travel with Jesus as He enters Jerusalem. The crowds worship God while laying down palm branches. The people believe Jesus to be the Messiah. What the first-century Jews did not understand (and, often, us too) is that Jesus is not the Messiah they imagined. To better understand how Jesus is trying to prepare us to receive Him, we will travel with Him through Holy Week and examine His words and actions so that we may not fall victim to an imagined Saviour and miss Jesus Christ. We will closely examine scripture as we travel with Jesus through the final week of His life, from state-sponsored execution to miraculous resurrection.

When they were approaching Jerusalem, staying at Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it.1

Palm Sunday. Many Israelites undertake their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem during Passover week. Jesus, aware that the time to inaugurate the Kingdom of God on Earth has arrived, speaks and acts with intention and precision in His words and actions. He sends two disciples ahead of Him to Bethany to secure a donkey that has never been ridden. Jesus is preparing for His entry into Jerusalem. This entry will declare the fulfillment of the prophecy spoken of in Zechariah. Thus begins a series of scenes where Jesus teaches by enacting dramatic prophecy.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war-horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth. 2

Tension and excitement electrify the air. Those gathered believe Jesus is the anointed one, the Messiah, who will save them from captivity. It is a political statement: a new ruler has arrived in Israel. Conquering kings would parade through the streets on war horses and Chariots displaying military might — a show of force that blatantly taunts their would-be adversaries. How easily they could crush their enemies. Jesus, fulfilling scripture, rides into town humbly on the colt of a donkey, declaring to the world His Kingdom will not be the failed way of man’s kingdoms and empires, of military might and captivity. Instead, He will speak peace to the nations.

Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 3

The crowd is quoting Psalm 118:26. “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Hosanna! Adoration and praise are being offered to Jesus as the Messiah. Palm branches symbolizing victory and triumph wave enthusiastically. The one true King from the house of David will wrench control from Herod and Cesare, restoring Israel! It is a bold and dangerous display. An act of defiance and rebellion that states, “We will fight and die for our King!” The people of Israel believe that the Messiah will be a warrior King. They carry the hope that the day of God’s vengeance is at hand, as prophesied by Isaiah “to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; ...” 4

Jesus already addressed this way of thinking in Nazareth. Reading the scroll, He edited Isaiah, stopping after proclaiming the favorable year of the Lord, with no mention of the verses next words about vengeance. The Messiah would not bring about His Kingdom in the violent ways of the Empire. That edit angered the people so much that they tried to kill Him. The lust for vengeance is ingrained in the heart of the people, even as they shout Hosanna, they crave the bloodshed of revolution.

“Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.” 5

Jesus entered Jerusalem and headed for the temple. He looked around and left because it was late. The Chief Priest and temple guard planned to arrest Jesus. Jesus knew it was not safe to stay in Jerusalem, so he traveled to Bethany for the night, most likely staying with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. 6

Monday morning. Jesus and His disciples make their way back to Jerusalem. As they walk along the road, Jesus gets hungry. Walking to a fig tree, He inspects the fruit. Not finding any fruit, Jesus curses the fig tree. This is part 2 of the dramatic prophecy. Jesus knows it is not fruit season but still pokes around the tree, looking for fruit and cursing it when none is found. The disciples are watching and listening, wondering why Jesus is looking for fruit out of season. Jesus does not reveal His actions just yet, allowing the disciples to consider what they have seen and heard.

Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers. ”And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. 7

The gospel of John tells us that Jesus made a whip to drive them out, often misinterpreted as if Jesus was whipping people. That is not what is going on. John’s is the only gospel that mentions the whip, along with the presence of sheep and oxen in the temple. Jesus is using the whip to drive the livestock out of the temple. Jesus did not suddenly enter into an uncontrolled rage. He was in the temple less than twenty-four hours earlier and witnessed the sheep, oxen, money changers, and merchandise, but he did not say a word. Jesus states,

“Is it not written My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations? But you have made it a den of robbers.” Quoting from Jeremiah, “Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your sight?” 8

The full text reads: Here you are, trusting in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, “We are safe!”—only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your sight? You know, I too am watching, says the LORD. 9

Jeremiah spoke this prophecy in the temple six hundred years before Christ. The question will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely and then go to the temple and think you are protected? The question is relevant today. We Christians go through the week behaving as if there is no God, then go to Mass on Sunday and think we are protected. God sees everything. Jeremiah declared, ”Therefore thus says the Lord God: My anger and my wrath shall be poured out on this place, on human beings and animals, on the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched.” 10

Jeremiah is a prophet of the end times. If you do not repent and turn from your ways, this land will be destroyed. The time that is ending is the first temple. In 587 BC the Babylonian Empire destroyed the land and the temple. The people of Israel were taken captive. The Chief Priest and Scribes got the message loud and clear. The annual Passover was a lucrative time where the religious elite would fatten their pockets, profiting off of the marginalized, weak, poor, and desperate. The “den” is where thieves go to hide, to be safe, after having cheated, defrauded, and exploited. The Chief priest and scribes were infuriated. Arresting Jesus was not enough now. They began to seek ways to kill him. His action in the temple was part three of the prophetic drama. He condemned the path of violence, choosing a donkey over a war horse, cursing a fig tree out of season, and now cleansing the temple. In the evening, they left the city to return to Bethany for the night.

In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you.11

Tuesday morning. Jesus and His disciples walk to Jerusalem. They pass by the fig tree that Jesus cursed the day before. Peter notices the tree and remarks that the tree he cursed has withered. The fig tree is situated on a hill. As they walk along the road toward Jerusalem, directly in front of them is the Temple Mount, and to the south is the largest mountain in the region, which was man-made by Herod the Great.

Jesus, His prophetic drama played out from the day before, used the fig tree and disruption of ritualistic sacrifice to show that the end of the world, or end of the second temple age had come. During His ministry, Jesus spoke of lives bearing fruit and the consequences of not bearing fruit. He talked about mountains being moved by faith. Ahead, the two mountains are the Temple Mount and the Mountain of Herod. These represent the principalities and powers. The King and Religious leaders were both granted power by the hand of Rome. Within forty years, each will change from prominence to non-existence, destined to be tossed into the sea. Jesus, though, continues to the Temple to teach. Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes will test Jesus with questions. Jesus teaches some parables and then a Scribe asks Him what commandment is first.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. 12

In His reply, Jesus reveals the two sins from which every other sin proceeds — Idolatry and Injustice, both manifestations of Pride. Anytime we place something above God, we commit idolatry, and when we treat others, even in our thoughts, with less dignity than we want to be treated with, we commit the sin of Injustice. Be it thoughts, words, deeds, or the absence of those. After this, one of the disciples admires the temple architecture, and Jesus, who before acted out a prophetic drama depicting the end of the Temple age, directly tells of its destruction.

Jesus finished teaching in the temple for the day and headed up the Mount of Olives. Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked about the fall of Jerusalem and the end of the second temple age. We read about this in the Olivet Discourse found in Matthew 24, Mark 14, and Luke 21. The gospel of Luke grants us the most information out of these three. The Olivet Discourse is another often misinterpreted portion of scripture talking about earthquakes, plagues, signs, wars, false messiahs, Jerusalem surrounded by armies, death, and destruction.

Yesterday, Jesus cursed a tree and disrupted temple rituals. Today, Jesus stated that the temple will be destroyed. The disciples seek details. Often, the Olivet Discourse is misinterpreted in relation to current end-time theology, but this merely highlights the sins of modern Christians. It was undoubtedly an end-of-the-world prophecy, not referring to our world today but to the end of animal sacrifice, temple exclusivity, and temple worship. It genuinely marked the end of the world as the Jewish people understood it.

To further understand the devastation Jesus foretells, look to 66-70AD and the first Jewish revolt. It was led by “messiahs” who claimed God was on their side and would deliver Israel from their oppressors. There was a brief success in 66 AD when Rome was expelled from Jerusalem. However, Romes responded by sending Titus and the 10th legion to crush the rebellion. The legion surrounded the city, and Titus gave the order — if you want to leave, leave now. Those who remembered the words of Jesus left. By 70 AD, The people who stayed would see five hundred crucifixions per day. Nearly one million Jews died, many at the hands of other Jews, and 97,000 were taken into captivity.

Before all of this there was famine in Syria 46-47AD, earthquakes that destroyed Pompeii 62AD, Roman conquest of Britain 43-77AD. Armenian War 58-63AD, and Boudicca'’s War 60-61AD. In 70AD the infighting along with the Roman army destroyed much of Jerusalem and the temple, this event is still mourned by the Jewish people. To this day there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. The prophetic drama surrounding the donkey, the fig tree, iinterruption of sacrificial offerings, and the Olivet Discourse all pointed to one thing, the destruction that will come in merely 40 years. Thus ends Tuesday. 13

It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him; for they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.” While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” 14

Wednesday. Jesus is at the home of Simon the Leper. It is safe to assume Simon had been a leper and Jesus healed him. A woman came in. The Gospel of John tells us it is Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Mary takes out an expensive jar of oil and anoints Jesus’ head.

Some self-righteous present were indignant. The oil was worth 300 Denarii. In our current economy, that’s roughly $30,000. Mary might have been thinking it was time to get things started. The custom in Israel when anointing a new King was to pour a horn of oil over their head, causing some grumbling. Jesus shut them down, saying they should leave Mary alone. Jesus reminds us that the love of our neighbor comes second to worshiping God. It is only when we are formed by God that we can partner with Him and be effective in our works for His Kingdom and glory. We transition to Wednesday night.

Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present. 15

Throughout the week, Jesus taught in the Temple by day and returned to Bethany by night. The religious elite wanted to arrest Jesus. That elevated to killing Jesus. They had strategically waited for the right moment so as not to cause a riot. Earlier in the day, Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, poured $30,000 worth of oil on Jesus. For Judas, this was the breaking point.

Disillusioned and disheartened by what he thought the Messiah should be, Judas gave way to Satan, the accuser, and Satan entered him. Judas sneaked out of the house in Bethany and made his way to Jerusalem. He found the Chief Priest and officers and agreed to hand over Jesus. From that moment, Judas looked for the opportunity to betray Jesus.

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.”They asked him, “Where do you want us to make preparations for it?” “Listen,” he said to them, “when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters and say to the owner of the house, ‘The teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? ”’He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.”So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal. 16

Thursday. The time for the Passover has come — the annual celebration of the liberation of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. Jesus wanted to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem, so he sent Peter and John to prepare things for the Passover meal. The Upper Room, also known as the Cenacle, is located in the southern part of the Old City of Jerusalem on Mount Zion. Jesus and the disciples sat around the table. We do not know everyone's exact seating arrangement. We do know that Judas was on His right, John most likely on His left, and Peter opposite of Jesus in the serving seat.

Only Jesus understands what is going on with the last meal. “He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 The disciples might have assumed Jesus was in a mood, brushing off His comment about suffering and not eating again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. Part of the suffering, the passion of Christ, is that at this moment He is alone. Even those closest to Him do not grasp what is happening. As far as human emotional support goes, Jesus is alone.

Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. ”Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. ”And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this. 18

Christianity is not just a philosophical religion. It is sacramental and full of sacred mysteries. Christians should confess more than they can explain. Holding on to the sacred mysteries and our confession is essential when cultivating a strong faith. Communion, or common union, the bread and the wine, is our integration into the body and blood of Christ. There are three different meanings when we say the body of Christ. Firstly, it is presented as Jesus’ physical body. Secondly, the bread that becomes the body of Christ in the Eucharist. Lastly, it is the Church. The physical body of Jesus and the church body are connected in and through the participation of the Eucharist. As we partake in the body and the blood we become a part of the flesh and blood presence of Jesus Christ in the world.

“You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 19

All week, Jesus prophesied about the temple age coming to an end. Under the temple system, there were levels of access to draw close to God. The holy land of Judea was first, followed by the holy city of Jerusalem, and finally, the temple itself. Likewise, the temple had levels of access and restriction. Gentiles could enter to a point, but past that point they would be put to death. Jewish women could go further than gentiles and Jewish men further than the women. The priest went further still until the Holy of Holies, where only the High Priest was permitted, and that took place just once a year.

Jesus, through the establishment of the Eucharist, is showing God’s design to transform the temple into a table. It is the table of the Lord, not of the church. The Lord Himself invites all to dine with Him. The table where the bread and the wine become the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and where we become one in Christ. Jesus then tells His disciples they will sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. The Apostolic authority of the Bible remains the standard that judges us as Christians.

Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” 20

Jesus is going to die. He tells His disciples they cannot go where He is about to go. That is to say, Jesus is about to enter into death. We all enter into death, but not in the same way as Jesus. When Jesus entered into death, death itself was transformed. From that moment, when we now die, we enter into a place filled with Christ. To die is to encounter Christ, and this is the hope of the Gospel.

Thursday of Holy Week is also called Maundy Thursday or Mandate Thursday. It is the day that Jesus gives us His command, His mandate, Love one another. The pinnacle of fulfilling our Christian vocation on Earth is measured in our ability to Love one another as Christ first loved us. If a stranger who knew nothing about Christianity, the Bible, or Jesus were to ask who we are, the world’s response should be those are the people who love one another, care for the poor and needy, take a stand for the marginalized, and downtrodden, and walk in the path of righteousness.

On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the LORD for whom we have waited; ... 21

Isaiah poetically prophesies this moment with Jesus. The veil covers all the people of the earth, a burial shroud covering all of humanity. Jesus turns this funeral into a feast. His body becomes the table; the burial cloth has become a tablecloth; His Body and Blood the rich food and aged wine, our sustenance for His service. On Mount Zion, there is a feast that will undo death itself. Jesus is the Messiah the world has been waiting for.

Friday begins in Lamentations. Good Friday is good in the light of Easter Sunday, but we haven’t made it to Easter, and so we lament. We express our grief, sorrow, and weeping. In our day and age, it seems we have lost the ability to lament. We are addicted to happiness in an unhealthy way. We have somehow confused happiness with holiness. When we cannot find happiness, we trade it for the distraction of entertainment. Lamentations give us the ability to give form to our suffering and express the pain, sorrow, and isolation we feel so that the suffering does not deform our soul. The call of Christ is co-suffering love.

How lonely sits the city
that once was full of people!
How like a widow she has become,
she that was great among the nations!
She that was a princess among the provinces has become a vassal.

She weeps bitterly in the night,
with tears on her cheeks;
among all her lovers
she has no one to comfort her;
all her friends have dealt treacherously with her,
they have become her enemies. 22

Jeremiah is lamented over the fall of Israel. Once again, this happened to Israel only 40 years following the death of Christ. The isolation and desolation to come. It is here we hear the last words of Christ echoed in time “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?”

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?....You who fear the Lord, praise him!...For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him....They will come and will declare His righteousness To a people who will be born, that He has performed it. 23

Jesus was on the cross, nearing the end of His life. His last thoughts were praying Psalm 22. Jesus cried out being forsaken and ended with it is finished, and it is consummated. He has performed it. Jesus fully entered into the human expression of feeling forsaken. While we all experience, at times, the feeling of being forsaken, we are never truly forsaken by God. We have the picture of Jesus feeling forsaken, giving form to His suffering, and surrendering it to God. Entering into the whole human experience, Jesus taught us how to escape from being forsaken to the realization that God has not forsaken us. The ability to lament allows us to give form to suffering and relinquish it to God so that we can worship Him.

When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.24

Jesus was betrayed and arrested, sent before the Sanhedrin, taken before Pilate for the first time, and then went to Herod. Herod heard about Jesus and wanted Jesus to perform a sign, He wanted to be entertained. When Jesus refused to answer any questions or perform for Herod, He was mocked and dressed in a robe. While this was intended to degrade, the elegant robe, praise by insult, crown of thorns, and throne which is the cross all became the true coronation of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus then returned to Pilate.

Then they all shouted out together, “Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!” (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.” But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished. 25

Barabbas was imprisoned for insurrection and murder. Barabbas was not a serial killer, he was a political hero, a revolutionary. Terrorist to the Romans and freedom fighter to the Jews. Barabbas led an uprising against the Romans that resulted in the death of either a Roman soldier or Jewish sympathizer. Essentially Barabbas was a patriotic hero whose name was Jesus Bar Abbas, Jesus son of the Father.

It is here we are faced with the choice every person who would follow God has had to make from the time of Jesus to now. 2000 years later Jesus Barabbas is still the attractive choice. He is a Jesus who will fight with us, be on our side, and make our enemies his enemies. However, Jesus of Nazareth calls us to love our enemies, bless those who curse us. He is the Jesus who would rather reveal His love by dying for His enemies over killing them. History shows that in the end, the Jewish people got the messiah they wanted. Jesus Barabbas and his movement led Jerusalem to Hell in 70 AD.

We face this alternative today. We have a choice but must choose wisely. A Jesus who will fight our battles and hate those who hate us is to choose a false messiah. The way that leads to a self-inflicted Gehenna. A self-inflicted path to Hell. Or a Jesus who will love and die for His enemies and call us to do the same.

When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 26

It is in the crucifixion we see that Jesus forgives. Jesus reveals to us the Father as they are one. Jesus only does what the Father is doing, only says what the Father is saying. It is from the vantage point of the cross that, for the first time, God is truly revealed to humankind. Jesus is not acting as an agent that changes God. It is not chemical reaction where two separate substances combine to create a new substance. He is Jesus and He is God, Consubstantial. When Jesus says “Father forgive them,” it isn't a plea for God to forgive for the sake of Jesus. It is Jesus expressing God’s will to forgive. God is like Jesus because Jesus has always been like God, there was never a time when God wasn’t like Jesus. God is fully revealed through Jesus on the cross. It is finished. God is revealed to the world through Jesus Christ.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew,“Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord” 27 27

I have seen the Lord. This is one of the most powerful statements in the history of language.

“O blessed night, only you were given to know the time and hour Christ rose from hell. It was written that this night would shine like day, and become the source of light for your joy. The holy mystery of this night defeats evil, washes away guilt, and restores innocence to sinners and joy to the sorrowing. It dispels hatred, bends the rigidness of the powerful, and promotes harmony and peace. Oh truly glorious night, you reunite earth with heaven, and men and women with their creator!” 28

This brings us to you. What will you chose? He knows you by name and invites you to share in the Kingdom of God, where His Father becomes your Father. Will you accept this invitation? Will your day-to-day life be a reflection of Jesus? The time is now.

The Easter Vigil is the “mother of all vigils”! Keeping the vigil means staying awake, ready, and alert; keeping the vigil is preparing your heart for sacrifice with the certainty of receiving an incredible gift; keeping vigil is praying while abandoning yourself and the time that passes by; keeping the vigil is renewing the experience of the tomb, which becomes empty by the Resurrection of Christ; keeping the vigil is foretasting an endless vigil. 29

Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!"
Christus resurrexit! Resurrexit vere! (Latin)
Christòs anésti! Alithós anésti! (Greek)

Creation of small groups as a means of spiritual growth

The circumstances that introduced me to INFERNO are forgotten, but it was a bit more than two years ago that that introduction came about. Having a serious background in parish religious education from a few decades past made me initially curious and then intrigued by the apostolate that was developing through Inferno. The COR program in particular grabbed my attention.

While working as a Director of Religious Education in a Denver suburban parish, the creation of small groups as a means of spiritual growth became evident, even necessary. And so, at that time, I pursued a Master’s Degree in interpersonal/small group communication at the University of Denver.

That educational endeavor was subsequently interrupted due to my growing family circumstances and the needs of my family of origin. For several years, both religious education and interpersonal communication were relegated to the sidelines, though both continued to hold my interest. The annual event which gathers so many men together for guidance, fellowship, encouragement, and instruction may seem the most important of Inferno activities, but from my point of view, COR is primary for long-term, widespread spiritual growth. It is of prime importance from an anthropological and sociological perspective as well as from a spiritual one.

Neither the rationale for nor the advantages of COR groups is self-evident. But my religious and academic backgrounds tell me that COR groups are more than just a good idea. They are central to the salvation we seek and are particularly valuable in our age of excessive individualism.

When I first heard of INFERNO and COR, it was clear to me that I was back in my element. Nevertheless, I looked in vain for any directive materials to support the raison d’etre of the model INFERNO was proposing. Consequently, I sought to fill that gap by developing a brief pamphlet/booklet on the value of the COR concept.

What is this outline for?

After writing a section for this pamphlet, I attempted to engage a couple of friends to conduct a critical review. My concern at the time was that my writing might be too academic, too obtuse, or just too dull to be of interest. At the first opportunity for a critique, they confronted me with a simple question: Why are you writing this? I couldn’t answer the question at the time, but quickly realized that more than a few words on the topic were going to be necessary. First, an answer was required to sharpen the focus of my writing, and second, it was necessary to clarify for the reader what value these thoughts might contain.

Small Group Communication is a significant part of my academic background, though I came into it through what you might call ‘the back door.’ My initial interest in the subject developed as I was completing my studies for a master’s degree in Religious Education. The Church had its own problems with confusion at the time because the Second Vatican Council had recently concluded, and a wide variety of issues arose among those trying to answer the question of what to do next.

My own issues with religion and education had begun to develop at about the same time. As part of the Religious Education program, all participants were assigned to teach a religion class for one year at a local Catholic High School. The opinion of my students was never sought out, but my opinion of my teaching efforts would most suitably line the dustbin. It was in that teaching experience that I discovered that the academics of religion were valuable primarily to those who enjoyed academics. While religion is commonly taught at academic institutions, the essence of religion – spiritual development and a relationship with God – is not compatible with the standard educational format. So, what was Religious Education supposed to look like?

Fortunately, my degree program brought to the fore several points that would prove essential to the type of religious education I was becoming aware of as needed. The academic underpinning was still crucial, but a notable shift away from ‘book learning’ was also required. That shift would lead directly to interpersonal communication. You might say there was a shift from knowing the importance of the Word of God to knowing the Word that was God. But, interestingly enough, the necessity of interpersonal human communication also became apparent, though less obviously so.

Progressing in the Religious Education degree program included completing classes in Doctrine, Morality, and Scripture, among others. Clearly, all these can be handled in the standard educational format. My own ‘religious education’ as a child was but a simplified version of these same higher-level doctrine and morality courses. They were presented in a book called the Baltimore Catechism.

In the master’s degree program, however, I had been introduced to something called Salvation History. In essence, the concept of Salvation History centers on the actual presence of God among men. Further, that divine presence and activity were recorded in the Bible (both Old and New Testaments) and that same presence and activity is understood to continue today. In this more cosmic view, the Scriptures are not about the activities of men, but about the activity of God as He is present and active among men.

This change in perspective emphasizes an interaction that can easily be overlooked or minimized. God speaks to man. God is the protector of man. God works to form man. God is the salvation of man. However, it must be noted that each one of these endeavors on the part of God – speaking to, protecting from, forming, and saving – requires a response. It is with this understanding that religious education becomes more than an academic venture. Rather, it is necessarily a reflection about how God is speaking (or has spoken) to us and how we respond.

Our lives are a continuous, ongoing, and progressive series of interactions. They begin before we are born and end…? It is this engagement with the many aspects and dimensions of the world that makes us ‘real.’ My developing interest in Small Group Communication both grew out of and fed upon this understanding while simultaneously pointing me back to the interaction of God and man. It is no coincidence that Sacred Scripture is known as the Word of God. A Word is a communication and needs a response. Neither is it accidental that John chose to identify Jesus as the Word.

During my early post-education years, I was part of a team working full-time as the Director of Religious Education in a large suburban parish. As was common in those years, the parish children were the initial focus of the team’s endeavors. Over time, our attention turned to considerations of some form of adult programs and how that might be done. While our parish hardly qualified as a mega church, we still needed to deal with more than three thousand families. It was in that context that the necessity of small groups became more than just evident. It was a necessity.

Circumstances and the Spirit took me away from a direct involvement in religious education for many years, but my conviction that the small group was essential to spiritual development never disappeared. Upon retirement, my wife and I moved to Colorado and settled in our current parish. There, we found several incipient small groups already active. I say ‘incipient’ because many of these groups had not advanced beyond the ‘group with a purpose’ stage. Then came the awareness of a diocese-wide program called INFERNO and their concept of COR. It was clear to me that I was back in my element, but I looked in vain for any directive materials to support the raison d’etre of the model Inferno was proposing. Hopefully, this pamphlet will fill that gap.

Begin With Your Individual Identity

The Broadway musical Les Misérables opens as Jean Valjean, a French prisoner identified as #24601, is about to be released. Events quickly reveal that, in the years following his parole, Valjean has failed to maintain the required contact with his parole officer, Javert, and has begun a successful new life as a businessman. It then comes to light that another has been mistaken for Valjean and that ‘other’ will be returned to prison in Valjean’s stead because of the parole violation. Valjean must decide whether to reveal the error or let another return to jail in his place. The scene concludes with a powerful song whose closing lines are as follows.

Who am I? Who am I?
I'm Jean Valjean!
And so Javert, you see it's true
This man bears no more guilt than you!
Who am I?
24601!

Valjean’s struggle to reconcile his past as a prisoner with his present as a businessman is characteristic of the ‘identity crisis’ that loomed so large among young adults in the late fifties and subsequent decades. At the time, the search had to do with ‘finding oneself.’ It was a question in anxious pursuit of an answer: What kind of person am I? What does it mean to be me? Our discussion of individualism here has only tenuous connections to the personal identity issue of those days.

The individualism we explore here is a mental construct or framework from which we view the world. It is a cognitive set that advocates the interests of the individual should have precedence over both the state and any social group. It opposes outside interference by society or institutions, including the institution of government.

Such a mindset assumes that my individualism is, and should be, the primary focus of my existence, that independence and self-reliance are rightly held in high esteem, that realizing one’s goals and desires is the main objective for everyone, and that I am what I make of myself. It is common to associate artistic and Bohemian people with the individualistic mindset.

We know that there are variations between cultures, as well as within cultures, regarding the relative importance of individual-oriented and group-oriented attitudes. Societies and groups can differ in the extent to which they are based on predominantly ‘self-regarding’ (individualistic and/or self-interested) behaviors, rather than ‘other-regarding’ (group-oriented and/or society-minded) behaviors.

As with all mindsets, both moderate and extreme positions can be held along with every gradation in between. When advocates of individualism hold their position in moderation, they are among those proclaiming that “That government which governs least, governs best. In other words, they would not deny the necessity of government (though the form may be disputed). Still, they would contend that the government should only become active in society in those areas and to the degree that necessity requires. That was the stance of most US citizens until the twentieth century.

From that moderate position, people can, and sometimes do, move into more or less extreme forms. There are multiple subcategories of individualism, and each necessarily exhibits some degree of anarchy to the extent that it insists on self-interest over outside control. It is the movement toward anarchy that measures the degree to which the position has become more or less extreme. Absolute individual identity internalizes all authority: I am the source of everything.

Nevertheless, a moderate degree of individualism has notable benefits. This is evidenced by the fact that first-world countries are the most individualistic and third-world countries are the least individualistic.

Consider The Group, Or Collective Identity

As we have seen, individualistic identity can morph into extreme positions, all of which manifest varying degrees of anarchy. Group or collective identity has its own destructive elements, all of which are revealed in tendencies toward conformity. This may be the simple teenage conformity expressed in the statement: “Everybody’s doing it.” Cultures readily propound this characteristic, though generally not in a problematic way. We see this in the accepted manner of acknowledging a new acquaintance or taking leave of a gathering. Certain words are not said in polite society, nor are specific topics discussed. Europeans think Americans are too casual about violence in films and too prudish about nudity. And, of course, the reciprocal is also true.

During World War II a study was conducted to determine differences between Japanese and American attitudes. Among the results of the study was an awareness that Cultural Societies are a group, and they have their own standards, just as do those who share a small group identity. It should not be difficult for anyone to recall some things that they discussed with one gathering of people but never with another.

Group identity, at the extreme, is mindless behavior. It is seen in the classic example called mob behavior. Individuals who have succumbed to this mentality do not make decisions on their own. The group does that for them.

Some are pushing current American society towards conformity in ways not previously seen – at least not in a long time or on such a broad scale. Tolerance for positions different from one’s own is not acceptable in certain places or gatherings. The difference is confronted with active, even violent pressure, and the demand for conformity to the group is far more entrenched than the ostracism used by previous generations to pressure non-conformers. Civil discussion and debate are discouraged. Reason is ignored. Conformity is demanded. All these elements indicate a group identity that has moved to the extreme.

George Orwell warned of this extreme in his novel 1984. Although he was reviewing the dangers of certain political positions, his observations apply to a variety of groups. When any given group rewrites the meaning of words – Ignorance is Strength. War is Peace. Freedom is slavery. – to suit their own purpose, it’s time to worry. When any given group decides that something other than rational argument should determine the outcome of a dispute, it’s time to worry. When any given group uses force rather than logic to determine outcomes, it’s time to worry. The term ‘group’ as used in this context may or may not have a ‘group identity.’

The Tension Between the Individual And The Group

The nature of our humanity reveals an individuality that cannot be denied. I am born as a separate, distinct person, as is every other human being. At the same time, there has always been a measure of group identity in my life. If I had been sufficiently aware at the time of birth, I would have found that I was born into a group.

The two – individual identity and group identity – are too disparate to see them as part of a continuum. However, both are always present, constantly at odds, and consistently necessary. Obviously, the two exist in a continual state of tension, always seeking either a satisfying balance or a position of dominance. Such a balance is not easily achieved. Yet few are either completely individualistic or completely swallowed up by group identity. We have both at the same time. The tension becomes serious, however, when one type of identity seeks marked ascendency over the other.

We’ve already considered the principal detrimental aspects of each, but what do we get from these two different identities? What are the positives?

As already noted, I was conceived and born as an individual. But then, so is every blade of grass. Every person and every blade of grass can theoretically say I am this person, not that one; or I am this blade of grass, not that one. In the sense we are using here, individuality is defined by our self-awareness or self-consciousness. In terms of how I see myself in the world, self-awareness is critical. My individuality, my uniqueness as a person, will most likely blossom and be fruitful in those circumstances where I am conscious (if not overly conscious) of what I bring to a given situation and seek to express that outwardly. This is one of many jobs of a coach: recognizing and drawing out the talents of the individual player.

What Do We Get From Individual Identity?

So, what do we get from our sense of individuality, our individual identity? As previously noted, the most significant benefits of what we here call individual identity or self-regarding behaviors is the focus on our uniqueness. Why? It is in becoming aware of and sensitive to those things that make us different that the dreams of what might be possible become realities. As individual persons, we can then reach a sense of achievement or accomplishment that might otherwise never come to fruition. It is also true that the world, in either the immediate or the broad sense, will also benefit.

Consider the phrase “ahead of his time.” What does that mean? It expresses explicitly the idea that an individual has gone beyond the standard or common norms/beliefs/understanding of his society or culture. While such insights may be shared, they necessarily begin with a single person. It is meaningless to consider a group being “ahead of its time” without expecting a single source within that group who proposed this radical shift in vision.

• The individual-oriented position is that of the dreamer.

• The group-oriented position is that of retaining the valuable.

What Do We Get From Group Identity?

But there is more. There is also a group identity that contributes to the creation of the men or women we become, and we must consider how valuable that is, too. Probably the most obvious contribution of group identity is security in knowing we are not alone. We belong to and are part of something greater than our individual selves. This is not inconsequential; even the most successful individualist prefers being able to share his accomplishments.

A sense of security is not the only benefit derived from group identity; for that identity also defines who we are as individuals. It is through our interaction with others that notable parts of our self-identity are formed. However, the group does something more. When we share a group identity with others, that sharing is itself a form of identification. This is true even in the simplest, non-identifying form. As part of a group attending a concert, we identify our ‘selves’ as selves liking a certain kind of music or a particular artist. The development of a group identity and the corresponding development of group-minded behaviors strengthen our own identity. But it’s essential to note that the identity that is strengthened is principally strengthened in ways that affect conformity to the group. That’s why we may ‘try on’ different groups only to reject some when we discover that their group identity is incompatible with the self-identity previously formed.

The group is a balance to our self-interest, as it requires recognizing the needs and opinions of others. The group may also be supportive of one’s convictions and a modifier of behavior (for good or ill). And ultimately, the group gives the individual a ‘testing ground’ for ideas, thoughts, and opinions.

Identification with the group has the benefit of helping to keep one’s “feet on the ground” and providing a balance to having “one’s head in the clouds. Such restrictions may or may not be appropriate, but they do offer the opportunity to “bounce something off the wall.”

A Historical Perspective Of Forming Groups

We organize the world we live in partially by assigning words/objects/ideas/etc to groups/categories/types/etc. The thesaurus offers a wide range of alternative words for this organizational venture: (collection, band, fellowship, unit, assemblage defined by a relationship, class, batch, party, federation, sect); but the most generic word for the action seems to be ‘group.’ We place everything in a group.

The lack of precision in ambiguous words can be either a curse or a blessing. The word ‘group’ is an excellent example. How open-ended or how restrictive can such a word be? With minimal parameters, the term ‘group’ can refer to something of enormous size: e.g., material things in one group and immaterial things in another. With many parameters, a group can be as small as we choose to make it—provided, of course, that it has at least two members. It isn’t very meaningful to talk about a group of one.

On the other hand, the number of components does not, in itself, determine whether there is a group. If a celebrity incidentally draws a large crowd, can we automatically identify them as a group? The answer is only ‘yes’ if we specify the correct parameters. Suppose that the people gathered around our celebrity are there for different reasons: Those who admire the celebrity, those who are curious about why a crowd has gathered, and those who are there to record the event. Now we have four groups. The three which we just identified, and the fourth, which is the entire mass of those so gathered. So, we have the whole group (whose only parameter is that they are people who have gathered in one general area on one specific day and time) and, within that whole, three separate groups whom we have identified as having a similar purpose.

However, it must also be noted that using the term ‘group’ in this context is a generic use of the word. It is not the same as group or communal identity. What this tells us is that some point of commonality is always used to specify a group. That commonality may be as simple as a color or as complex as the number of parameters we specify. But this commonality or group sense is not something that can be imposed from the outside. Rather, it is the members themselves who make that determination.

Alone?

Although isolation may occasionally be preferred, there are not many things we prefer to do alone. The scientist wants a witness to his experiments. The vacationer desires a travel companion. The singular diner brings the company of a paper, a novel, an animal companion, a TV or a phone to the table. The notion of celebrating the events of our lives in isolation is like the dead sound of one hand clapping.

Tom Hanks starred in a movie titled Castaway. It tells the story of a man stuck on a deserted island after his plane crashes in the Pacific. His eventual companion is a volleyball that washes up on the beach. He paints on it a face. He names it Wilson. He talks to it. He is heartbroken when he loses it. Both children and adults may seek imaginary friends; being alone is only marginally acceptable.

While there are, and probably always will be, adults who seek the isolation of the plains, forests, deserts, or mountains, none of us began that way. Our very conception took a small group of two. Our subsequent infant years required at least one other person to make our survival possible. And while the development that comes with years steadily increases the potential for survival in isolation, the same development is made more effective by the relationships we form through the groups we belong to.

The very fact that we are here discussing the individual vis-à-vis the group is indicative of the character of our human condition. Sure, we have classes and committees and congregations, but in what sense are they groups, and in another sense only gatherings of individuals? Consider a time when one’s identity was most commonly determined by the group(s), and only the groups to which one belonged.

The most baffling, elusive, yet in many ways the most significant dimensions of the medieval mind were invisible and silent. One was the medieval man’s total lack of ego. Even those with creative powers had no sense of self. Each of the great soaring medieval cathedrals, our most treasured legacy from that age, required three or four centuries to complete. Yet we know nothing of the architects or builders. They were glorifying God. To them their identity in this life was irrelevant. Noblemen had surnames, but fewer than one percent of the souls of Christendom were wellborn. Typically, the rest—nearly 60 million Europeans—were known as Hans, Jacques, Sal, Carlos, Will, or Will’s wife, Will’s son, or Will’s daughter. A World Lit Only by Fire – 21 – William Manchester

The group and the individual are necessarily in opposition. This is true, not in a physical way but in a conceptual way, and our concept of ourselves as individuals or as members of a group is governed by many factors. Think about just one. The people of medieval times lived in an era when many of the human interconnections available in the past were no longer available. The Roman Empire was gone, and along with it, the many lines of communication that they had built up over the centuries. By medieval times, Roman roads and common languages had largely been forgotten. Spanish, French, and Italian are all Latin-based languages. They became distinctive when they developed in relative isolation from one another. Communities living in isolation were characteristic of the times.

If war took a man even a short distance from a nameless hamlet, the chances of his returning to it were slight; he could not identify it, and finding his way back alone was virtually impossible. Each hamlet was inbred, isolated, unaware of the world beyond the most familiar landmark: a creek, or mill, or tall tree scarred by lightening.

Their anonymity approached the absolute.

The Roman Empire had dated everything from the founding of the city of Rome.

Medieval men were rarely aware of what century they were living in. There was no reason they should have been. There are great differences between everyday life in 1791 and 1991, but there were very few between 791 and 991. 21-22

The predominance of a group mentality as found among medieval peoples was a far cry from the cosmopolitan character of imperial Rome and its inhabitants. The Romans wielded more than political and military power. They were instrumental in spreading the Greek language and art.. Koine Greek was the common language of the empire, even though it did not exclude the local languages. The engineering marvels of roads, aqueducts, circuses, temples, and public baths were a hallmark of Roman presence even in the farthest reaches under their control. Roman Law was consistent and uniformly (more or less) applied in all subject lands. The Mediterranean Sea, or Mare Nostrum (Our Sea), was an ever-constant pathway that contributed to both commerce and the maintenance of power.

In an environment such as this, groups and individuals could both be prominent. When the Acts of the Apostles records Peter’s speech in Jerusalem on Pentecost, we are told that fifteen regions of the Empire were represented. This was undeniably the situation in Rome as well, but probably on steroids. People traveled. They shared their knowledge, culture, and art as well as commerce.

In Imperial Rome, the number of people and their distribution across a broad geographic area were among those factors that affected the balance between individual identity and group identity. We can reasonably suppose that both viewpoints required that those known for their notoriety be known by name (as individuals) because they could not be recognized by most from personal knowledge. Conversely, when a group is small and isolated, everyone personally knows everyone. Furthermore, when there is minimal turnover in the people of one’s village or hamlet (as was the case in medieval times), those with a unique character of one sort or another would be absorbed into the whole, the group.

The dissolution of the Roman Empire did not take place over weeks, months, years, or decades, but over centuries. And while the environment of the Classical Age may have had its share of chaos and fear, that was nothing compared to what followed. Multiple barbarian invasions shattered the Empire’s relative peace. The invincible Roman army was found lacking in its ability to defend against the intruders. The organization imposed by the government wavered and broke under the strain of these violent changes. The disruption of commerce and the increasing isolation of communities would demand that these communities become more self-sufficient. Such is made clear in our own dystopian books and movies.

As you may have deduced from this information, there has always been a constant tension between individuality and group identity. That tension would cause a dramatic shift in the prominence of each under the pressure of chaos.

Historically, the two have not always been in balance, even though the preservation of humanity demands both. The broad circumstances of our times, our culture, and our personal lives all have a profound influence in determining when the two will be in balance and when one or the other will dominate.

With exceptions, the dominance of group identity prevailed in much of Europe for the centuries encompassed by the era we call Medieval. It was not until the period known today as the Renaissance that things began to change. The shift was not uniform throughout Europe. Some historians say it started in the 15th Century, while others think it began a century or more earlier. In any case, most agree that the city of Florence in central Italy was where this awakening originated, gradually spreading across the European continent from there.

There are several notable people from the Classical Period and before whom we know by name – in many cases by first name only. Alexander, Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Augustus, Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, Nero, Constantine, and others. We know them because they were people whose individuality stood out for one reason or another in a time when individuality and group identity both were in ascendance and in balance. Such was not the case during the following centuries – the ones we call Medieval. The artists, scientists, politicians, explorers, and philosophers of the time, such as there were, are still largely unrecognized.

In the years leading up to the European Renaissance, troubles around Greece and Asia Minor prompted scholars from those areas to move to safer territory. That meant moving west. They brought with them the Latin and Greek works from the Classical Period, which had been lost to the West during the barbarian invasions. All aspects of the arts and intellectual inquiry were affected, even those in the practical arts. Perspective in painting was rediscovered, as well as the rediscovered skill of making concrete.

The arts, including those in the practical fields fared well with the introduction of this Classical knowledge. So too did philosophy with the introduction of the well-ordered works of the Greeks and others. The sciences, however, found themselves struggling with what they had been taught and the discoveries that were then-currently being made. Aristotle’s teaching that earth, air, fire, and water were the four basic elements didn’t hold up with the scientific revelations of the time. Neither did the assumption that the earth was the center of the universe, around which all else revolved. Battle lines quickly formed, with science on one side and Revelation, or revealed truth, on the other. When the dust finally settled, men realized that the dispute had been both inappropriate and unnecessary, but that would take more than just a few years.

Those who put their ‘faith’ in Revelation had centuries of tradition and religious belief on their side. Those who put their ‘faith’ in science initially had little more than their observations to support them. Moreover, the principal men of science were themselves men of religious faith, and they, too, had come to maturity believing as their opposition did. It was inevitable that a conflict would arise and that men would struggle to find a route out of the dilemma. That didn’t happen until the mid-sixteenth century, and the proposed solution itself caused turmoil.

The upshot of the many developments of the Renaissance over the centuries cannot be overemphasized. There were two, however, whose introduction would have the most significant impact on the subject of our present discussion. The first was the creation of movable type, accompanied by the simultaneous development of the printing press. Suddenly, ideas could be disseminated across broad areas without the tedious and expensive hand-copying that had been necessary before. Moreover, reading could be done alone. The first book printed was the Bible, and it was printed in the vernacular rather than Latin. In the past, Sacred Scripture had been solely the province of the Church. It was now available to anyone who could read.

Reading was linked to the rise of individualism because, before print, reading was often a group event in which one person would read to a group. With print, both literacy and the availability of texts increased, and solitary reading became the norm.

The second was a small philosophical work with a long title: Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason and Seeking Truth in the Sciences. Plus the Dioptric, Meteors, and Geometry, Which are Essays in This Method.

The contribution Gutenberg made to the spread of knowledge has already been mentioned. The contribution of Descartes is of equal, if not greater importance, but probably not as generally well known because Descartes was a philosopher. Yet Cartesian philosophy has profoundly affected human perception, even to this day.

Descartes could be considered, as one current philosopher puts it, “the father not just of modern philosophy but, in important respects, of modern culture—of modern Western culture and later, through export of its ideas, of much of modern world culture,” and the Discourse on the Method is the first reason why. This little essay has been called “the dividing line in the history of thought. Everything that came before it is old; everything that came after it is new.”

How and why is this true? Once again, we are looking at the tension between individuality and group identity. As we have seen, the Medieval period in Europe had firmly established the preeminence of the group.

People saw their identity defined by the group or groups they belonged to. As the Renaissance evolved and Europeans interacted on a much broader scale than they had in previous centuries, individuals came to the fore. Nevertheless, the group mentality was only slowly pushed aside. People still shared a common faith and, with it, a typical attitude toward order in the universe.

The Discourse on the Method was problematic at the time for three reasons. First, it challenged the understanding of previous centuries, which had given Divine Revelation prominence in attempts to understand anything and everything. Second, it was unclear exactly when and where the Method was appropriate. Third, it disrupted the balance between individuality and group identity through its well-known and most fundamental claim: “I think, therefore I am (Cogito ergo sum).”

Discourse on the Method is written in the first person. A byproduct is that one of the world’s great works of philosophy is also one of the most readable. And it serves as an appropriate launching point for a new era in which the focus is on the individual.

What had begun a few centuries earlier as a more expansive way of viewing and exploring the world now gave way to a profoundly new and different way of conducting that exploration. The insularity of Medieval people had already given way in the arts, culture and science. With Descartes the very mode of thought would shift and along with it the prevailing balance between individuality and group-identity. “I think, therefore I am.” This was far more than a mere motto. Rather, it encompassed the essence of Descartes’ philosophy.

I -- I Think. -- I Am.

Central to Descartes proposition was the I, the Individual.

The ascendance of individual identity over group identity took a profound step forward with the introduction of Cartesian thought. It would take an even greater step with the European settlement of North America. The explorers of earlier centuries were driven by wonder and curiosity. Those who came as settlers were, in many cases, driven by the need to separate themselves from the groups to which they had been attached or surrounded, to isolate themselves from the bitterness and war which had ruled Europe. Once in America, that shift in attitude would be reinforced by the vast expanse of territory that lay before them. By the time of the American Revolution, the ‘divine right of kings’ would be supplanted by ‘all men are created equal... with inalienable rights.’

The principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution had their roots in the European Renaissance and took shape mainly because of circumstances in America. Consequently, the nations of Europe would soon follow, even as the tribalism of the Medieval centuries continued to hold a notable grip.

It took real pioneers to engage the ‘New World willingly,’ and at first those making the journey stuck together. But it wasn’t long before open areas would beckon, and individuals struck out on their own. Thus, the beginning of the ‘self-made man.’ Many who chose that route became legends, and once more, individual identity would reign supreme over group identity.

Today, identity as defined by the individual still rules. You can find it everywhere. Self-help, self-actualizing, self-asserting – all these topics have generated notable contributions to a new section in libraries and bookstores. The mythic pioneer and romanticized self-made man have generated their own realities, and in several ways, this ascendance has begun to cause problems. Individual rights now take precedence over the common good. As observed by the Pew Research Center, people are increasingly valuing individuality and personal spirituality over organized religion, though there is evidence that things are shifting yet again.

The Biblical Perspective

The best-known stories from the Old Testament might lead one to think of spirituality as a me-and-God issue. After all, what do we read in the Scriptural accounts but Abraham and God, Isaac and God, Jacob and God, Moses and God, King David, and God? The call of many Old Testament prophets likewise contributes to this impression. But such an interpretation misses a key element: God is always looking toward a people.

Abraham is called, but the divine promises made to him concern a people. “I will make of you a great nation . . . .” (Genesis 12:2) “All the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants for ever.”

Moses is called, but the reason he is called is because of the plight of the people. “I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt . . . I have heard their cry. . . . I know their sufferings. I have come down to deliver them . . . . Come, I will send you to Pharaoh.“ (Exodus 3:7-8) Strength and guidance are given to the Judges, again for the purpose of dealing with the enemies of God’s people. So too with the Kings. In fact, it must be remembered that the King was more than just the ruler, the one in charge. He was the embodiment of the people. Even in Christian times such was the case. Entire pagan nations or tribes were baptized because the king became a Christian.

Salvation was from within the group.

The following passage from Jeremiah gives insight into the thinking of the time as well as helping to understand the divine plan.

"Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the islands afar off; say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.' For the LORD has ransomed Jacob, and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.” (Jeremiah 31:10-12)

Recall the incident from the book of Genesis (Genesis 32:28) in which Jacob’s name is changed to ‘Israel.’ Recall as well that Jacob’s (Israel’s) twelve sons, who are the origin of the twelve tribes, are the ones who go to Egypt and whose posterity are later enslaved. These are the people who will be brought out from slavery and into the Promised Land at the hand of God working through Moses. Yet, when we get to the passage from Jeremiah (and many similar passages in both this and other books of the Old Testament) we find this anomaly. The nation of Israel is composed of twelve tribes, each with thousands of people, but the Lord refers to them in the singular. In its own way, it is saying the same thing as Paul: “The members of the body, though many, are one body. . . .” Clearly, the emphasis is on the group rather than upon the individual members within it. But the ‘group’ in the Old Testament is not just a collection of individuals – more on that later.

There was, of course, a shift when Jesus came. The Gospels offer accounts of several encounters between Jesus and individuals where the individual is freed from sin, either present or past, through their interaction with the God-man. There are also incidents where Jesus will say: “Your faith has saved you.” But both Paul and John will validate the Old Testament truth: Salvation is within the group!

In the Old Testament, the members of the group were those living in the Kingdom of Israel. In the New Testament, the members of the group are those living in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, the ‘group’ identified is the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – the Twelve tribes. It is not coincidental that Jesus chose twelve as Apostles and that the remaining eleven recognized the need to complete their number when Judas left. Now the ‘group’ is identified as the descendants in faith of the new Twelve. This New Kingdom is not ordinary. Paul explains this teaching about salvation being within the group throughout his many letters.

“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ.” (I Corinthians 6:15)

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all. The members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” (I Corinthians 12:12)

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (I Corinthians 12:27)

This teaching from Paul has endured through the ages, not because it is a good image, but because it is a remarkable truth. We are saved by being joined in the group; and Paul identifies that group as those who are part of the body of Christ.

John places this same teaching within the context of the Last Supper, the Passover Supper. Consider the following three passages:

“Now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:11)

“That they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21)

“The glory which you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:22-23)

Specific phrases are highlighted in bold because they pertain to our present discussion. Now it might be tempting to minimize Jesus’ statements or interpret them as mere hyperbole. Certainly, some have done so with Paul’s statements on the Body of Christ (it’s just an analogy, they say), but that is harder to do with the words we find in John. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are distinct yet One. That is our faith. So too with us. We are not to lose our individuality even as we really, actually, and truly become members of the Body of Christ or become one as the Father, Son, and Spirit are one. In fact, our identity will be retained even as we become perfectly one.

At this point, it is worth directing our attention to the parameters we set earlier for the kind of ‘Group’ we are talking about. You will recall that the first criterion was a shared or communal sense of belonging to the group. That factor is easily perceived in the lives of both the Old Testament Jews and Christians. For some, that sense of belonging may be more significant than for others. For some, it may even be an unwanted character in their lives. But there is no doubt that the Israelites of the Old Testament identified as the Chosen People, the People of God, the sheep whom the Lord would shepherd. Likewise, those who identified as Christians in the New Testament did so even to the point of persecution and death. But this parameter alone is insufficient.

The second criterion for group or collective identity is generally understood to be an interactive and shared definition. In other words, one’s identity as a Jew or a Christian cannot be determined by the individual alone, but only by the members of the group who share the essential element of that group identity. For the Old Testament Jew, that identity would have focused on the Covenant with the Lord at Mt Sinai. “I will be your God and you will be my people.” This was the essence of what defined them as a group. That has since changed as the identifying factors of lineage and culture have become more prominent. Furthermore, collective identity is formed only when group members accept it. Society may continue to insist that a particular member be identified with a specific group even when the individual denies it. This is not to say, however, that God may have a different point of view on the matter. After all, one’s rejection of one’s biological family does not change the biological fact.

The third criterion for group identity is the emotional recognition or personal investment that members share. This is a telling point in our proposition.

The descendants of Jacob’s sons – the twelve tribes – were distinct enough to be identified by their tribal names both when they left Egypt and when they entered the Promised Land. Check any map of the area drawn up to show the then-current territories, and you will find the tribal designations attached to specific areas. However, the intent was not that they be distinct, independent states. Instead, they were to act as consorts to one another. They were to be invested in one another. Each tribe was to contribute to the well-being and protection of the other both on an individual and tribal basis. The tribal command is most clear in the two books that describe the early years after the Israelites entered the Promised Land. The Old Testament books of Joshua and Judges both call for profound cooperation at the tribal level and describe the tribal failure in this regard. The tribal requirement was pre-empted when the Lord gave them a King, but the Lord’s expectation did not go away. The Prophets’ complaints about the failure to provide for widows and orphans continually pointed to this expectation at the individual level.

The command for a personal investment becomes even more explicit in the New Testament. First, it should be noted that Jesus does not abandon what has gone before; it was not by accident that he chose the Twelve. The Apostles themselves understood this when, after Judas’s betrayal, they chose another to make their number complete. Jesus, however, takes the commission one step further: “... ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second [commandment] is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.“ (Mark 12:30-31)

In John’s Gospel, in the context of Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper, the inherent meaning of the command is brought to a transcendent level. First, he tells the Apostles directly, and says it three times:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34)

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

“This I command you, to love one another.” (John 15:17)

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

The material existence of the individual is limited by what it is. It can change. It can grow. It can become more than it presently is or, within limits, different than what it presently is. While the individual can partake of and observe concepts and thoughts and ideas, ultimately, if those concepts, thoughts, and ideas are retained, they become unique to that individual. What the individual takes in materially, for better or for worse, does not change the essence of that individual. So too with self-regarding behaviors, the individualistic identity.

Whatever components you may cite as essential aspects of the individual are necessarily limited in potential. Consequently, even that individual vision of the environment, the world, the universe, or the cosmos is similarly limited in potential. This is not a new thought. Not so long ago, in the world of business literature, it was discussed as ‘one’s rising to their level of incompetence.’

When one views the world with the notion that I, as an individual, should not be troubled by what is not me, I have necessarily limited myself.·

The Communion of Saints

NOTES FOR A COR GUIDEBOOK

Potential additional points to consider for this brochure:

Why a small group?

· Grouping for social/business reasons

· Family as group

· Men as group

· Necessity of community vs individuality

Why should men pray together?

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Salvation is from the group.

Spiritual Leadership

Group vs Committee - purpose and difference

Bonding as men of faith

Cor Groups

a. Meaning

b. Purpose

c. Necessity

Forming a group

What to expect in the early stages.

CORE

Apple Core – The inner region of a fruit that surrounds and protects the seeds.

Planet Core – The innermost layer of the planet. Critical in determining the planet’s character.

Argument Core – That part of an argument which is foundational to the argument presented.

Muscular Core – That group of midsection muscles which stabilize both spine and pelvis.

COUER

French for heart

COR

A slang term that originated in the British cockney accent often used as a shortened form of “god.”

DISCUSSION

Does humanity need a savior? Do I need a savior?

What kind of savior is needed? What do I or the world need to be saved from?

Was it ever possible for one who is only a man to be a savior?

What kind of ‘being’ do I think of when I think of God?

I made known to them your name, and I will make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them." (John 17:26)

The focus is on the identity of the group-as-a-whole rather than on the individual association with the group. For group identity to be meaningful it must be held by more than one person. There must be a common or shared sense that one belongs to a group. There must also be a relationship among the members; and ultimately some emotional connection as well.

GROUP/COLLECTIVE IDENTITY

a. A shared sense. Of belonging to a group. This is a social concept or phenomenon and so, constructed not empirically defined.

b. Alberto Melucci in Nomads of the Present: Collective identity is an interactive and shared definition produced by several individuals (or even groups at a more complex level) and concerned with the orientation of action and the field of opportunities and constraints in which the action takes place.

c. There is a developing process to the development of collective identity.

a. Cognitive Definition: The formulation of a cognitive framework concerning goals, means, and environment of action.

b. Active Relationship: the activation of relationships among participants.

c. Emotional Investment: Emotional recognition between individuals.

Pre-existing social structure and conditions shape a person’s identity, which in turn, interacts with others and shapes the new and emerging social structure.

Definition? An individual’s cognitive, moral, and emotional connections with a broader community, category, practice or institution. The collective identity of the group often expressed through the group’s cutures and traditions.

Amphictyony

Love one another.

Example

A collective identity is only formed upon the group member’s acceptance of the identity.

INDIVIDUALISM/INDIVIDUAL IDENTITY

a. Promotes realizing one’s goals and desires, valuing independence and self-reliance, and advocating that the interests of the individual should gain precedence over the state or social; group, while opposing external interference upon one’s own interests by society or institutions such as the government.

b. Makes the individual the focus. And sob starts with the fundamental premise that the human individual is of primary importance in the struggle for liberation.

c. Related to possessing individual characteristic(s); sometimes associated with artistic and bohemian interests and lifestyles where there is a tendency towards self-creation and experimentation.

d. Cultural individualism is strongly correlated with Capitalism as evidenced by first world countries being the most individualistic in the world and the most collectivistic cultures being economically developing.

e. Ruth Benedict in her book: The Chrysanthemum and the Sword. Societies and groups can differ in the extent to which they are based upon predominantly ‘self-regarding’ (individualistic and/or self-interested) behaviors, rather than ‘other-regarding’ (group-oriented, and group, or society-minded) behaviors.

f. That government which governs best governs least.

g. Extreme is found in positions of individualistic anarchism.

h. Individualism is sub-divided into multiple categories according to the degrees to which they insist on self-interest over outside control.

Jesus spoke to crowds but, as noted throughout the Gospels he spent a significant portion of his time forming the Twelve. Seen me; seen the Father.

To you is given to know. Mt 13:11, 13:17, Mark 4:11, 4:34

Briggs, Asa and Burke, Peter (2002) A Social History of the Media: from Gutenberg to the Internet, Polity, Cambridge, pp. 15–23, 61–73.

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Aesop's Fables

The Eagle and the Kite*

An eagle, overwhelmed with sorrow, sat upon the branches of a tree in company with a Kite. "Why," said the Kite, "do I see you with such a rueful look?'
"I seek," she replied, "a mate suitable for me, and am not able to find one."
"Take me," returned the Kite, "I am much stronger than you are."
"Why, are you able t…

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Meditations on the Last Words of Jesus from the Cross (Page 150)

It is fitting that the new covenant should be sealed by the wine on the hyssop, for the wine is the new covenant in his blood of the Eucharist. Had Jesus, the ultimate Passover Lamb, not indicated all this much earlier? There it is in John 6: …

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The Innocents Abroad

CHAPTER XI

We were troubled a little at dinner today by the conduct of an American, who talked very loudly and coarsely and laughed boisterously where all others were so quiet and well behaved. He ordered wine with a royal flourish and said: "I never dine without wine, sir" (which was a pitiful falsehood), and looked around …

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The Jungle Book - Parade Song of the Camp Animals

Commissariat Camels

We haven't a camelly tune of our own
To help us trollop along,
But every neck is a hair trombone
(Rtt-ta-ta-ta! is a hair trombone!)
And this our marching-song:
Can't! Don't! Shan't! Won't!
Pass it along the line!
Somebody's pack has slid from his back,
Wish it were only mine!
So…

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Essay on Man

Epistle 1, Line 87

Who sees with equal eye, as God of all,
A hero perish or a sparrow fall,
Atoms or systems into ruin hurl’d,
And now a bubble burst, and now a world.

(Pope, 1891)

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