Who is this Carpenter?

Reading in Balthasar recently , I've been struck by the tremendous connections which exist between Christology and Theological Anthropology. Jesus Christ really is the true Example of what it means to be Truly Human.

In today's gospel reading, Mark 6:1-6, that question is thrown into sharp relief by the crowd's reaction to Jesus. Who is this Carpenter? Where does Jesus get all this stuff He's showing us?

The answer is two fold.... it comes from Jesus Himself and ultimately, it comes from His Heavenly Father. There is no bi-furcation of will, or intent, or action in Jesus' life. He has come to do the Father's will. Period. And that will turns Christ toward others.

Benedict XVI wrote helpfully about this issue as Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger in Einführung in das Christentum.

"Christian faith recognizes in Jesus of Nazareth the exemplary human being. This seems to be the best way to understand Saint Paul’s idea that Christ is “the last Adam” (1 Cor 15:45). But it is precisely as the exemplary human being, as the classic example of the human being, that Jesus transcends the limits of what is human; only by means of that is he the truly exemplary human being.

For the human being is truly himself to the extent to which he is with another. He finds himself only in leaving himself; he only finds himself through another… And in the final analysis, the human being is geared towards… the one who is truly other, towards God…

He is entirely himself when he ceases to remain in himself, to be turned in on himself, to affirm himself, when he is nothing but opening to God.But so that the human being might become fully human, God must become man. It is only then that… the passage from the “animal” to the “spiritual” is definitively accomplished. Then, the earthly being, looking beyond himself, can say “You” to God.

It is this opening to the Infinite which constitutes the human being… And this is the one who is the most human, the true Adam, the one who is the most unlimited, who not only enters into contact with the Infinite, but who is one with him: Jesus Christ…If the true essence of the human being as God imagined him is manifested fully in Jesus, he cannot be destined to form an absolute exception, a curiosity…

His existence has to do with the whole of humanity… He is destined to gather together in himself the whole human race. He must “draw to himself” all of humanity (Jn 12:32) so as to form what Saint Paul calls the “Body of Christ."

Gather us in, Lord. Make us like your Carpenter Son.

Loneliness, Longing and Love

Well, its been a semi rough patch here in the old house. We have just about survived a tumultuous renonvation (three months) and my sons are down to only one weekend visit per month... from their previous usual two or more. I can still recall the days of being a more or less full time dad, 3 weeknights and every other weekend. Seems like yesterday.

At the same time I am feeling that creeping loneliness of being somewhat single as well as single minded. I have my work, which I love and my church activities which give me a lot of deep joy and my formation as a worldly monastic, or an oblate, or a third order, whatever you choose to call it.

But deep inside there is a growing longing to be alone with God, even as that same longing produces a very tangible loneliness. Yes, I know that God is my All and that I can and do turn to Him many times every day.

But lately I've begun to suspect that there is some unsuspected, hidden connection between my interior life and the capacity to love another or many others as Christ loves us.

Now my spiritual director has me reading some of Hans Urs von Balthasar, and this Catholic systematician seems to have a communitarian and mystical streak in him a mile wide and just as deep. I discovered that he helped a German woman found a secular institute, a group for people who want to live the consecrated life of poverty, chastity and obedience, while also staying "in the world."

I've often doubted whether that could truly be done, but I am interested enough to find out just what happened to this group. But first, I've told myself, I'll read an introduction to Balthasar and his book on the Christian State of Life. Only then can I truly appreciate the historical circumstances that led Balthasar et al to form this community. Then, perhaps I might also find some help for my own journey, as solo as that has been thus far.

Yours, Meinrad's and Ours

Yesterday was the the feast day for a saint whose star shines brightly in the Benedictine heavens, if nowhere else- St Meinrad, Hermit and Martyr. I would never have heard of him were it not for the Archabbey in Indiana which bears his name.

No boring hagiographical details here, .... just noting that Meinrad was martyred because he welcomed villians into his hermitage and they killed him.

Sometimes Benedictine hospitality (and the sharing with others that it entails) turns out to be darned inconvenient, a real bother, and, in some cases, a life threatening affair. Receiving everyone as if he or she were Christ is a messy proposition, if not a dangerous one.

However, such sharing in community and hospitality towards "the world which God is saving" ends up conforming us more closely to the image of Christ, crucified and risen.


Christ became human in order to welcome us into God's presence.

We know what He went through.

We are called to imitate Him.

Lesson learned.