Episodes Of The Life Of Jesus

"For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."

"(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?"

"[Given Christ's descent into hell] there is no death that cannot be recovered, not even the most damned, because who among the children of men can compare himself to the eternal Son, when it comes to the experience of eternal origin from God the Father, of eternal dependence and ever-new outpouring from him, of existence in the source of generation? Who, then, like him, can evaluate in the ultimate depth what it means to be abandoned, forsaken by the Father? What “poena damni” is comparable to this?"

"O madman of love! Was it not enough for you to become incarnate, that you also wanted to die? Was death not enough, that you also descended into hell, drawing out the holy fathers, to fulfill your truth and mercy in them? For your goodness promises good to those who serve you in truth. Therefore, you descended into limbo, to draw out of pain those who had served you and give them the fruit of their labors."

"In the descent of Holy Saturday into the underworld, in which von Speyr is given to participate mystically, Christ encountered and defeated sin, the reality hostile to God and man cast out of the world. Passing through this reality without life or breath of spirit in the extreme night of truly cadaverous obedience, Jesus carries the cross beyond sin, beyond the evil of the world. Hence von Speyr's conclusion, which reaches that of Barth and Origen: the ultimate reality cannot be man's no, but God's yes. And if Hell is so real as to cause pain and suffering (it is therefore absurd to speak of its non-existence), it is also true that, since Christ passed through it and defeated it with his obedient death, we can reasonably hope that it is empty."

"Before rising again, he ‘'descended into hell’', into the dark depths of history and matter, to give it energy and direction towards light, love, and freedom. If I begin to think that in the depths of matter and of my flesh, in the darkest parts of my being, he descended to illuminate and transfigure, to resurrect love and beauty, then I too participate in the resurrection of Christ who rises for eternity from the depths of my being, energy that ascends, seed of life, germinating life."

"The descent into hell is the ultimate consequence of the incarnation. The Son was first a simple God in himself, pure immensity. Then he became man, thousands of relationships with other men, thousands of changing and temporal states, efforts, and initiatives. He experienced all this in a fleeting destiny, in something without boundaries, which was always available to the infinity of the Father. Now he still lacks the knowledge of pure non-being God, of pure opposition to God, so to speak, of simple limitation in limitlessness."

"Your Son, Father, after dying on the cross, also accepted to be sent to hell, to the most abandoned and desolate place where no living person has ever set foot. He did this to participate more fully in all your mysteries, to show you that he is never tired of your service and is never satiated with his love for you. With this surplus of his descent into hell, he went beyond the surplus of the cross."

"After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either."

"Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him."

"Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself."

"After the supper with Him, the disciples of Emmaus, leaving behind their sadness and confusion, ran back to the newly born Christian community to proclaim the joyful news of their having seen the Risen Lord."

"The wayfarer who does not reveal himself and hides himself, but who nevertheless disturbs us... It is beautiful, but I think that any discussion of it spoils it. It is too indescribable: the supper was then depicted in paintings, and we see it in our minds, but even more evocative is the walk at sunset. It is the posthumous episode that touches me most, when Christ enters the house of the apostles, where there is none of the indescribable divinity of the travelling companion of Emmaus. The divinity that you do not recognise, but sense."

"Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”"

"So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God."

"And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen."

"3 Q. Why did Jesus Christ ascend into heaven?"

"1 Q. What are we taught in the Sixth Article: He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty?"

"4 Q. Why is it said of Jesus Christ that He ascended, and of His Most Holy Mother that she was assumed, into heaven?"

"In Christ ascended into heaven, in fact, it is our very humanity, the humanity he assumed in the Incarnation, that is raised to the highest splendour of its dignity."

"It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove."

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”"

"When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”"

"And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb."

"Fourthly and finally, there is the sign of circumcision, which Christ deigned to accept on this day. He wanted to be circumcised for many reasons. For himself, to show us that he had taken on a real body, knowing that there would be those who would argue that he had not taken on a real body but a fantastical one; therefore, to refute this error, he wanted to be circumcised and shed blood. For an imaginary body does not shed blood. For us, to show us that we must be circumcised in spirit."

"So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:"

"He who has surrendered himself to it knows that the Way ends on the Cross — even when it is leading him through the jubilation of Gennesaret or the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Do not seek death. Death will find you. But seek the road which makes death a fulfillment."

"L'ingresso di Gesù in Gerusalemme assume il significato dell'incontro di Gesù con quella che era per gli ebrei la città per eccellenza, quella che gli arabi chiamano ancora oggi la santa, la città della promessa e della speranza."

"Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end."

"Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”"

"*Le parole di Gesù: "Dovete lavarvi i piedi gli uni gli altri", significano: dovete rendervi a vicenda i servizi di un'umile carità. Carità e umiltà, insieme, formano il servizio evangelico."

"Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”"

"Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus."

"For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain."

"Con la sua Trasfigurazione Gesù voleva confermare la fede dei suoi discepoli, dei Dodici, rivelando loro progressivamente il mistero della sua persona."

"Facci conoscere a fondo il mistero della Trasfigurazione. O, forse, taci perché non sappiamo ancora accogliere la Tua Passione?"

"Per il contesto in cui è inserita, la Trasfigurazione ha lo scopo di anticipare, agli occhi dei discepoli prescelti, la gloria dell'ultimo giorno, già concentrata in quel Gesù che vive quotidianamente con loro. Dio parla ai discepoli timorosi, essi possono, devono, ascoltare e ubbidire, essere fiduciosi e seguire Gesù sulla strada che sale a Gerusalemme verso la gloria attraverso la croce."

"And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply."

"While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table."

"Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil."

"He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."

"Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe."

"Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”"

"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time."

"In typical Palestinian masculine style, the Twelve refused to believe the women, since according to Jewish law they were not allowed to bear legal witness. It is clear that Jesus was aware of this legal norm. His first appearance to the women and the fact that he entrusted them with bearing witness to the most important event of his life cannot have been anything other than deliberate choices: this is clearly a dramatic link between a very clear rejection of the principles that placed women in a position of inferiority and the most important moment of his Gospel, namely the resurrection. Jesus' effort to link these two points is so evident that it becomes a damning indictment of the intellectual short-sightedness of men who have failed to discern its great value for two thousand years."

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us; and we saw his glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

"And surely what joy, what delight can ever be found that far surpasses the announcement made to that blessed Virgin and Mother of joy? Rejoice, O mother of supernatural joy! Rejoice, O nourisher of sublime joy! Rejoice, capital seat of the joy of salvation! Rejoice, cooperator of immortal joy! Rejoice, O mystical dwelling place of ineffable joy! Rejoice, O most blessed source of inexhaustible joy! Rejoice, O treasure of eternal joy who bears God! Rejoice, O most luxuriant tree of life-giving joy!"

"Florence is the centre of the world. [The Dominican convent of] San Marco is the centre of Florence, and the Annunciation frescoed there by Beato Angelico is the centre of San Marco. Therefore, the Annunciation is the centre of the world."

"The Annunciation appears as a unique moment in the world history of women: it is the moment when God, taking women as free partners in his covenant, brings them true emancipation."

"The Annunciation is the beginning of a conception, something I wanted to compare to the creative process. As for iconography, Mary is usually depicted in an enclosed garden, a symbol of virginity, an inner, intimate space that I evoked through a red carpet."