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Tuesday 8th Week in Ordinary Time
St. Luke’s Institute
May 28, 2013
PARADOX
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Word pops into mind as think about today’s gospel – the word “paradox”
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Dictionary defines paradox as statement or proposition that seems
self-contradictory or absurd but expresses a possible truth
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It’s something that goes against rational mind, against reasonable
way of thinking or looking at things
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Richard Rohr, notes Christianity built on paradox
Christianity BUILT ON
PARADOX +++++++++++++++
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There’s paradox just celebrated past Sunday – Holy Trinity – God
is 1 & yet three persons
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There’s paradox Mary was real mother of Jesus & yet virgin
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There’s paradox = Jesus both fully divine & human.
APOSTLES
AND PARADOX +++++++++++++++++++++++
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Today AA ask J, “What’s in
it 4 us to follow U?”
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Jesus responds w/, but with paradox
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They’ll receive eternal life, but also B persecuted & lose
their life
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& again, many who’re 1st will be last in age 2 come
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& many who’re last will B 1st in age to come.
US AND
PARADOX +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Why all this paradox in Jesus and in Christianity?
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Perhaps answer is simple
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Jesus saying that realm of God is different
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It’s beyond our human imagination, beyond human understanding,
beyond human reason
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Realm of God demands that we let go of our need to control or
submit everything to the control of reason
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Demands faith whose essence = trust & not control
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Sometimes only come to this realization when we’re seriously sick,
grieving loss of loved one, or have lost a job, overcome by an addiction
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It may take such experiences we cannot control to lead us to a trusting
and not controlling faith
CONCLUSION
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Jesus’ paradoxes are meant to do the same thing
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