9781644135945

The Light of the World
In Jerusalem the kingdom of God, the kingdom of the promised Messias, was to be erected.
From Him salvation was to come to men. Truly the prophet had good reason to cry: “Rejoice,
O Jerusalem.” But this bride of Christ, this favorite of God, proved unfaithful. The Lord, the
bridegroom, came. “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” ( Jn 1:11). She
became the harlot; the slave woman; she became a captive of the Pharisees, a puppet in the
hands of the politicians and scribes. She scoffed at those who loved God, and she crucified
her bridegroom and Savior. “His blood be upon us and our children” (Mt 27:25). To this
unfaithful city is addressed the words: “Cast out the bondwoman and her son; for the son
of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the sons of the free woman” (Gal 4:30). In place
of the faithless Jerusalem, Christ raised up a new Jerusalem.
“But that Jerusalem which is above is free, which is our mother” (Epistle). The Church is
His body, His visible form, His spouse whom He loves. The Church is she for whom He “delivered
Himself up that He might sanctify it; . . . that He might present it to Himself a glorious
Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Eph 5:25 ff.). The Church is “a chosen
generation, . . . a holy nation, a purchased people, . . . who in times past were not a people, but
are now the people of God, . . . who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1
Pt 2:9 f.). “I rejoiced at the things that were said to me; we shall go into the house of the Lord.”
We shall go into the house built on faith, built on one Lord and one God. There is a firm union
between the foundation and all the stones that go to make the walls of this structure, between
Christ and us. We form one unit, one family, having one faith and one sacrifice, all receiving the
same holy sacraments. To this Church will come the nations from the four corners of the earth.
They will enjoy a unity of life with her; they will receive a rich share of her fullness of grace and
truth. Each year will see the spread of her dominion.
The rocks which are taken from the quarry of the human race are shaped by baptism so
that they may be used to build the structure of the Church on the cornerstone which is Christ.
Having been baptized, the soul becomes a living rock. Thus we become “fellow citizens with
the saints and the domestics of God” (Eph 2:19). In this house there is peace and abundance
(Gradual). The Lord has deposited in His Church the fullness of His goods, His truth, His
grace, and His life. He gives to all who are living in that house the bread of the Eucharist that
they may be filled. To this holy repast come the people of God (Communion). Let us rejoice, O
Jerusalem, O holy Church; come together all you that love the Church. “Rejoice with joy, you
that have been in sorrow, that you may exult and be filled from the breasts of your consolation,”
the Church (Introit).
“Jerusalem, . . . thither did the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, to praise Thy name, O
Lord” (Communion). The Jerusalem of the Church points today to the Jerusalem in heaven.
There we shall find the fulfillment of all our desires. There we shall find peace and abundance
of happiness (Gradual). Banished will be every anxiety, everlasting our union with the highest
good, uninterrupted our beatific vision. From God and Christ glory will be communicated to
the blessed, who shall be transfigured by the divine splendor flowing through them and shall
be satiated with His delights. “We shall go into the house of the Lord.”
When we received baptism, we were allowed to go into the house of the Lord. Today we thank
God for the grace of baptism. “Praise ye the Lord, for He is good; sing ye to His name, for He
is sweet” (Offertory).
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