Easter Meditation Two - The Tree of Life

We began this Lent/Easter series by reflecting on God's plan to create mankind and to give us that share in God's glory that was lost by Satan and the fallen angels. Pride caused these angels to look at their glory as making them equal to God. Because of this, God stripped them of the glory he had given them, and banished them from his presence. “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit.  Isaiah 14:12ff To protect us from this same condition of pride, God begins our existence in this natural world, in the humble condition of a natural man, with only the promise and hope of sharing in God's glory. Then, with hearts purified of all pride, God can bestow on us a share in his glory.  “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under their feet.” We do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. Hebrews 2:5ff. The image of an empty tomb greets our Easter meditation. Another is to have before us the image of the valley of death and the "dry bones" of Ezekiel's prophecy, together with the "Tree of Life" in the center. Now begins our transformation and our sharing in the Life of God. St. Catherine of Siena gives an interesting account of what this transformation will look like. St. Catherine of Siena was permitted by God to see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace. It was so beautiful that she could not look on it; the brightness of that soul dazzled her. "Oh, if you could but see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace, you would sacrifice your life a thousand times for its salvation. I asked the angel who was with me what had made that soul so beautiful, and he answered me, 'It is the image and likeness of God in that soul, and the Divine Grace which made it so beautiful.' Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena Catherine's account reminds us of the experience of the Transfiguration of Jesus on mount Tabor, as well as some of the Resurrection experiences i.e. St. Paul's conversion experience. But the vision of the "glorified" person is extraordinary.  Our transformation begins with the infused gift of the Holy Spirit. As we empty our hearts of our self-will and purpose, an emptying which is in imitation of the Cross of Jesus, we are filled with the New Life of the Spirit. As the image above depicts, the Cross now becomes the Tree of Life rising up in our hearts, full of new life. And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But remain in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Lk. 24:49 And when they were gathered together, He commanded them: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift the Father promised, which you have heard Me discuss. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4 In his book, "Spiritual Exercises", Karl Rahner draws from scripture a series of descriptions of the nature and working of this Holy Spirit in us. the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the thrice-holy God, the Spirit of the Father and of the Son, the Spirit who was poured into us, the Paraclete, the Comforter,  the Advocate, the Spirit of freedom, the seal of our redemption, the first fruits of the redemption, the pledge of eternal glory, the strengthening and comforting anointing, the Spirit who enlightens and inspires, the Spirit who lives in our bodies as a temple, the Spirit who sanctifies us into a dwelling place of God, the Spirit who makes us the sanctuary of the Church, the Spirit of the new creation through Whom the Lord makes all things new, the Spirit out of Whom a person must be born again, in order to be the person God     intends them to be for all eternity, the Spirit, the arouser of the glorified body, the Spirit of adoption, testimony that we are the children of God, the Spirit who searches the depths of God. The health and worth of a tree is measured by the fruit it bears. For the next forty days, the scriptures of the liturgy will take us through an examination of this "Life of the Spirit" at work in the early Church. We will see these effects of the Holy Spirit working in the people "Baptized in the Holy Spirit". We look for the fruits of that Baptism to be renewed now in us.

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