Jijo Kandamkulathy, CMF
Claretian Publications, Macau
JN 13:31-33A, 34-35
Glory and love are two repeated themes in this short Gospel passage. It contains probably the essence of the teachings of Christ, the only commandment or principle he gave to build the kingdom of God—love. Love is dispensed in smaller doses in our feelings, thoughts and actions. There is love when a mother cares for her child; there is love when a man or a woman shares one’s life with a partner; there is love when friends congregate—all representations of love in smaller doses. The most concentrated dose of love is a sacrificial act. It is expressed in giving up one’s life to save others: “No greater love a person can have than giving up one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus goes beyond that human standard and reaches the divine realm of love by relinquishing his life for people who do not know him, let alone love him. All love from that moment on was measured according to the divine love epitomized by Christ.
Glory is often misunderstood as victory over enemies or the manifestation of an unearthly aura or magical phenomenon. The idea of Christ or God as a glorious, victorious warrior has led to the composition of many songs and paintings. There are two ways glory is mentioned in the Gospels: one is Jesus talking about his own glorification, while the other is the observation of the Gospel narrator on glory. The latter seems to share the public perception of glory as victory. Whereas when Jesus mentions his glory, he puts a concept of time with it—the hour of glorification. Jesus had a clear idea of what glorification meant and when it would take place. He had reminded his mother and disciples that his hour had not come. All those predictions pointed to the revelation he makes in this part of the text where he says, “‘Now’ is the time of glorification.” Paradoxically, the glorious moments somehow were connected to or foreboded his painful end and, very subtly, his Resurrection. The Father is glorifying him because he chose to stand by the plans of the Father and did not run away from his cross. Remember, Jesus spoke of glory as soon as Judas left to betray him and the irreversible sequence of his trial, crucifixion and death was set in motion. To the Emmaus disciples he would say that the messiah had to suffer and enter into his glory. Glory is the end of the suffering-resurrection continuum.
Jesus gives an extra accent to the “now” while talking of his glory. Every present moment is glorious. The glory is not in a future or past moment but in accepting the challenges of the present moment, painful or otherwise. The awareness of the present saves us from the past and prevents us from the compulsive preoccupations about the future. It does not mean that we should not plan for the future. If our whole life is a preoccupation of planning for the future, the present – the glory of the real now – is lost. The call of the now is to be present to oneself, to be present to those around us rather than being available to a past or future moment. If we are captured by the moments of the past or future, we become prisoners of time. True liberation is in being able to live in the present.
For Jesus, glorification included the choice to live the designs of the Father, being fully aware of his mission of the moment. That choice was not easy. When he overcomes the temptation to get away from the mission of the Father, the glorification is applause for his victory, applause for his courage to suffer, to sacrifice himself. The glory of the sacrificial choice is possible only when it is made out of love, out of great love, out of divine love.
Interestingly, people who are preoccupied with the past or future are not great lovers because they often ignore the presence of people around them, although out of compulsion. One of the ways we become addicted to the past is in living a life of habits. Habits are great energy and effort savers. But becoming habitual to the level of being mechanical is reducing the glory of the moment. We become prisoners of the past by trying to time travel to the past and rectifying past mistakes. They practically miss the awareness of the mistakes that they might make in the present.
We may also become addicted to the future by perpetual dreaming of unrealistic plans. Planning for the future is part of our nature to avoid the stress and dangers of life. But if the planning for the future is compulsive, the awareness of the present moment and its value are lost.
Now is the time of glorification, by being present to oneself and others, and to the joys and sorrows it brings to oneself and others.
(Photo: Fotorech at Pixabay)
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