only in Jesus - 33rd week thursday 2014

Today we read from the book of Revelation.  It is a book full of symbolisms, full of coded messages because it is a subversive book and only insiders can understand the book.

In this particular passage John tells of a sealed scroll, a sealed book which contains the plan of God.  John shed many tears because he cannot open the book, and no one can open the book.

John needs to know what is written in the book.  In fact all people should know the contents of the book because it contains the plan of God.  They who know God’s plan will be able to discover the meaning of life and they will therefore cease to be anxious about the past, or the present and or even the future.  In our case for example if we can just open the book we don’t have to be anxious anymore asking again and again, will I become a priest or not, will I become a good priest or not, will I become a good husband, a doctor, a nurse, a lawyer, or what.  And yet no one knows how to open the book.

Then Jesus came, the lion of Judah, the lamb who was slain, the root of David, and he opened the book with its seven seals.  Now in Jesus we can know the plan of God.  In Jesus we can be sure of our destiny and goal.  In Jesus we know where and to what we are called to become.

In Jesus, only in Jesus.  And so we have access to God’s plan through Jesus.  It is only in listening to Jesus, in prayer, in the blessed sacrament, when we receive him in holy communion, when we visit the blessed sacrament, when we stay in him in the holy hour, it is when we pray that we can come into contact with Jesus who has opened for us the book that contains the plan of God for us.