the new adam .... 31st week tuesday 2014

In our first reading we read one of the most beautiful hymns sung by Christians during the time of St. Paul.  Until now, two thousand years later, this hymn forms part of the prayer of the church in its evening prayer.  It is the earliest proclamation of the divinity of Christ, that Jesus is really God as he is truly human.

Jesus is often referred to by the Fathers of the Church as the New Adam.  He is called the New Adam because there was an Old Adam.  They are a study in contrast.  The old Adam wanted to become like God, the new Adam in contrast though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God.  The Old Adam was steeped with pride filled with his ego, wanting to be what he was not, in contrast the new Adam was humble, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave.  The Old Adam was disobedient, defying the expressed command of God, in contrast the New Adam who was obedient even to accepting death on the cross.  Because of this the Old Adam was banished from paradise, in contrast the new Adam was greatly exalted so that every knee should bend at the mention of his name and opened paradise once more for all of us.

St. Paul wants us to follow this attitude of Christ.  He said, Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus.  We must become like Christ, Paul said especially in these attitudes that he has shown us.

First we should not pretend what we are not. Jesus is God and yet he did not insist on his being God.  How about us?  We are not gods.  We are struggling to be holy but in reality we are not holy. We want to be in control but in reality we have no power.  Not even on our destiny.  We cannot even control our life. I went to an internet site and gave them pertinent data and they predicted that I am going to die on March 21, 2033.  Actually I do not know when and how I will die, because in reality we live, we move, we are saved because of the mercy of God.  So stop pretending.  Stop pretending that you are in control.  We live because of mercy, only by mercy.

Second, let us empty ourselves of our ego – Jesus emptied himself.  May duha ka term sa English – egoistic kon sayuron somebody who is self-centered, somebody who only thinks of himself or herself.  May ara man iya nga egotistic, always talking about himself or herself, pirme lang ako ya, ako ya.  In both cases they are full of themselves.  But we should become like Christ, Paul said, who emptied himself.  Less thought about the self, more thought about others.  An person full of himself will only think of mine, mine, mine – akon, akon, akon.  It is difficult for him to sacrifice for the sake of others,

Third, let us be obedient – Jesus was obedient.  The word obedience comes from two latin words, ob audire, which means alert or attentive listening.  The opposite of obedience is not disobedience.  The opposite of obedience is not listening.  Wala nagapamati.  Indi bala sang bata kita if we are not obedient to our parents ginaakigan kita dala gurinat sa dulunggan nga nagasiling “na kay man wala nagapamati.”  Praying is listening.  So learn to listen and not just talk.  Kis-a kalawig sang novena, no, hala wakal ga wakal.  Ang pinoy kuno may batasan nga horror vacui, Latin ina nga kon sayuron “the fear of empty spaces.”  Amo ina kuno kon ngaa if you notice kagahod sang aton mga teleserye, may sound gid pirme nga nahadlok mablangkohan.  It also happens when we pray or in the mass - when I keep quiet in the mass, daw natingala ang tanan, we become fidgety.  Naano ang pari man, nalipat?  Keep quiet so that you can listen.  Why? because how can you be obedient like Jesus when you could not even stay put and listen?