Genesis Trees PREFIGURE

I'm reading "Catholics and the Eucharist." There is SO much that goes right over my head, that I'm totally oblivious about my faith. This morning, while reading the "Introducton" I gained several 'warm-fuzzy,' enlightenments.
The introduction points out two principles that will help my continued growth of understanding.

The INCARNATION PRINCIPLE - God reveals Himself to humanity - through a varietyof ways. In the Old Testament, He revealed Himself to Moses through the 'burning bush.' He reveals Himself to me (today) through books, people, situations. (Nothing is accidental, everything is Providential - He reveals Himself to us in a variety of ways daily if we are open to seeing His Divine hand molding and shaping us constantly.)


And the SACRAMENTAL PRINCIPLE

In the Book of Genesis, we meet Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (the Garden of Delight). We learn of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life - they ate of the forbidden fruit - they disobeyed.

The Tree of Knowledge was not bad just because it was placed off limits. In the Epistle of Diognetus, (written "a few decades before the last book of the New Testament), he that the trees were planted "to show that life is attained through knowledge."

God placed the Tree of Knowledge 'off limits' because God intended to teach us wisdom later when they were more ready to recieve that knowledge. Just as now, God is teaching me wisdom as I'm ready to receive it. Never in my lifetime will I be able to learn all that there is to learn in the Bible and Church traditions, but as I'm ready to understand, He enlightens my mind and heart.

The two trees utilize the Incarnation Principle; they were physical means of revealing Himself to Adam and Eve. In time, they would be a source of offering the 'fruits'of transforming their minds and hearts. In that sense, they were the first SACRAMENTS. The sacraments 'feed' us; the fruits of those trees would 'feed' them.

The SACRAMENTAL PRINCIPLE is God's means of communicating to us in such a way to make us holy, to help us grow closer to Him.

So, the two trees foreshadow - the Tree of Knowledge - scripture, His Word; the Tree of Life foreshadows - the Eucharist!!!!!!!!!!!

AWESOME!

St. Faustina Diary - #1385

"When I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, my hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul, but souls do not even pay attention to me. They leave me to myself and busy themselves with other things....They treat me as a dead object."

The EUCHARIST IS ALIVE!!!

So often, when I focused on the Host at mass, I focused on Jesus' Crucifixion, His death! He died! But without the Cross there would be no RESURRECTION!. Jesus is ALIVE! The pain and suffering of the sacrifice brought about our redemption; our salvation! So, I need to change my focus.

Behold the Lamb of God - John the Baptist - John 1:29

Father Barron explains that when John the Baptist said this, he wasn't referring to a lamb in the sense of a gentle, calm, loving animal. Instead, in OT time, lambs were offered as sacrifices, a male, unblemished lamb would always be chosen as the 'sacrifical lamb.' John the Baptist recognizes Jesus as the sacrificial lamb, Behold the Lamb of God.
Jesus is that sacrifical Lamb, he died for our sins; he died to redeem us all. He died for love of us.

At mass, what are our thoughts when we BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD after the consecration?

Like doubting Thomas in John 20:28 - "Put your finger here and see my hands and bring your hand and put it into my side and do not be unbelieving but believe."

As I stare at the Host, my focus needs to be on BEHOLDING; on BELIEVING; on Thanksgiving; on Adoration. Do I believe in mind and heart?

Think of it - if someone gave you their ALL, how would you feel about them? Jesus, suffered, died, and was buried for us

Luke 24:13-35 - Road to Emmaus

I was/am like those disciples - "trying to make sense out of it."

Mercifully, about eight years ago, my eyes were finally opened. Jesus found and rescued one of his lost lambs and brought me back to the fold. Finally, after about thirty years of being distanced from the Church, I recognized Him in my life; His hand in forming me and guiding me.

I'm still trying to make sense of a lot of things but I now know He is with me and will never leave me. I've learned how to recognize Him daily in my life. What before was either ignored, taken for granted, or thought as purely coincidental, I now see as Him, His love for me. He is constantly inviting me to "come and see."

Luke 4:16-30

At the time of Jesus, the people of Nazareth did not accept Him. They saw him as the son of a carpenter. They couldn't see anything special about him. "Isn't this the son of Joseph......but he passed through the midst of them and went away."

I was raised in a Catholic home, attended Catholic schooling. I had lots of book knowledge, but was totally lacking in spiritual understanding. Repeatedly, Jesus reached out to me over the years, attempting to draw His lost lamb back into His fold. Thank goodness, I finally listened. Now, I hunger for His Word; I hunger for understanding.