Jesus Christ is truly God and truly Man (HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF EASTER (ST ATHANASIUS) MAY 2023

HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF EASTER, (ST. ATHANASIUS)

Acts 11:19-26; Ps.87; John 10:22-30

Jesus Christ is truly God and truly Man

The life and contribution of St. Athanasius makes us realize that the creed that we profess today, was not formulated without fierce theological debate. Every statement in the creed was arrived at after so much theological deliberations. Today, we are celebrating the contribution of St. Athanasius to the growth of the Faith particularly in the formulation of an article of the faith, namely, that Jesus Christ is truly and fully God.

Athanasius wrote and taught to refute the heresy of Arianism. Arianism taught that the incarnation is not possible and sensible because the world is saturated with evil and so, God cannot soil himself by becoming man. Therefore, the Jesus who was truly and fully man, could not have been God. Their rejection of Jesus as God was in a bid to safeguard the divinity of God. However, since Jesus was quite extraordinary, they taught that Jesus was just a mediator between God and the world. He is just a mediator, he is not equal to God; He did not exist with the Father from all eternity; he was created at some point in time in history. Thus Jesus could be the son of God but not God himself.

Athanasius answered Arianism by saying that redemption can only be possible through God’s active presence with the people. A creator who is afraid to mingle with its creatures cannot be said to be omnipotent. Hence incarnation is reasonable and possible. Redemption can only be possible if that which became man is itself truly and fully God. If Jesus is not God, then he will not be able to redeem man. To reject incarnation is to reject redemption; to reject redemption is to reject God’s providence and mercy. So, when Arianism rejected the divinity of Jesus Christ, just because they wanted to safeguard the divinity of God the Father, they were actually underrating the essence of God.

John 3:35-36 clearly says that the Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands such that he who believes in the son has eternal life. To say that Jesus is the Son of God does not mean that God gave birth of Jesus. It is only a way of describing his redemptive role.

Beloved, the encounter between Arianism and Athanasius teaches us something about our relationship with God. We are not Christians to defend and define God, we are Christians to know, love and serve God. It is in knowing, loving and serving Him that we understand Him more and then be able to speak of Him to others. That is witnessing. Witnessing is testifying to what we have experienced. If we do not encounter Jesus, we cannot understand Him; and when we don’t understand Him, we cannot speak properly about him. Therefore, a Christian is first and foremost, a man of prayer.

OR

 Reflection for 2nd of May, 2023. Tuesday. Fourth Week of Easter. Memorial of St. Athanasius (Bishop and Doctor of the Church). Acts 11:19-26. Psalm 87:1-3,4-5,6-7. John 10:22-30.

St. Athanasius, an Egyptian bishop and theologian, born at Alexander in the year 295, accompanied  his bishop, St. Alexander, to the Council of Nicaea and later, succeeded him as bishop. He played an important role in the strengthening of the Christian faith against Arianism. This heresy (which originated with Arius, a priest from Alexandria) and which denied the divinity of Christ spread quickly throughout the Church. As bishop of Alexandria for forty-five years, Athanasius did his best to fight this heresy and uphold the divinity of Christ. He even suffered exile five times on account of his stand. He died in 373.

Concerning Christ's divinity, he was asked in today's Gospel, "If you are the Christ, tell us plainly" (John 10:24). In response, Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me" (John 10:25-26).

The good works and the many miracles performed by Jesus were enough testimony to his divinity. To crown it all, Jesus said, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). He asserts it before his hearers who, on this account, wish to stone him as a blasphemer (cf.John 10:31). He affirms it again during his trial before the Sanhedrin, and this results in his condemnation to death.

Beloved, Jesus is divine, and his promises are absolutely trustworthy. Therefore, let us  look at the bright side of his life.

In the first reading, in Antioch, the disciples of Christ were, for the first time, called Christians (Acts 11:26). Did the early Christians do anything spectacular before they were called Christians? The people only saw the grace, which was manifested by the examples of their lives.

The testimony of the lives of many of us today does not show us as Christians anymore. We do what the common people do on the streets all in the name of if you can not beat them, you join them. This calls for a sober reflection. We need to earn the title "Christians" again by the good examples of our lives. People must be able to see us as Christians by the testimony of our lives at home, work, school, and in the community at large.

May God, through the intercession of St. Athanasius, grant us the grace to live a life worthy of our Christian faith through Christ our Lord. Amen.