Jesus and Nicodemus: Embracing Spiritual Rebirth Through Baptism
The encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus, as recounted in the Gospel of John, offers a glimpse into the transformative power of spiritual rebirth through baptism. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, seeks wisdom under the cover of night. This darkness can be seen as symbolic of his initial lack of understanding or hesitation to fully embrace the truth of Jesus’ message. Yet, by approaching Jesus, Nicodemus takes the first step out of this spiritual darkness.
Their conversation centers around the concept of baptism—a second birth that ushers believers into the realm of the spirit. Through baptism, individuals shed their old selves, emerging as adopted children of God, free from the constraints of original sin. Nicodemus’s willingness to engage in dialogue, despite his initial reservations, demonstrates his openness to spiritual growth. He becomes a beacon of hope for all who seek understanding and a deeper connection with divine truth.
Joseph of Arimathea: Honoring the Dignity of the Human Body
In the final chapters of the Gospel of John, we find Joseph of Arimathea alongside Nicodemus, participating in one of the most poignant moments of Christ’s crucifixion and burial. Their actions serve as a testament to the sanctity of the human body and the importance of performing corporal works of mercy, such as burying the dead.
Joseph of Arimathea’s pivotal role in taking down Jesus’ body from the cross and providing a dignified burial emphasizes the reverence that must be accorded to every human being, even in death. This act of devotion aligns with Isaiah 53:9, portraying Joseph as fulfilling the prophecy that the Messiah would find rest among the wicked, despite his innocence.
Saints Nicodemus and Joseph: Symbolizing Life’s Bookends
Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea represent the bookends of human existence, each illustrating crucial aspects of the Christian journey. Nicodemus, encountered at the beginning of the Gospel of John, serves as a reminder that even in moments of uncertainty or darkness, approaching Jesus with an open heart can lead to enlightenment and spiritual rebirth. His story encapsulates the truth that the seeker of truth will find illumination, even when grappling with fear or doubt.
On the other hand, Joseph of Arimathea’s appearance at the close of John’s Gospel encapsulates the significance of the body in Christian theology. His act of compassion and reverence for the body of Christ in death echoes the belief in the resurrection of the body and the Christian hope for eternal life. This reflects the teachings of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which underscores the respect and charity due to the bodies of the departed.
Conclusion
Saints Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, share a common goal in their interactions with Jesus and their roles as witnesses to profound spiritual truths. Nicodemus teaches us the importance of seeking the light of truth, even when it seems shrouded in darkness. Joseph of Arimathea, by honoring the body of Christ in death, reinforces the Christian commitment to the dignity of every human life.
Their stories remind us that the Christian journey spans from the moment of spiritual awakening to the final resting place, each step infused with profound meaning. The lessons they offer continue to guide believers in understanding the transformative power of faith and the compassionate responsibilities we hold toward one another, both in life and in death.
Editor’s note: Article originally published on April 1, 2021.
Holy Thursday is a celebration of The Last Supper Jesus had with his Apostles before his death on the Cross. Matthew, Mark, and Luke contain narratives of this event in their Gospels. The Gospel of John gives a different account where Jesus washes the feet of his Apostles. During the Mass on Holy Thursday the priest washes the feet of parishioners as a sign of service.
This liturgical feast is one of my favorites in the entire church calendar. The institution of the Eucharist takes place on Holy Thursday. I also find the washing of feet as a profound gesture of love and service. Finally, the conclusion of the Mass sets up the stage for Good Friday― Jesus’ Death on the Cross.
Source and Summit
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1324, “The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” Imagine climbing up a mountain and reaching the peak after many days (or weeks). Reaching Holy Thursday is sort of like getting to the top of a spiritual mountain after climbing and learning about the teachings of the Church.
Those in RCIA might find a special appreciation for Holy Thursday as they have been slowly trekking through the teachings of the Church. The peak is the Eucharist― the gift of Jesus’ body, blood, soul, and divinity.
Beginning of the Priesthood
Another important theme in the Holy Thursday Mass is service and the role of the priests. Traditionally, the Church refers to Holy Thursday as Maundy Thursday. This word maundy refers to a foot washing ceremony for the poor. To read the full text click here: The Washing of the Disciples Feet.
Peter refused Jesus’ act of service at first. Jesus told him that unless Peter allowed him to clean his feet he didn’t have a place with him. While it may seem strange to our 21st century mind, washing the feet of another in ancient Jewish culture was a symbol of humility and love. Walking was the primary mode of travel and people didn’t have socks or shoes to protect their feet only sandals. Jesus lowered himself as he knelt with a bowl of water to wash his Apostles soles (more importantly this was a sign he intended to cleanse their souls too).
Jesus anointed the Apostles with the sacred office of the sacrament of Holy Orders. Pope Francis reminds us of this truth when he declared in a Holy Thursday homily in 2019, “We [priests] anoint by distributing ourselves, distributing our vocation and our heart. When we anoint others, we ourselves are anointed anew by the faith and affection of our people”.
Eucharist is Food to Sustain Us
Besides modeling servant leadership to his Apostles, Jesus specifically directed the Twelve (or Eleven) to celebrate the breaking of the bread again and again. In Matthew 26:26-29 Jesus says,
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; 28 for this is my blood of thec]”>[c]”>cc]”>] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Early Church Tradition interpreted Jesus giving us his literal Body and Blood under the guise of bread and wine. Centuries later Saint Thomas Aquinas clarified the theology with his term transubstantiation. A close reading of John 6 will show Jesus had many opportunities to clarify whether or not he was speaking literally or figuratively. For more information on the Bread of Life Discourse read my article 3 Reasons Why Critically Reading John 6 Will Convert Protestants.
Jesus is the Bread of Life. He gives us strengthen and resolve to fend off the temptations of the Enemy. Saint Maria Faustina wrote, “Jesus, source of my life, sanctify me. O my strength, fortify me. My commander, fight for me.” Her words point the Eucharist sustains us.
Maundy Thursday and Unity in the Body of Christ
Reception of Holy Communion fosters greater unity in the Body of Christ too. Paragraph 1419 of the Catechism states, “Participation in the Holy Sacrifice identifies us with his Heart, sustains our strength along the pilgrimage of this life, makes us long for eternal life, and unites us even now to the Church in heaven, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the saints.”
Holy Thursday celebrates the institution of the Eucharist and the Priesthood. The priest or deacon washing the feet of the laity recalls Christ’s act of service to Peter and the other Apostles. On this Maundy Thursday may we ponder the gift of Jesus’ Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. May be in a special way also pray for the Holy Spirit to guide all the clergy to serve with Christ-like love.
Reflection Questions
How will you serve the Body of Christ this year?
What can you do to show gratitude for Jesus giving us the Eucharist?
How can you support your local priest(s) in their ministry?
Happy Holy Week! 🙏 ✝️🦁 🙏 😅Ask the Holy Spirit for patience. Catholic bird puns are the best!😅😅😅God is merciful. 🙏One of the more random (at least seemingly) passages in the Gospels. 😅 “Now a young man followed him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized him, but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked.” — Mark 14:51-52He was shooting for a good message. 🏀😅🙏😂😂😂Wayyyy too accurate. 🌿🌴😅The best use of this moment with Creed from The Office. 😂Don’t blame the rooster. 🐓Have to include a Palm Sunday meme. 🌴🌿🙏Swords, crosses, and bows. 🌿🙏😂🌴 🌿 😂 😅
That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.
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😅😅😅Too funny! 🙏😅😀Christ is our victory! 🙏When you follow His Will there’s always a way. Cyril of Jerusalem: Don’t forget about me today!His silence speaks volumes. 🙏🙏🙏Saint Gertrude of Nivelles pray for us🐰😀🙏✝️☘️ 😅 🙏Too punny ☘️☘️🐍🐍Sooooo cool! You can never have too many theology books. 📚Accurate…the waiting is the tough part. 🙏🙏Amen 🙏Jesus will help you calculate sin and show you how to remove it from your life. There may be tangential teachings too…Awesome grocery display. ✝️ ✝️ ✝️
That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.
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😂 😂 😂The Rosary is biblically-based. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on me a Sinner”Seems about right. 😅 🙏Spelling matters. 😅Amen! Take a leap of faith. 🙏😅Repost of a meme I made a few months ago 🪽 🏹Teresa of Avila, Louis de Montfort, and Philip Neri are some of my role models.A few random mid-March musings. ☘️ π ✝️Jesus rose from the dead. He didn’t pink. 😅😅😅😅This was a fun meme to make. 🪨🙏It’s been one of those days. 😆🙂🙏 Please pray for me and my family.Who in your family made the loudest kneeler drop?
That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.
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The Father welcomes you with open arms. 🙏Or a charcuterie board of turquoise turnips. 😅😅 A very niche meme: birds, bats, and Bible. 🐦🦇🙏🙏🙏🙏What’s your favorite Simon (Peter) says verse? Amen! 🙏😅😅😅😂😂😂This is me!Saint Oswald pray for us! 🙏Too punny not to share. 😂😅😊💦 ➡️ 🍷It’s the start of your missionary disciple journey. 🙏
That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.
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Living in the Arizona desert, Lent has always held familiarity for me. The death themes of brown, sand, dust, dry… it’s a part of the Lenten season that never leaves. Jesus walked the desert for forty days, and I have many a time had the briefest taste of His experience when the temperatures go north of 112 and I’ve walked to my mailbox without water. The hot summer sun oppressively bears down upon me, and in the distance, an oasis looms that begs to quench my thirst. I know, despite how my eyes deceive me, I can chase that beckoning pool, but it’ll never quench my thirst.
It’s easy to understand the folly of chasing the mirage, and the wisdom of simply going home, but not every temptation is as simple to navigate as a walk to the mailbox. Some sins still get us. They promise wonderful things that only lead us deeper into the desert bereft of any relief. We wouldn’t chase sin if it weren’t alluring like the “oasis.”
A Time to Desert Our Sins
Lent is the season to confront the sins that entice us as we walk in our desert (without our dessert). In a season typically rife with talks about Jesus’ wandering, I want to contemplate the effects of sin and God in our lives by looking further back to the prefigurement of Christ’s wandering, when the Israelites wandered the desert.
Recall: God plagues Pharaoh until he releases the Israelites to Moses and they flee to the desert. After singing the Song of the Sea where they express gratefulness to God, they realize their conditions in the desert were lackluster. They start to lament that He and Moses had saved them at all, desiring the good ol’ days back in Egypt. God hears their ungrateful cries and provides them with food and water.
God Calls His People to Obedience
After this, Moses leads them to Mt. Sinai where God offers to enter into a covenant with them. If they obey His commands, they will become a “kingdom of priests,” or those who represent God. The Israelites agree, and God tells Moses many commandments on the mountain. These weren’t oppressive rules, but instructions of how the people and God would relate to one another, similar to wedding vows.
As God is giving Moses the instructions to build the Ark of the Covenant, the Israelites get impatient. They ask Aaron to make them the golden calf, violating the first two commandments and threatening the covenant. God says to Moses “God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in covenant faithfulness. He forgives sin, but will not leave the wicked unpunished.” (Exodus 34:6-7)
In the end, the Ark of the Covenant is built and set up within a tent as God commanded. The book ends with Moses trying to enter… and being unable to. As the representative of the Israelites, their unfaithfulness to the covenant is fracturing their relationship with God, and not allowing them to be close to Him.
Rules to Guide
In Leviticus, God gives the Israelites many more commands and instructions. God promises He will be very good to them if they are good to Him, but he will bring wrath down if they are not. The people hear this and do good. When we look forward to Numbers, we see Moses speaking to God from within the tent containing the Ark. This means the people had stayed close enough to God and made reparation to bring themselves closer to Him again!
It doesn’t last. In Numbers, as they walk through the wilderness of Paran, the Israelites complain and eventually riot saying they don’t want to go to the promised land. God says the Israelites can have it their way. They will not enter the promised land, only the next generation will in forty years. Later, Moses receives the same fate as he, too, offends God.
There’s still more rebellion from the Israelites, so God brings a punishment of poisonous snakes upon them. To remedy this, God tells Moses to make a bronze snake and hang it on a stick, so that whoever looks upon it would be healed.
Then the king of Moab asks a pagan sorcerer to curse them. Three times this sorcerer tries, but he can only offer blessings. While the Israelites are down in their camp grumbling and turning against God, He is with this sorcerer protecting and blessing them.
God is a Patient Father
Do you see the pattern? Time and again, the Israelites offend God, but He remains just and good to them. This is why these stories are so important and repeated so often throughout the bible. These stories illustrate that God will keep His word on his covenant promises, but He will also allow His people to separate themselves from Him and bear the consequences. This is true thousands of years later, and the words of Moses to the next generation in Deuteronomy are too.
As the new generation goes to the promised land without Moses, he speaks words of wisdom to them. He tells them many things, particularly to be more faithful to the covenant than their parents were. “Listen Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all of your soul, and all of your might.” This prayer is called the Shemah, which means “Listen” in Hebrew. In Hebrew “listen” means more than to hear, you must respond to what you hear–or obey.
God Won’t Desert You
Today, it isn’t enough to read your bible, you must obey the will of the Lord. Similarly, Love means more than an emotion or feeling. It’s a wholehearted devotion to God, a decision to align your will, emotions, mind, and heart to Him. We’re called to this same alignment now. This quote became a very important prayer to the Jewish people because it concisely stated what we know to be true. We are a people set apart. Israel’s obedience to this would make them a unique people among the nations, as it makes Christians unique in the world now.
As the new generation will be intermingling with the idol-worshipping Caananites, Moses urges them to worship God alone. Idols degrade humans and destroy communities, but worshiping God alone leads to blessings and life. These idols are sin, like the mirage in the desert: enticing, and tempting, but they bring devastation.
Moses instructs on God’s laws, which sound pretty average today but were radical and revolutionary for ancient Egypt. They’re better compared to similar rules at the time, like the Code of Hammurabi, where you can see how different circumstances, beliefs, norms, and people generally were back then. This gives a better understanding of how incredible these laws were, and how God was holding the Israelites to the highest standard they would be capable of back then. It’s the same now: Christians are called to higher standards than the rest of the world deems necessary. They make us weird, but the fruits speak for themselves.
Continued Promises
Moses continues: if they stay close to God, blessings will abound, but if they stray then exile will come to them. He urges them to choose life but admits he knows they will not after he dies. While this is pessimistic, it is also realistic. He says this because he knows them. Moses promises them that one day, when they’re in exile, struggling with venomous sin, they can always turn back towards God. He will welcome them back with open arms. For even when God rightly brings down justice, He transforms those just acts into life for those who look for healing, as when the Israelites looked upon the serpent.
Eternal truths about the relationship between God and man abound in this set of books. We constantly offend God and reap the consequences. He also constantly forgives us when we come back to Him. We don’t earn that forgiveness, He just gives it, if we want it. When we take that forgiveness and choose to live lives that ignore the mirage of the oasis, and instead keep our eyes fixed upon God, the blessings overflow. Our Lenten walks in the desert keep us keenly aware of the sting of suffering. Looking forward to Easter, what we truly see on the other side is the greatest promise of all: Heaven.
About Our Guest Blogger:
Desirae Sifuentes is a military wife, mom of 5, and theology student at Franciscan University. Growing up largely ignorant to her faith, she ventured off and found her way back home. This led her to passionately pursue her own catechesis. Now she’s sharing that journey, and how to grow, learn, and defend your catholic faith online at @uncatechizedcatholic.
