The Seasons: A Poem

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Sunrise over Amazing Grasses Family Farm The mad Artist wields His brush, Painted colors rush, To life and give flush, Before the quiet autumn hush. The life seems to pour, As colors fall to the floor, To be seen no more, Outside the dark, grey door. Brightness from below, Sun upon the snow, High, cold clouds blow, Flakes and ice appear to grow. The man melts with little seen, Underneath, pale, grey green, Hides life in dark unseen, Waits for warmth and to careen. Buds on branches show, Patience starts to grow, Trickles, streams and veins flow, Bringing fruits of melted snow. Sprung to life it springs, Bees, birds, sound rings, Lush green flings, Its gift bounty brings. Green growth gives one last rush, Underneath the Painter's brush. The mad Artist wields His brush, before the quiet autumn hush. More poetry is available from James M. Hahn in  The Last Dragon and Other Poems  available now. My new book of cryptogram puzzles " Secret Messages from the Saints " is avai
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Access to the Father

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Readings for Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Today's Gospel starts with these words, "Jesus answered the Jews..." However, we are not told what the question was. We can safely assume that it concerned working on the Sabbath. Perhaps they asked Him, "who gave you the authority to not only work on the Sabbath but to tell others to do so as well?" I believe this is the question for the answer, which is very lengthy, deals with power and authority.

Jesus' answer was so offensive to His contemporaries because He was saying that not only is He the Son of God but He and the Father are one. We can imagine their rage with this verse, "He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father." In language that they and we can begin to understand Jesus points toward the intimate union that exists between Himself and the Father. Jesus says that He can do nothing without the Father not because the power comes from the Father but rather because where the Son is, there too is the Father. It is not as if Jesus can not escape the shadow of His Father but that they are so closely united there is no way to separate them.

This is something to contemplate in prayer. We must remember that the Trinity is not divisible. Even though we may address a certain person in the Trinity, it is in fact the Triune God that we are adoring. Yes, we receive Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist, but we are in fact also receiving the Trinity. We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit yet we are praying for the indwelling of the Trinity. We praise God the Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth, for His beautiful creation but we must remember Jesus too was present at the "foundation of the world."

What a great gift we have in today's Gospel! Jesus is giving us access to the Father. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life." During this time of Lent we truly need that access, we truly need to remember His Father is Our Father. This will be of great help and consolation as we approach the the "new garden" with the "new Adam" and pray with Him, "not my will, but yours" making us one with the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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