Pilgrim’s Notes #8: At the Mountaintop
“I’d love to live on a mountain top
Fellowshipping with the Lord
I’d love to stand on a mountain top
‘Cause I love to feel my spirit soarBut I’ve got to come down from that mountain top
To the people in the valley below
Or they’ll never know that they can go
To the mountain of the Lord” [Mountaintop, Amy Grant]
It occurred to me that during his 3 years of public ministry, Jesus frequently went to several ‘mountains’ to teach or to reflect. The mountain perhaps offers a kind of ‘close of heaven’ feel to the people he was preaching to at that time.
The church at the Mountain of Beatitudes is the first of the many ‘mountains’ that we visited during out Holy Land pilgrimage. The event that happened here are part of Jesus’ ‘Sermons on the Mount’, and it basically sums up the Christian ideals, a sort of 10 Commandments of the new testament. The ‘Beatitude’ comes from the Latin word: beatitudo, which meant blessedness – a state of well-being or happiness. If you don’t remember, here are the Beatitudes:
- Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
- Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land
- Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted
- Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall have their fill
- Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy
- Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God
- Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The Church at the Mountain of the Beatitudes, has the altar placed at the center, with the building having an octagonal shape. Each side represents one of the Beatitudes; as if hinting that the way to live as a Christian is to have God at the center, and using the 8 Beatitudes as ‘rules to live by’.
All over the mountain are benches under trees, flowers, and markers of the Beatitudes. It is a perfect place for meditation. I only wished we had more time to meditate, although we did conduct a mass under one of the trees.
The mountain also has a gorgeous panoramic view of the Sea of Galilee.
Our Chaplain told us of the things we can reflect upon the Beatitudes. First is the idea of “blessedness” comes from acknowledging the presence of God through Jesus. We are ‘blessed’ because Jesus came and if we acknowledge his presence in our lives, we will achieve a state of over-all well-being and happiness. Second is the idea of poverty — this does not pertain only to economic poverty because poverty can come in many forms. The first one particularly talks about ‘spiritual poverty’ — the acknowledgement for the need for God. One is blessed is he comes into a state where he/she is very aware that despite whatever worldly achievements, there is a need for God in their lives. Because the awareness of the need for God is a seeking for God — and the journey of developing that relationship with God in itself brings happiness and peace. Third, is a call to true morality => to desire nothing but to live according to God’s plan — using the 8 teachings as rules to live by. This especially resonates to me as a Filipino, given the recent news of disgusting corruption brought about by people’s greed. There is enough — more than enough — in this world, if only we don’t take more than our fair share. Having studied in a Jesuit Catholic school, we have always been reminded to ‘live simply so that others may live’. And the current Pope (a Jesuit), Pope Francis gives us a perfect example of what this faith truly means.
We also had the opportunity to go to the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish in Tabgha. It is said that on this mountain, the miracle of feeding the 5,000 people happened. The event is significant in Christ’s ministry because the story appears in all the 4 Canonical Gospel. The story was that Jesus, upon learning of the death of John the Baptist, went to a mountain to be alone. But people followed him there, so he proceed to heal and teach. The disciples were worried because it was getting late and they were in a remote area and the people where getting hungry, so they asked permission if they can send the crowd away. But Jesus told the disciples that the people could stay. He asked the disciples what food they had, and the disciples mentioned that they only found a boy with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Then the Lord asked them to share the bread and fish, and miraculously they were able to feed the 5,000, with some left overs left.
The Church that commemorates that event is a very modest church. Beneath the altar is a mosaic that shows two fish and 4 loaves of bread. Where is the fifth bread? It is in the altar — the one the priest holds during the mass. The Eucharist that we celebrate is an act of sharing as well — the sharing in the blessings of God — the faith and the miracles.
There is a lot we can learn from this very significant event in Jesus’ public ministry. We have heard about this reading and the sermons about this every year in mass. But what we know is this: Jesus asked the disciples ‘what they had’ (i.e. what was available). The disciples only mentioned the boy, who probably came forward to ‘present’ his 5 loaves and 2 fish. It is possible that the other people also had their ‘baon’, but they did not present it. Jesus prayed over what the boy presented, and this has provided a solution not just to the hunger of the 5,000, but that they had left-overs left.
This reading encourages us to ‘bring what we had’ to Jesus – present it, surrender it, lift it. And whatever we have, no matter how little, once we give it to God, will multiply a thousand-fold => and will physically satisfy us and spiritually fill us. For Christ is the bread of life. And by ‘what we have’ — it doesn’t just mean our problems, it also means what we have as hopes, dreams, ministries, our work, our life. Unless we give it to Christ, unless we present it to Him, He cannot perform any ‘miracles.’
And miracles do happen in our lives everyday…
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Postcript: In the wake of the recent Super Typhoon that hit Central Philippines, we are called again to ‘Share’ what we have, and pray so that the miracle of multiplication will also happen to our brothers and sister — that they will be filled physically and spiritually.
wanderfoolme 