The “Jesus Fish”: It’s All Greek to Me

Since Greek was the unofficial language of the time, it, therefore, became the first language of Christianity—so much so that the entire New Testament was originally written in Greek.

by Fr. Jeff Loseke

Today, the most recognizable symbol of Christianity is a cross.  This once-popular method of execution by the Romans was forever changed after Jesus conquered His own fishcrucifixion by rising from the dead.  Interestingly, the cross was not one of the principal symbols the first Christians used to identify themselves as followers of Jesus, however.  Why not?  Probably because it was far too obvious.  To publicly declare oneself a Christian, especially during the 2nd and 3rd centuries, was a crime punishable by death.  While many believers publicly professed their faith when pressed to do so, they were not necessarily in the habit of volunteering such information.  This was by no means an act of cowardice, but rather an act of prudence.

Rather than openly advertise their Christian beliefs with a cross, they utilized less obvious, though deeply meaningful symbols to identify themselves to one another.  For example, they would impose the Greek letters Chi (X) and Rho (P) atop one another in the now familiar traditional symbol for Christ.  They did so because these are the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ.  Incidentally, this is why the letter Chi (X) is used even today as an abbreviation for Christ (e.g., Xmas for Christmas, Xianity for Christianity, etc.).  Another common ancient Christian symbol—often seen today on the backs of vehicles—is the fish.  This clever innovation, used by our Christian ancestors, makes an acronym out of the first letters of the phrase, “Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior,” which spell “ichthus,” the Greek word for “fish”.  Thus, the symbol came to represent Christians in the first centuries.

So why all this Greek in early Christianity?  Under the Roman Empire, while Latin was spoken as the official language, Greek was more commonly spoken among its subjects.  Indeed, many of the Jews of the Diaspora spoke Greek better than they did Hebrew.  These Greek-speaking Jews, along with Greek-speaking pagans, became the more likely candidates for conversion to Christianity than many of the Hebrew-speaking Jews of Israel.  Since Greek was the unofficial language of the time, it, therefore, became the first language of Christianity—so much so that the entire New Testament was originally written in Greek.  This is why we hear Jesus describe Himself in Revelation as “the Alpha and the Omega,” the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.  Furthermore, even the liturgy pays homage to our Greek-speaking roots by retaining one of the oldest titles for Jesus in its original Greek: Kurios, which means “Lord”.  Remember, in order to avoid uttering the Holy Name of God unnecessarily, faithful Jews would substitute the title “Lord” for God’s Name.  By using this same title, the first Christians were professing that Jesus Christ is the same Lord, the same God of Israel.  It is Greek we speak, not Latin, when we say, “Kyrie, eleison.  Christe, eleison.  Kyrie, eleison.”

The Reverend Jeffery S. Loseke is a Priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha and is currently the pastor of  St. Charlccn_father-les Borromeo Parish in Gretna, Nebraska.  Ordained in 2000, Fr. Loseke holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome and is working to complete his doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in interdisciplinary leadership through Creighton University in Omaha.  In addition to parish ministry, Fr. Loseke has served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, taught high school theology and college-level philosophy, and has been a presenter for various missions, retreats, and diocesan formation days across the country.

Art: Hörnse kyrka auf Gotland. Chorportal: Fische by Wolfgang Sauber, 2007 (Wikimedia Commons)

 

Making an Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart

In this week between the Solemnities of Corpus Christi and the Most Sacred Heart, every Catholic ought to be especially aware of his or her participation in the work of salvation and, in communion with Jesus Christ and the whole Church, strive to offer oneself to the Father in reparation for sin.

by Fr. Jeff Loseke

This Friday, June 23rd, is the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  On the one hand, it is a feast day that reminds us of God’s great love for His people; at the same time, 490px-Sacred_Heart_1770it is a feast that acknowledges humanity’s failure to love God fully in return.  Without the Savior loving both us and the Father to the end, we would not be redeemed.  Not only did Jesus willingly lay down His life for our salvation, but also He allowed His very heart to be pierced by a lance.  With that final act of man’s rejection of the Father’s love, God could have poured out judgment upon the centurion and upon the whole world for the death of His Son.  Instead, God willed that blood and water—symbols of the Eucharist and Baptism—should flow from Christ’s wounded Heart to bring healing and conversion to sinful humanity.  No matter how many times humanity has offended and rejected God, He has always been ready to meet us with mercy and forgiveness.

The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart, then, is a fitting day for the whole Church to offer an Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart for the many sins committed against the love of God.  Certainly, upon the Cross, Christ the Head has offered the one Sacrifice that redeems humanity.  Nevertheless, as members of His Body, we recognize that each of us is called to make atonement for sin so that the whole Christ—Head and members—are united in the work of salvation.  With St. Paul, we ought to be able to say: “In my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of His Body, which is the Church” (Col 1:24).  The Blessed Virgin Mary already shows us how to do this.  She is the type and model of the Church’s participation in the work of salvation, for she stands beneath the Cross of her Son and unites her Immaculate Heart to His Sacred Heart.

In this week between the Solemnities of Corpus Christi and the Most Sacred Heart, every Catholic ought to be especially aware of his or her participation in the work of salvation and, in communion with Jesus Christ and the whole Church, strive to offer oneself to the Father in reparation for sin.  I encourage each member of the Body of Christ to offer the Act of Reparation (see below) in these days leading up to the feast of the Sacred Heart.  Hopefully, on the day itself, pastors will lead their people in a public recitation of this Act of Reparation.  Indeed, the Church grants a plenary indulgence to the Christian faithful who publicly recite the “Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart” on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  (In all other cases and at all other times, the indulgence is partial.)  In order to merit a plenary indulgence—either for oneself or for one who has died—the following conditions must be met: (1) Be free of all attachment to sin, even venial sin; (2) Perform the indulgenced work; and (3) Receive sacramental Confession, Holy Communion, and pray for the Pope’s intentions (e.g., by reciting an Our Father and a Hail Mary) within several days (about 20) before or after carrying out the indulgenced work.  (Only one plenary indulgence may be merited per day.  One sacramental Confession will suffice for several plenary indulgences; however, a separate Communion and separate prayers for the Holy Father’s intentions are required for each plenary indulgence.)

 

Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart (from The Handbook of Indulgences)

Most loving Jesus, how great is the love which You have poured out upon the world.  How casual and careless is our response!  Kneeling before You, we wish to atone for the indifference and the slights which pierce You to the heart.

Praise to the heart of Jesus, our Savior and our God.

We ask forgiveness for our own shameful neglect.  We wish to make amends for those who are obstinate in their unbelief, for those who turn away from the light and wander like sheep without a shepherd; and for those who have broken their baptismal promises and reject the gentle yoke of Your law.

Praise to the heart of Jesus, our Savior and our God.

We wish to make amends for the sins of our society: for lust and degradation, for the corruption of the young, for indifference and blasphemy, for attacks against Your Church, for irreverence and even sacrilege against Your love in this Blessed Sacrament, and for the public defiance of Your Law.

Praise to the heart of Jesus, our Savior and our God.

These are the sins for which You died, but now we share in Your Atonement by offering on the altar in union with You the living Sacrifice You made on the Cross, joining to it the sufferings of Your Virgin Mother, and those of all the Saints and the whole Church.

Praise to the heart of Jesus, our Savior and our God.

We promise faithfully that by Your grace we shall make reparation for our own sins and for those of others by a strong faith, by holy living, and by obedience to the law of the Gospel, whose greatest commandment is that of charity.

Praise to the heart of Jesus, our Savior and our God.

We also  promise to do our best to discourage others from insulting You and bring those we can to follow You.

Praise to the heart of Jesus, our Savior and our God.

Jesus, Lord, receive this loving act of homage together with the prayers of our Lady, who stood by the Cross, our model in reparation.  Keep us faithful, even to the point of death, give us the gift of perseverance and lead us all to our promised land in heaven, where You, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, live and reign for ever and ever.  Amen.

Praise to the heart of Jesus, our Savior and our God.

 

The Reverend Jeffery S. Loseke is a Priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha and is currently the pastor of  St. Charlccn_father-les Borromeo Parish in Gretna, Nebraska.  Ordained in 2000, Fr. Loseke holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome and is working to complete his doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in interdisciplinary leadership through Creighton University in Omaha.  In addition to parish ministry, Fr. Loseke has served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, taught high school theology and college-level philosophy, and has been a presenter for various missions, retreats, and diocesan formation days across the country.

 

Art: Sacred Heart of Jesus with Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Saint Louis Gonzaga by José de Páez, Mexico, circa 1770 (Wikimedia Commons)

A Symbolic Eucharist: “To Hell with It”

To undermine belief in the Holy Eucharist is nothing other than Satan’s attack against the very heart of the Church… the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Himself. 

by Fr. Jeff Loseke

Next Sunday, the Church celebrates Corpus Christi, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord.  It is a feast that rejoices in the mystery of the Holy Eucharist: Christ’s Allegory_of_the_Eucharist_-_Google_Art_Projectsubstantial, real, and abiding presence in His Church.  We acknowledge and worship this sacramental mystery whereby ordinary bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.  Neither is the Eucharist just a symbol of Christ’s Body and Blood nor does it reveal Christ to us only spiritually.  We know that Christ is really and truly present—body, blood, soul, and divinity—in the Eucharist.  This truth is so central and so important to our faith that the great Catholic American author Flannery O’Connor (d. 1964) once said in defense of the Eucharist: “Well, if it’s a symbol, to hell with it.  It is the center of existence for me; all the rest of life is expendable.”

We cannot help but echo O’Connor’s bold words today: To hell with the idea that the Eucharist is mere symbol without substance!  To hell with this idea because it is the lie of the Evil One!  To hell with it because it is a lie that has infected so much of Western Christianity since the Protestant Reformation!  To hell with it because it is a lie that has robbed so many of our Christian brothers and sisters of such a great gift from God—a necessary help to our salvation!  As Sacred Scripture reminds us: “Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day’” (John 6:53-54).  To undermine belief in the Holy Eucharist is nothing other than Satan’s attack against the very heart of the Church… the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Himself.  The lance that was thrust into Christ’s side on the Cross continues to be hurled at the Savior every time His Real Presence is denied in the Eucharist.The Church dedicates the month of June to the Body of Christ and to His Most Sacred Heart.  In the Eucharist, we find the burning love of Christ made present for us upon our altar and abiding in silence in the tabernacle.  This month affords us the opportunity to examine how each of us can give better witness to the Lord’s Real Presence in the Eucharist and how we can enthrone Him in our own hearts and our homes.  Faith is always made visible in our works (cf. James 2:14-26).  Therefore, we do well to examine our outward signs of piety and reverence whenever we enter the church and then again to examine our outward signs of charity and mercy as we leave the church to go back to our homes and out into the world.  The Eucharist must be seen as the center of our existence, especially in today’s age of disbelief.

 

The Reverend Jeffery S. Loseke is a Priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha and is currently the pastor of  St. Charlccn_father-les Borromeo Parish in Gretna, Nebraska.  Ordained in 2000, Fr. Loseke holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome and is working to complete his doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in interdisciplinary leadership through Creighton University in Omaha.  In addition to parish ministry, Fr. Loseke has served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, taught high school theology and college-level philosophy, and has been a presenter for various missions, retreats, and diocesan formation days across the country.

Art: Allegory of the Eucharist by Artist Unknown, Ca. 1676-1725 (Wikimedia Commons)

 

Don’t Vacation From Your Vocation of Sharing the Good News!

The responsibility of giving witness and explaining the faith belongs not just to religious leaders, but it is fittingly situated in the lives of the baptized faithful.

by Fr. Jeff Loseke

A few years ago, I was on vacation with two classmates from my days in seminary.  The three of us now are Priests in different dioceses in the U.S. and get together every now 800px-Georges_Seurat_023and again for vacation to enjoy each other’s friendship while we travel.  To see us together, one would not immediately recognize us as Priests at first glance since we often do not travel in Roman collars or other such clerical garb while on vacation.  Nevertheless, our identity is sometimes uncovered… not by how we are dressed but by a faith that cannot be hidden.

While lounging at the pool and soaking up the sun, one of my friends was reading a book entitled, The Mass, whose title was clearly emblazoned on the front cover.  (Not your average, run-of-the-mill poolside reading, for sure!)  Another vacationer at the pool noticed this conspicuously Catholic book and asked my friend if he were indeed a Priest.  She, not being Catholic herself, then proceeded to ask him several questions about the Mass and the Catholic Church.  He happily answered her questions, and what could have been time wasted by the pool—albeit a well-deserved break—turned into an opportunity to share his faith.  What a great example of how one’s faith can be both recognizable and inviting without being ostentatious and standoffish.  When our faith is an integrated part of who we are, it becomes more than just a single part of us.  Instead, it permeates every other part of our very selves, and it cannot help but be seen.  For this reason, St. Peter reminds us that we must always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks us for a reason for our hope (see 1 Pt 3:15).

Almost 2,000 years prior to this poolside catechesis, St. Justin wrote to the pagan emperor Antoninus Pius and the Roman Senate around A.D. 155 also explaining the Mass and the Church’s beliefs.  The writings of St. Justin and other Apostolic Fathers from the first centuries of the Church’s history provide some of the best examples of Christians explaining and defending their faith to those who questioned it.  What is most interesting about St. Justin, however, is the fact that he was not a Bishop, Priest, or Deacon.  He was a layman, and he was the first as such to write extensively about the faith, especially to those who questioned it.  What an excellent example he is for the Christian faithful of today!  The responsibility of giving witness and explaining the faith belongs not just to religious leaders, but it is fittingly situated in the lives of the baptized faithful.  In all truth, the laity have more day-to-day contact with the world than do the clergy.  The Second Vatican Council rightly reminded us that it is the task of the clergy to evangelize the men and women of the Church, and that it is the task of the faithful to evangelize the world.  Truly, whether clergy or laity, there are no vacations from our vocation to announce the Good News!

The Reverend Jeffery S. Loseke is a Priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha and is currently the pastor of  St. Charlccn_father-les Borromeo Parish in Gretna, Nebraska.  Ordained in 2000, Fr. Loseke holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome and is working to complete his doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in interdisciplinary leadership through Creighton University in Omaha.  In addition to parish ministry, Fr. Loseke has served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, taught high school theology and college-level philosophy, and has been a presenter for various missions, retreats, and diocesan formation days across the country.

Art: A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by George Seurat, 1884

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