Word of the Week

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Paradise: Paradeisos (Gk): meaning “garden, pleasure ground”, or “royal park”, a derivative of unknown oriental origin. It also conveys the upper region of the heavens.

“The symbolic description of the condition of our first parents before the Fall, who lived in a state of perfect innocence and integrity with God in the happiness of original justice and holiness (CCC 374, 378). Paradise also signifies heaven, that state of those who live with Christ forever in friendship and the presence of God (CCC 1023, 1721)” (CCC glossary, 891).

The above Greek can be found three times in the New Testament. In the Greek rendering of the Old Testament, Paradise makes its first biblical appearance as the Garden of Eden. “Here, before his rebellion, man lives enfolded in the blessings and peace of God. Centuries later, the prophets foretold that the blissful conditions of Eden would reappear in the future (Is.51.3; Ezek.36.35)” (Hahn and Minch, 69). The NT description of Paradise reveals that God’s dwelling is not just earthly, but heavenly. Consider the destination of the Good Thief (Lk.23.43) and Paul’s mystical journey (2 Cor.12.3). Luke’s account reveals something even more important, that the heavenly park comes from the bosom of mercy. How poignant of a message that a repentant thief is the first to accompany Christ to the beatific vision.

Furthermore, in the book of Revelation, the Church in her Liturgy is understood as the foretaste of the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of Paradise, in which we are called to “eat from the tree of life” (Rev.2.7). This food is the life source in our journey towards holiness and on-going conversion.

Paul reminds us this Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time that holiness comes by way of the thorn. “A thorn was given to me in the flesh…to keep me from being too elated” (2 Cor 12:7). Suffering, by its very nature, has a way of keeping things in perspective, and for Paul, this thorn allows him to temper his earthly joys against heavenly realities. Just as Christ’s kingly suffering bore eternal fruitfulness and was crowned with thorns, so to our suffering, filled with the pangs of earthly struggles, ought to bear fruit for the body of Christ. Living as a people of sacrifice, let us keep our eyes fixed on the end goal—Paradise!

“Behold the cross, raised to heaven as the monument to his victory and passageway into paradise.”

--St. Athanasius

Primary Texts Consulted

•  Catholic Bible. Suggested trans. Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition.
•  Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition, 1997.
• Hahn, Scott and Minch, Curtis. Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The First and Second   Letters of Paul to the Corinthinas. RSV, 2nd ed. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2004.

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