Word of the Week

4th Sunday in Lent

Perish: Apollumi (Gk.): meaning “to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed”.  This term conveys a sense of abolishment and ruin.

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn.3:16) “in order to save us by reconciling us with God” (CCC 457); “that we might know God’s love” (CCC 458); “to be our model of Holiness” (CCC 459); and “to make us partakers of the divine nature” (CCC 460).    These principle truths regarding the Incarnation reveal God’s fatherly wisdom to draw us into relationship with him that “we might not have perish but have eternal life” (Jn.3:16) (CCC 458).

The above Greek term can be seen 92 times in the New Testament with the use of ‘perish’ 33 times. John uses it four times, highlighted by arguably the most famous verse in all of Sacred Scripture: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten  son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn.3:16). Considering the meaning of ‘perish’ in this popular text is invaluable to understand a staple truth of our Christian faith--that we are saved by living out our faith. The root to the Greek Apollumi, apo, means, “to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed… a separation of fellowship”. Apo is an organic term. When we fall into a life of sin, we are living outside the living organism that is the body of Christ.

The descent of the Son of God takes place in history that man, the social agent of history, might participate in fellowship with the Holy Spirit in an ascent of prayer. If we fail to respond to the gift of the only-begotten Son in faith, we will live in darkness, outside of the light of Christ that is covenant harmony with God (Jn.3:17-19). Covenant theology is rooted in the law that is defined, in principle, as fellowship with God. Consequently, not to be in the law is to live in rebellion, outside of the inheritance of family relationship with God. Essentially, it is to live in ‘ruin’, to be spiritually ‘dead’. Paul affirms this truth in his theology when he states that those outside of the law of righteousness will perish (Rom.2:12; cf. 2 Thes.2:10). He goes on to say in his next verse in his epistle to Rome, “For it is not the hearers of the law that are righteous before God, but doers of the law that are justified” (Rom.2:13). Background to this verse is the essence of the gift of faith that is the listen/ response relationship with God (Rom.1:5, 16:26).

On this Fourth Sunday of Lent, we continue to rededicate ourselves in our practice of penance and almsgiving as an offering of prayer in fellowship with Christ. Indeed, only the hearers of the Word of God can be in fellowship with the Word of God. Let us not perish in our misery and sin, rather be students of Scripture with the hope that is eternal life with God.

“A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.”

--G.K. Chesterton

 

Primary Texts Consulted

• Catholic Bible. Suggested trans. Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition.
• Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition, 1997.

 

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