Written by Sr. Rosemary Finnegan, O.P.
Readings from: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041321.cfm
On the news the other night, the family of Jack Hanna, the famous conservationist, was sharing that Mr. Hanna was now suffering with Alzheimers. The story was of him, his remarkable accomplishments, and the impact he’s had on our awareness and respect for animal life and nature. They ended by quoting something he said all his life which described his strong belief that people need to experience nature firsthand to appreciate it. He said: “Touch the heart to teach the mind.”
That’s exactly what Jesus was trying to do with Nicodemus in our gospel today…touch his heart to teach his mind. Nicodemus came asking Jesus some poignant questions and wanted some answers. He was trying to understand what Jesus meant by being “born from above”. Nicodemus was living in his head; Jesus wanted to touch his heart.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council. He was an influential man in religious circles. He probably had some wealth. In general, people looked up to him. He initially came to Jesus at night because he didn’t want to be seen with Jesus. He was afraid of what others might say about him. But Jesus had sparked his interest, Nicodemus had questions, and he just had to go meet him.
When Jesus said, “You must be born from above…and born of the Spirit”, he was saying that the Christian life is not a set of beliefs or a moral code, it is an experience. Talk to our young mother, Cinthia, who was baptized at the Easter Vigil and she will tell you with much joy how her heart, which has longed for the Lord for years, has been touched and what a difference her newfound relationship with God and this community has meant to her. She overflows with joy and gratitude.
God does not want our faith or our obedience as much as God wants our hearts. He wants to have a relationship with us, and if we have missed having this relationship, we have missed everything. We are called to be God’s children, and to build up the kingdom.
As a result of his personal encounter with Jesus, Nicodemus did have a change in his life. Later in the Scriptures, we read about him speaking up for Jesus during the Passion, and then going with Joseph of Arimathea to retrieve the body of Jesus after his crucifixion (John 19:39). Something must have gotten through to move Nicodemus from a strict, religious person to a person who had a living, personal relationship with Christ. The change in him could only be described as being born from above.
Indeed, we can learn from Nicodemus’ relationship with Jesus: “Touch the heart to teach the mind.”
