Fr. Jerry Pokorsky: Seek First His Kingdom and His Righteousness

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture, Aug 05, 2024

Fr. Jerry Pokorsky is a priest of the Diocese of Arlington who has also served as a financial administrator in the Diocese of Lincoln. Trained in business and accounting, he also holds a Master of Divinity and a Master’s in moral theology. Father Pokorsky co-founded both CREDO and Adoremus, two organizations deeply engaged in authentic liturgical renewal. He writes regularly for a number of Catholic websites and magazines.

God destined man in original holiness to be fully “divinized” in glory. (CCC 398) God places the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” in the Garden of Paradise. The tree is His first covenant, honoring man’s freedom. The Tree of Life sustains the bliss of our First Parents. After the self-destructive fall of Adam and Eve, everlasting life would include unspeakable pain and horror. God’s withdrawal of the Tree of Life mercifully permits death (but only by the hand of God) to limit suffering. We continue to seek the Tree of Life on our terms.

Jesus restores the Tree of Life on His terms: “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst … For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (Jn. 6:35-40) …