John 14: 1-12
The Word:https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050723.cfm
Our Gospel this Sunday
begins with the words that we heard spoken by the Angel Gabriel to Mary or by a
parent to their frightened child: “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” – Be
not afraid.
The scene is at the Last
Supper as Jesus encourages his disciples that although they will see what might
appear to be the end of their “Jesus dream,” it is not the end but only the
beginning of a greater plan by God.
Though the brutal suffering and crucifixion are on the horizon, after
the resurrection, they will not be abandoned. So he assures them: Do not let
your hearts be troubled.
But this is far more than
the loss of a dear friend. It is more
than just a temporary absence or a vacation in which they will be reunited
again. Jesus reassures his disciples
they will have a place in his Father’s house (heaven) and so too will we. For now they must carry on the mission of
Christ entrusted to them and build up the Church he has established. In that way, they begin to form the Father’s
house in the community of the Church which is fulfilled in eternal life. So, it
is a now and yet to come assurance that in a sense, the best is yet to come
despite what may appear as failure through the cross.
The question of Thomas, “Master,
we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” strikes me as
reasonable as these disciples have not yet experienced the resurrection. They
are thinking in earthly, logical terms.
Jesus, in John’s Gospel, speaks in spiritual terms so it is another
example of their gradual understanding of who Jesus is and the purpose of his
mission to humanity, which is God’s itself.
You see me, you see the Father – this is what God is like, Jesus tells
and shows us. When Jesus speaks, God speaks. Although this intimate group had
seen and heard much up to this point the fullness of understanding is still
hidden from them.
It may also be the question
of our day. Think for a moment. What did these Apostles have to go on - The
Hebrew Scriptures and Jesus himself. How
learned were they in the fine points of the sacred scriptures: the Torah, the
Law and the Prophets? Likely not to the
point they were able to connect the dots very easily.
So, they had the person of
Christ himself. They heard his teaching
and they witnessed strange and miraculous events. We see in the first reading
from Acts how the Church, in the face of growth, responded creatively as the
Holy Spirit led them to see a great need for equality and fairness among the
Greek and Aramaic speaking Christians. Yet, they still didn’t have much more
than the testimony of the Apostles to go on and their direct experience of the
Spirit among them. Eventually through the Apostles and the Apostles to the Gentiles,
St. Paul, the link between Old and New Testaments is uncovered and found to be
fulfilled in Christ Jesus.
Gives pause to think of our
time. What do we have? Thousands of
years of Christian history: Theologians, Doctors of the Church, Saints,
Tradition, the New Testament Scriptures, not to mention overwhelming
technological and scientific knowledge. It is far more than was available in
the historical universe of ancient times.
Yet, we still ask the same
question in this age of many distractions and miraculous medical science. “You still do not know me?” Jesus addresses
us. It is that every generation needs to hear the good news again and
again. The wealth of historical and
spiritual treasure we have at our fingertips literally through the internet for
example leaves us no excuse to remain unaware of the power of our Christian
faith. In this time of isolation and, thankfully, some gradual reopening, we
have a golden opportunity to sue these resources and reflect more seriously
about our faith.
I think the focus of the
Gospel and for our Christian lives is to once again hear the words of Jesus,
which are astounding: “I am the way and
the truth and the life” By this claim,
he leaves for us no other choice and basically no option or “door number two”
to walk through. Jesus claims that he is
THE way to the Father – to God; Jesus is the fullness of THE truth and he
brings us the promise and hope in THE life eternal. If we find him, we need not search anywhere
else and nothing else will fulfill or satisfy equally. And our faith life in
the Father’s house of the Church is where we must remain to encounter the
living Christ in sacraments, in word, in worship and in selfless works of charity. Hear we prepare for the fulfillment of Christ
promise to find the way to eternity and a rich and abundant life.
Our second reading from
Peter reminds us that the baptized are a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a people of his own” called to greatness in the spiritual sense.
So, maybe if we recognized our privilege not to be “holier than thou” but the
privilege we hold in Christ to carry on his mission of self-less service,
mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation, his good news in the world, we would not
be so troubled by the world in which we live. To invite others to come to know
the Lord Jesus in the ways we do it is more inspiring than simply words. We say
what our Lord said to his first disciples: “Come and see.”
Jesus message of Shalom,
peace and fullness, has gone beyond his resurrection address to his Apostles
and remains his message to the world. And
the spiritual axis by which we too bring that good news of hope in the culture
of today. He provides a power of trust and hope that we can know is what it
claims to be. He is the way to the
Father, the answer to our doubt, and the fullness of life that brings peace and
harmony. And as we gather in the
Eucharist, in the presence of Christ risen and alive as our food and way, let
us celebrate this gift of life and faith.
Almighty ever-living God,
constantly accomplish the
Paschal Mystery within us,
that those you were pleased
t make new in Holy Baptism
may, under you protective
care, bear much fruit
and come to the joys of life
eternal.
Through our Lord Jesus
Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with
you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
(Collect of Mass)
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