Saturday, April 23, 2016

Know Jesus, Know God

‘If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.’
Jn.14:7

Jesus has just washed the disciples feet at the Last Supper and is now giving them his final instruction. He wants them to be fully aware that to known him means to know the Father.

Father, Son, Holy Spirit, the three-in-one mystery of the person of God. For me, sometimes God the Father drifts off into that stern old man up in the clouds and the Holy Spirit morphs back into the dove with the olive branch in its beak.  Jesus reflects the Father and gifts the Holy Spirit. He is the key to experiencing the three person-hoods of God.

As the bumper sticker eloquently says; Know Jesus, know God. No Jesus, no God. Jesus, come into my life today.

Jesus, you are God. Help me know you and see you today.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

True Bread

'I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’
Jn.6:51

People are clamoring after Jesus following his miraculous feeding of the five thousand. Jesus knows their motive; 'You are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Jn.6:26' Jesus then leads into his discourse on what the true bread is that he provides, his very flesh.

I can't read John, chapter 6 without being so grateful I have the Eucharist available to me, just twenty minutes walk down the road from where I live. The Bread of Life is available to me even today, at our local cathedral.

Jesus' listeners could not accept what he was saying and left still hungry. I do accept Jesus meant what he said and according to him, eternal life is mine. Oh wonderful gift, I long for you. I need to go to Mass today.

Thank you Jesus for the most precious gift you have given me, your very flesh and blood. You give yourself completely so I may live eternally.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Believe

Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life, but anyone who refuses to believe in the Son will never see life: the anger of God stays on him.’ 
Jn.3:36

John the Baptist is speaking to his disciples about Jesus, having just said that He, Jesus, must become greater while he, John, becomes lesser. He then says belief in Jesus is the only way to eternal life. To underscore this, John adds that refusal to believe in Jesus is a death.

Belief. Defined as:  Confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof. My faith waxes and wanes but eventually comes down to this. Belief in the unseen. Jesus said to Thomas in today's Gospel Acclamation, "You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me; happy are those who have not seen me, but still believe!"  This belief is crucial as it leads to life, real life, not just the froth and bubble of the day but full, heart throbbing, joy filling eternal happiness.

This is the life giving joy of Easter that still throbs through my veins in this second week of Eastertide.  Oh wondrous mystery and gift of belief, I embrace you today.

Jesus, I believe in you. Your fullness of life and Easter joy is mine to share today.
Saint Peter, please pray for me.



Wednesday, April 6, 2016

The Light

"And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, for fear his actions should be exposed; but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light, so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.’
Jn.3:20,21

Jesus has been sought out by Nicodemus. Jesus uses earthly things to explain heavenly things to Nicodemus. Jesus speaks of himself as light that has come into the world but that people prefer darkness. This must have resonated with Nicodemus who sought Jesus at night for fear of the Jews.

Recently our neighbour's house was broken into and robbed while they were away. This happened at night, in darkness. I was reminded of the above words of Jesus, 'everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, for fear his actions should be exposed;'.  The "everybody" referred to here includes me when I do wrong. Whenever I do wrong I'm fully aware of my actions and I don't want them exposed.

The antidote for this malady? Light! The light that comes from Jesus overcomes the deepest darkness. What wonderful news. I need to do some "Son" bathing and expose myself to the Light of Christ... daily.

Thank you Jesus for being the light that overcomes my darkness. Let your light shine in me today.
Little Flower, please pray for me.