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Saturday of the 4^th Week of Easter

John 14:7-14

Last Supper Discourse

You know, my name is a reminder of who I am before God. When I was in high school, I asked my mother where they got my name. She told me that they got it from a scratched newspaper thrown in a garbage can. My father got it and saw the name, “Joseph.’ And so they decided to name me as Joseph.

I told you that my name is a reminder of who I am before God because the name, ‘Joseph’ is a Hebrew word which means, God will increase. Just like St. John the Baptist who says: “He must increase and I must decrease.” I will not make myself known to other people, instead, I always pray to God to make me an instrument so that He will be known to them.

I’m sure almost all of us want to know what God look-like, as what St. Philip the Apostle did in today’s gospel (v. who asks Jesus to show to them the Father and that is enough for them. Jesus answers him by saying: “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,” (v.10). In other words, let us look at the life and acts of Jesus and we will see God the Father. The early Church Fathers called Him, “the Great Sacrament,” who signifies who God is and what God does. Catechism of the Catholic Church also says that: “The Church has always acknowledged that in the body of Jesus ‘we see our God made visible and so are caught up in love of the God we cannot see,’” ( no. 477).

A priest said in his homily that one of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God.  Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about Him but we can know Him personally.  The essence of Christianity and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other world religions is the knowledge of God as our Father.  Jesus makes it possible for each of us to personally know God as our Father. To see Jesus is to see what God is like.  In Jesus we see the perfect love of God: a God who cares intensely and who yearns over men and women, loving them to the point of laying down his life for them upon the Cross.   Jesus is the revelation of God, a God who loves us completely, unconditionally and perfectly.

Concretely, there are different forms of Christ’s Presence that shows God the Father to us. The Second Vatican Council reminds us of these various forms of Christ´s presence among us in the Liturgy as mentioned by Sacrosanctum Concilium no. 7 like, He is present: in His word, in the priest, in the weak and in the needy and so on and so forth. Jesus is present in our churches and adoration chapels around the world. He remains with us and shows us that the Father’s love is present, always working for the good of our salvation. In connection to this truth, Pope John Paul II (General Audience, November 21, 1988) said that one must be able to see these presences: we must have ‘eyes for seeing and ears for hearing,’ with a direct knowledge which is a real communion of life”. Although Christ died on the cross, he also rose from the dead and continues to live among us and manifest Himself to us in many different ways.

And so if we call ourselves Christians, then the people may see Christ in us. If to see Jesus is to see God the Father and so therefore hopefully and prayerfully, to see us is to see Jesus too.

Friday of the 4^th Week of Easter

John 14:1-6

Last Supper Discourse

It is said that the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin so feared for his safety that his residence in Moscow contained eight bedrooms. Each night Stalin chose a bedroom at random to ensure that no one knew exactly where he was sleeping.

Christ in today’s gospel reading presents Himself as the antidote to fear: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus says: “I am the Way.” The Lord Jesus does not simply give advice and direction. He personally is the way and we cannot miss it. He leads and guides us personally every day.

I’m sure that Jesus as the Way is not like the story of this priest who was assigned in a far-flung parish. The road that led to the parish was dusty and rough. He could not figure it out where the parish church was due to coconut trees and corn fields abounded. And so what he did was he asked a group of children playing along the road where the parish church was.

He asked one of the children: “Son, could you kindly tell me where the parish church is?” the boy just stared at him blankly, as if nothing happened. And so he told again the boy: “if you tell me where the parish church is, I will show you the way to heaven!” But the boy gave him a puzzled look and said: “Sir, you do not even know how to get to the parish church, how you can show me the way to heaven?” But Jesus is the Way and He is not just simply giving advice and direction.

Jesus also says: “I am the Truth.” Many of us can say, “I have taught you the truth.” But only Jesus can say, ‘I am the Truth.’ Moral truth cannot be conveyed in words alone; it must be conveyed in example. Jesus embodies the truth in His person. This truth that Jesus embodies in Himself is the truth St. Gregory of Nazianzus, (A.D. 381):

He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.

Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.

Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest.

Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.

Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.

Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.

Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.

Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.

Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.

Jesus also says: “I am the Life.” He not only ‘shows us the path of life’ (Ps. 16:11); He gives the kind of life which only God can give, eternal life. Is there any fear or trouble which keeps us from the perfect peace and happiness of a life surrendered to Jesus Christ? Let us try to dwell ourselves in these words coming from an unknown author: “When you are the neediest, He is the most sufficient. When you are completely helpless, He is the most helpful. When you feel totally dependent, He is absolutely dependable. When you are the weakest, He is the most able. When you are the most alone, He is intimately present. When you feel you are the least, He is the greatest. When you feel the most useless, He is preparing you. When it is the darkest, He is the only Light you need. When you feel the least secure, He is your Rock and Fortress. When you are the most humble, He is most gracious. When you can’t, He can.”