Tag: gospel of john

Year C | 6/16/19 | John 16:12-15

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“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.”

John 16:12-15 (NABRE)

We often don’t give the Holy Spirit the attention He deserves.

We see in this passage a presentation of the Holy Trinity, one God in three distinct, divine Persons. For as transcendent as God is, He is also profoundly immanent. We have a God that is not some dead notion or a nice but useless thought, but is instead very much alive and powerful and also so very personable. He desires intimacy with us, not because He needs us, but out of His unfathomable love. Intimacy with the divine is possible and is very much aligned with reality. Jesus promises the guidance of the Holy Spirit in this passage. When we think of guidance from human beings, we think of that advice and encouragement we receive from people with which we have a trusting and intimate relationship. If us human beings can be of such great consolation to each other, how much more can God the Holy Spirit console us in deep intimacy and loving guidance?

Thank you for reading. Peace.

Year C | 6/9/19 | John 20:19-23

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On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. [Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

John 20:19-23

A fitting reading for Pentecost Sunday.

It is curious that the risen Jesus still has the wounds He sustained during the Crucifixion. Baffling as it may be at first, it becomes clearer why this would be the case when we take into account what happens in this passage. Jesus bestows the Holy Spirit on the disciples in the upper room to authoritatively and effectively forgive sins. As a Catholic, I believe that this authority to forgive sins is exercised in the Sacrament of Confession. The Apostles received this authority from Jesus and it has since been passed down to their successors (the bishops) and those successors’ collaborators (the priests). Jesus shows them the nail marks in His hands and the lance wound on His side before He confers the Spirit. In doing so, Jesus demonstrates that His unfathomable and inexhaustible mercy, which was displayed on the Cross when He suffered and died for the forgiveness of sins, is the same mercy that will be exercised through the missionary ministry of the Apostles that would take place after Pentecost.

What a wonderful gift we have in Confession.

Thank you for reading. Peace.

Year C | 5/26/19 | John 14:23-29

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Jesus answered and said to him, ” Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name — he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.

John 14:23-29 (NABRE)

The Holy Trinity works to guide each believer to Heaven.

Jesus comes from the Father, commands us to love one another as He (Jesus) has loved us, and then has the Holy Spirit sent by the Father in the name of the Son (Jesus) to guide us in our walk of faith.

On this walk, the Holy Spirit reminds us of what we have learned from Jesus. After giving His disciples the promise of the Advocate, Jesus leaves them with His peace. It is interesting that this bestowal of peace comes immediately after the promise of the outpouring of the Spirit. There is a connection between walking along the Way, according to the Truth, and towards everlasting Life and an experience of an otherworldly peace. This is the peace of Jesus Christ. It is found in the stability of living as Christ would want us to live. In conducting ourselves in this manner with the help of powerful divine grace, we experience a detachment from the desirability of sin, which ultimately enslaves. This peace is not bound to worldly peace, which often comes from an absence of war, financial security, and physical health. These are certainly goals to achieve, but here is something so beautiful about the peace of Christ: it can be experienced by those who do not experience a privileged life of socioeconomic prosperity and stability. The poor people of war-torn countries can and do experience the peace of Jesus in their lives. It is available to all, even to those who do not live in ideal situations. Jesus has a special love for the socioeconomic poor. All life is valuable on an inestimable scale. God shows no partiality.

Thank you for reading. Peace.

Year C | 5/12/19 | John 10:27-30

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My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.

John 10:27-30 (NABRE)

Jesus solemnly utters a statement of divinity. We have God as our shepherd!

Jesus uses figurative language to artistically express deeper truths throughout the Gospels. Pastoral language is found throughout Holy Scripture, such as in the Book of Psalms, the Book of Ezekiel or here in the Gospel of John. Obviously, God wants to emphasize that the attentiveness of His care can be likened to that of a shepherd. So, let’s think for a moment about what shepherds do. Even if you’ve never seen a sheep in person, you can still learn some basics by inference. Shepherds lead, guide, heal, discipline, feed, shelter, and protect their flocks. The sheep have the assurance of a competent shepherd and the company of many other sheep. Already, we can see that God wants us to take in the message that He deeply cares about us. He delights in us and wants to bring us joy and peace, just as a shepherd longs to bring his flock to abundant, tranquil pastures and flowing streams. Such is the care of our God. You can rely on God to help you in whatever situation you are in or in whatever vocation into which He calls you. T r u s t i n G o d ! If mere human shepherds can care so well for their flocks, how much more can almighty, all-good God, who is Love, care for you!

Thank you for reading. Peace.

Year C | 5/4/19 | John 21:1-19

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After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish here you just caught.” So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of his disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then asked him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” [Jesus] said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

John 21:1-19 (NABRE)

The Easter liturgical season brings out some of my favorite Gospel passages.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus calls Peter, James, and John to follow him after they pull in a miraculous catch of fish. Upon seeing the enormous amount, Peter tells Jesus, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8). To this, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” A similar interaction takes place here, only now, Jesus has risen from the dead and Peter is still distraught over denying that he knew his beloved Lord. Here we see, once again, the immeasurable Divine Mercy of Jesus. As Jesus said to St. Faustina, mercy is His greatest attribute. Time and again we see Him exercise his mercy in Holy Scripture, and we experience it in our own lives. Jesus does not spare an opportunity to show that He wants to forgive sin and lead us away from its misery.

Not only does Jesus forgive Peter, He also reaffirms the commission he gave to him earlier as the rock upon which the Church will be built (Matthew 16:18). Jesus entrusts his flock to the care of someone of the likes of Peter, who throughout the Gospels is depicted as passionate and genuine yet impulsive and somewhat obtuse.

It is astonishing to think that the Eleven, who went out and fearlessly preached the Gospel throughout the Roman world and beyond and baptized, confirmed, and nourished with the Lord’s Body and Blood so many thousands of people, started out as a ragtag group composed mostly of uneducated fishermen. Matthew (Levi), who worked at a tax office as a collector, was probably the only one of them who could read. You would think that Jesus would select some prominent members of the Sanhedrin to carry out the sacred mission of preaching and evangelizing to the ends of the earth. In our minds, only the best of the best get hired. However, we often forget that God is also a part of the equation. His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). If He calls you to do something, He also will supply you with the divine grace you need to do it. He has a great track record — just read the Acts of the Apostles and see what Peter was able to do with God’s help! Be not afraid of your own sinfulness and weaknesses when God calls you. You have His support. It only takes your willful cooperation.

For Peter, following Jesus meant martyrdom. Jesus hints to his face at what death he would die (crucifixion; i.e. “you will stretch out your hands”). Be prepared for whatever may come as a result of saying “yes” to Jesus. The future is uncertain, but Jesus’ love is certain. He cares deeply, so much so that He went out of His way to feed His friends and disciples breakfast even after accomplishing His salvific work on the Cross and resurrecting from the dead.

Thank you for reading. Peace.

Year C | 4/22/19 | John 20:1-9

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On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

John 20:1-9 (NABRE)

Easter is upon us.

This account of the empty tomb contains a gradual discovery. First, Mary of Magdala only sees the moved stone. Next, John arrives at the tomb but does not enter. Peter gets there and immediately goes inside. Finally, John joins him in examining the tomb. The ordeal unfolds slowly despite its inestimable significance for humanity. We often reflect upon the Resurrection of Jesus with the goal of searching this glorious mystery for some personal application, and rightly do we do this. What is the lesson for me, especially given my circumstances? What might God be trying to tell me through this part of Holy Scripture? Approaching this empty tomb narrative with that analytical framework in mind, we come to notice that God often works with us in this slow, gradual manner. Easter is a time to leave to God those burial cloths and head wraps that have kept us bound in the tomb, but we must remember that we cannot accomplish this on our own. Given that, we must also keep in mind that sometimes such positive change only occurs slowly. We humans don’t usually like rapid change. We would rather ease ourselves into the water. We should not be surprised if during this Easter season we notice that God is helping us out of entanglements in certain vices or illnesses of the mind in a slow and gentle manner.

Thank you for reading. Peace.

Year C | 4/7/19 | John 8:1-11

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Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.

They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.

Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.”

John 8:1-11 (NABRE)

What did Jesus write on the ground?

Mercy is something we both give and receive. It can be rather difficult to do either, but without mercy, this would be a sad world.

This passage reads like a parable in a way. Jesus’ real-life interactions are teaching moments for us, too. Given this passage’s theme of mercy, it is especially interesting that it starts off with a brief note that before he came to the temple area, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. We are given no reason as to why he did this, and immediately after the trip is mentioned, the scene shifts. It is worth remembering that the Mount of Olives* is where Jesus experienced immense agony before his arrest and eventual death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. The inclusion of this note is fitting given what happens between Jesus and the woman caught in adultery.

To the scene at the temple area. The unmerciful scribes and Pharisees intend to take up stones with which to execute the adulterous woman. The refusal to forgive (or even to have the willingness to do so) opens chasms between people, and from a distant vantage point, we see that each of our grudges makes up a lot of the cracks that fragment society. Plainly speaking, to not be merciful, especially in close relationships, is to drive people apart. This also comes from a place of ingratitude. What does it say about us when we refuse to have a merciful outlook after we have received such an abundance of mercy from God? Our experiences of being forgiven both by God and our fellow man should challenge us to be merciful to others because we need forgiveness just like any other sinner! Out of joyful gratitude and an honest view of ourselves we should forgive.

Thank you for reading. Peace.

*A special thanks to the maps section of my copy of the Bible (The Catholic Study Bible, 3rd Edition) for helping me to clarify that the Garden of Gethsemane is located on the Mount of Olives.