Tag: Jesus

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 | 5/12/19 | 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 | 4/28/19 | John 20:19-31

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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 to forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may [come to] believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

John 20:19-31 (NABRE)

A fitting reading for this Feast of Divine Mercy.

Each “block” of text here will be treated separately. There is so much to chew and savor in this account of one of Jesus’ post-Resurrection appearances.

First, we see two effects of the mission and ministry of the Apostles: forgiveness of sins and the peace of Christ, which are bonded with an intimate connection. Jesus makes his disciples ministers of mercy in expressly giving them the authority to forgive sins on earth. To this day, the successors to the Apostles in the episcopacy and their collaborators in the presbyterate forgive the sins of penitents through the Sacrament of Confession. As a Catholic, I am overly appreciative of this wonderful sacrament that Jesus Christ gave to his Holy Catholic Church. Jesus institutes a “tribunal of mercy,” as He describes it to St. Faustina Kowalska, that is such a tangible and concrete way to experience the forgiveness of sins that is granted so generously by our Savior. With the graces that come from this sacrament is the peace of Christ. This is a peace that gives us a preview of what is to come in Heaven. A peace that reminds us of the love with which Jesus showers us constantly. A peace from the Prince of Peace who gives to us abundantly and draws us to blissful communion with Him in his Kingdom. How generous is our Lord and God!

Next, we see the the beautiful patience of the risen Jesus. Thomas is also called “Didymus,” which means “the twin” in Greek. How often do we feel like “twins” of Thomas in our struggle to keep the faith? Jesus is patient with us, just as He was so patient with Thomas, approaching him not with words of condemnation, but with a greeting of peace. Jesus invites Thomas to have faith and helps him come to believe by putting on display his wounds for examination. Our Lord addresses both Thomas and his “twins” in inviting him and those who come to believe in the future to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

Finally, we see another plain invitation to come to believe and accept a life lived in gratitude for and reliance on the grace and peace of our God.

Thank you for reading. Peace.