St. John Baptist de la Salle, Priest (Commemoration)
By Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.
John 5: 31 - 47
31 If I bear witness to myself, my testimony is not true;
32 there is another who bears witness to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is true.
33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.
34 Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved.
35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.
36 But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent me.
37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness to me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen;
38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe him whom he has sent.
39 You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me;
40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
41 I do not receive glory from men.
42 But I know that you have not the love of God within you.
43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.
44 How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; it is Moses who accuses you, on whom you set your hope.
46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me.
47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:
A BLESSED THURSDAY TO ALL!
TO THE LASALLIANS, HAPPY COMMEMORATION OF ST. JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE!!!
Why people at certain times, if not most of the times, have a hard time understanding, but easily misunderstand, other people’s situations, actuations or misdemeanors, and even success and goodness? Certainly, there are many factors and causes why this happens. There could be different explanations as there are different cases how it happens. But one thing that can easily cause this common experience is self-absorption or egotism. Egotism is commonly described as an exaggerated, even to the point of being unrealistic, appraisal of one’s personal characteristics, may it be intellectual aptitude, physical talents or skills, appearance, etc. Most often, it operates unconsciously as a drive to gain and maintain a high regard and self-gratifying image of oneself. In a sense, the world is myopically seen from the perspective of the self as the center of anything. Thus, in psychology, an egotiscal person has a grandiose sense of self-importance and driven to self-promotion at the expense of others.
Jesus was always confronted with this kind of people in the Pharisees who the Gospels describe as people who love places of honor and titles of importance. Unlike them, Jesus never sought self-glorification but only the glorification of his Father. In the Gospel today Jesus declared that “If I bear witness to myself, my testimony is not true.” It is rather the scriptures that bears witness as to who he is. But Jesus admonished those who failed to recognized him that though they read the scriptures to find eternal life, they failed to see how the scriptures bears witness to him.
Indeed, there are many who are regular bible readers and dedicated biblical scholars, but have never known Jesus truly. I see preachers on the television who are very erudite biblically answering questions using passages from the bible as answers, but at the end of the discussion or biblical exposition the GLORY is bestowed upon themselves. When they preached Jesus to their listeners or followers, what they preach is actually how good they are over the other preachers. What they do is not really a biblical exposition but an exposition of their erudition and expertise on the bible. They start talking, or preaching, about Jesus but ends up with SELF-PROMOTION. Jesus, on the contrary, never starts with himself but with the Father who gave him a work to accomplish for the salvation of all, and ends up glorifying not himself but the one who sent him. Jesus has said, “I do not receive glory from men.” In fact, Jesus came stripping himself off with the glory of being God by taking upon him our broken human nature and becomes a servant of all so that all of us can be brought by him to eternal glorification before God the Father.
“Father in heaven, you have created us and out us in this world so that we can come to eternal happiness with you. Help us today to imitate your Son Jesus Christ by doing all our actions according to your holy will, so that having served and glorified you here on earth, we might be joined with you and your Son and the Holy Spirit for all eternity.
Amen!”
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