Fifth Sunday of Easter
by Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.
John 14: 1 – 12 | |
1 | "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. |
2 | In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? |
3 | And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. |
4 | And you know the way where I am going." |
5 | Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" |
6 | Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. |
7 | If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him." |
8 | Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." |
9 | Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, `Show us the Father'? |
10 | Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. |
11 | Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. |
12 | "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. |
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:
A BLESSED SUNDAY TO ALL!!!
The Gospel today is the gospel-reading divided in two parts for the previous two days, Friday and Saturday. Since I have made my reflections on the previous days’ readings (Friday and Saturday), I will just point out some CHALLENGES this reading has for us as points for reflections toward the strengthening of our response to Jesus call to follow him.
Jesus challenges us NOT to be TROUBLED. Our FAITH in him must be our LINE to security that should bring PEACE to our minds and hearts. By our faith, we are in the GOOD HANDS of GOD, in the safety of our Lord Jesus’ and the Father’s PROTECTION and CARE.
Jesus challenges us NOT to be CONCERNED with the TIME of his RETURN, when he will be coming back, but be concerned rather with FINDING the WAY to secure a ROOM that Jesus prepared in his Father’s house for each of us. Jesus is our direct WAY to the Father and the KEY to secure a room in the Father’s house. Following Jesus is walking to the path that leads to the Father’s house.
Jesus, thus, challenges us to KNOW HIM, for knowledge of him is knowledge of God. To accept Jesus is to accept God. To follow Jesus is to follow God. To have Jesus in one’s life is to have an intimate and personal relationship with God. Knowing Jesus changes everything!
Finally, Jesus challenges us to carry out his “WORK” as the concrete and visible expression of our FAITH in him. Just as the Father lives in Jesus and carryout his “works” in him, so must so also with us; if Jesus is in us, let Jesus “works” through us. Jesus is our POWER to SERVE!
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