THE ONE WE CAN LEAN ON!

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Saints Philip and James, Apostles (Feast)

By Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.

John 14: 6 – 14
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.
13	Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son;
14	if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED TUESDAY TO ALL!!!

Philip’s request for Jesus to show his Father to them, so for them to KNOW him, is an instance which would indicate how the disciples’ mind are still set at the level of the “PHYSICAL PROOF” (the OBERVABLE) for knowledge to be gained about something. Last Sunday’s Gospel presented to us a similar case. Thomas came to believe in the resurrection of Jesus only after he made a physical confirmation by touching Jesus’ wounds. Yesterday’s Gospel also had presented a similar situation wherein Nicodemus misunderstood Jesus’ calling for him to be born again as returning back to a mother’s womb and be reborn again physically.  Philip, Thomas and Nicodemus were so shortsighted in dealing with Jesus at the “physical” or “tangible” level of comprehension and understanding. These three cases reveal to us that if our minds and hearts are set only to what is “tangible” or “observable” (the PHYSICAL), we will have difficulty in comprehending and accepting Jesus’ teachings.

In the Gospel today Jesus made a very grand promise that anything we ask in his name will be given. He said, “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” Here Jesus is making a declaration that we need to have faith in him who can give us what we ask from him. However, one could question the veracity of this claim of Jesus by checking out if indeed all that we asked from him are all granted. All would agree that not all that we asked from Jesus were given according to what we really asked from him. However, this would not mean that Jesus failed or ignored to answer our prayers. On the contrary, Jesus always give us an answer to our prayers, only that at times it will not be according to what we prayed or asked for. By not receiving or getting what we asked for is already an answer to our prayer, of course with a good reason. It will require, however, a correct understanding and attitude to prayer to remain with much trust and gratitude in the Lord who knows what is best for us. If we based strictly, therefore, our faith in Jesus to what is tangible and perceptible by our senses it can be expected that doubting Jesus would soon come when our prayers are “seemingly” ignored and remained unanswered.

We can ask anything from Jesus because he is our WAY to the Father who will grant anything his children will need and asked for. The Gospel today is challenging us to check out the kind of attitude we have to prayer. Do we pray as to demand something that must be given according to what we asked for because Jesus promised us to give anything that we will ask from him? Or do we pray with full trust and openness to the providence of God to give what we truly need and yet also humble to accept that not all our prayers are granted according to how we want it to be heard or according to what we want but our prayers will be answered according to what God knows what is best for us? Let us completely surrender ourselves to Jesus who truly KNOWS what is BEST for us, for he is the WAY, the TRUTH and our LIFE! Jesus promised us that in him we have SOMEONE we can LEAN ON!