Readings & Reflections: Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter & St. Peter of Tarentaise, May 8,2020

“To us this word of salvation has been sent”: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Paul insists, “We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you.” What God promised, he has brought to fulfillment for us in Christ, “Where I am you also may be.” Tragically, some “failed to recognize him.” By faith in God and faith in Jesus we recognize the salvation fro which we long, and need not let our hearts be troubled.

AMDG+

Opening Prayer

“Lord Jesus, you fill us with the joy of your saving presence and you give us the hope of everlasting life with the Father in Heaven. Show me the Father that I may know and glorify him more fully.” In your Mighty Name, I pray. Amen.

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Reading 1
Acts 13:26-33

When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue:
“My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him,
and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets
that are read sabbath after sabbath.
For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence,
they asked Pilate to have him put to death,
and when they had accomplished all that was written about him,
they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he appeared to those
who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.
These are now his witnesses before the people.
We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you
that what God promised our fathers
he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus,
as it is written in the second psalm,
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.”

The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11ab 

R. (7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jn 14:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Reflection 1 – Do not let your heart be troubled

It is tough to be one of the 12 apostles. Today’s gospel brings to us the leap of faith made over and over again by Jesus’ early disciples and the patience Jesus had for them.

After years of teaching and following Jesus, fellowshipping with Him and sharing His life with them and most importantly, after Jesus promised that in His Father’s house, there are many dwelling places and He will prepare a place for them, after He says: “I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way”, Jesus is confronted by Thomas who said: “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”

Did Jesus show any sign of exasperation over His early disciples? Jesus was so patient with His followers. He was so understanding and compassionate and was never discouraged despite the ambivalence of His followers. He proclaimed to them: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus is truly the way. This is the message His disciples heard again and again. This is the message, we believe and live by.

Today, as we proclaim our faith in Jesus, our Lord, we need to make that leap of faith again and again. We, too, know the way, but we are at times, skeptical and not 100% with our faith. We make easy choices and opt for our comfort zones which at times lead us away from our Lord. But like Thomas and the other disciples, we have learned the way and all we need to do is to go in the right direction. When we make a wrong turn, even an sinful pit stop, we are reminded that God is always with us. He is full of patience. He even said: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.”

Direction

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God by serving Him and His Church.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, I believe that You are the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father but through You. With You in my heart I know that I will be able to dwell in my Father ‘ s house which has many dwelling places. Amen.

Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love and the future to God’s providence. –  St. Augustine of Hippo

Reflection 2 – Bearing witness to Jesus

Courtroom trials depend on the testimony of witnesses. Conviction or acquittal can depend on what a person has experienced and how credibly the person expresses that experience to a jury. St. Paul cites the companions of Jesus as witnesses to the resurrection. He passes on their testimony as well as his own.

We are called to bear witness to Jesus as the way, the truth and the life. Jesus shows us how to live by his example of selfless sacrifice. He teaches us the truth about God, about ourselves, about the world. He gives us eternal life through faith and the living of our sacramental life. Everything we say and do should somehow convince people of the Gospel message. This is a big order.

We are a mixed bag. Like Thomas, we have many questions. Like all the apostles, we have many flaws. What we do speak louder than what we say.

Like St. Paul, we may only be able to proclaim: “Christ died to save sinners, of whom I am the greatest.”

Even holy people have their shadow side. St. Pius V, whose memorial is today (April 30), was responsible for some important achievements. He reformed the liturgy and published a catechism. He supported the coalition that turned back the tide of militant Islam at the Battle of Lepanto. As a Dominican, he sets the style for papal austerity and white garb. He also persecuted heretics, harassed Jews and excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I, thereby guaranteeing the loss of England to the faith, and the deaths of many priests and laity. We revere him as a saint. God’s grace worked some wonderful things through him, in spite of his imperfections.

We should not get discouraged when our weaknesses seem to get in the way of our witness to Christ. God can write straight with crooked lines. God has called us to give our own personal testimony. That testimony may not seem like much, but it is valuable to the world in ways we cannot know. (Source: Rev. Paul J. Schmidt, Weekday Homily Helps. Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, April 30, 2010).

Reflection 3 – I am the way and the truth and the life

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where [I] am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The passage today from John’s Gospel is the beginning of the long discourse of Jesus at the Last Supper (chapters 14 to17). The atmosphere is somber and serious because Jesus is already talking about His forthcoming passion and death. He says farewell and imparts his final instructions to his disciples. At the outset, He gives His disciples encouragement: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” These are such comforting words, not only for His disciples, but also to all of us.

Life is never easy. Problems, difficulties and sufferings are part of living in this imperfect world. The Lord Himself acknowledges that: “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world” (Jn 16:33). But He exhorts us: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”  Leave your troubles aside. Do not let them distract and discourage you. But we may ask: How will this be possible? Jesus gives the answer: “You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” Faith! As a quotation says, “God promised safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.”

Another reason for man’s anxiety in life is the fear of the unknown. We do not know what lies ahead of us, what future awaits us. But Jesus gives the assurance: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.”

It is such an encouraging message. Our future is certain: our true dwelling is in the Heavenly Father’s house. More than that, the Lord vows to go ahead to prepare the place and then come back to fetch us, “so that where I am you also may be.” What more can we ask for? This alone is enough reason for us to be full of hope and joy, despite all the trials and troubles of life.

Still one more question remains: how will we go there? That was the question of Thomas: “How can we know the way?” And Jesus supplies the answer: “I am the way, and the truth and the life.”

St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: “Jesus is himself at once both the way and the goal. In his human nature he is the way, and in his divine nature he is the goal. Therefore, speaking as man he says: ‘I am the way’; and speaking as God he adds: ‘the truth and the life’. These two words are an apt description of this goal” Cap. 14, lect. 2, crossroadsinitiative.com).

Jesus does not only tell us where to go.  He is himself the Way, and in fact, the Only Way: “No one comes to the Father except through me.” This is an invitation to follow not just the way Jesus points out, but to be completely imbued with Christ’s values and way of life. If we want to know whether we are on the right Way or not, we just have to examine our values, attitudes and goals in life, and compare them with that of Jesus.

Jesus is the Truth. He is not only telling the truth; He is Truth Himself. To know Him is to come to know the Truth: “I AM!” Jesus is God. He and the Father are one. All throughout His life and ministry, He reveals God. That is what all the “I am” statements were about. God is the bread of life, God is the light of the world, God is the gate, God is the good shepherd, God is the life-giving vine, and God is the resurrection and the life. God is not an abstract idea or a remote being. God is right there in our midst working in and through Jesus. He is Emmanuel: God with us!

And because Jesus is the Way and the Truth, it follows that He is Life. He does not only give life. Being with Him, following and believing in Him is the sure guarantee of the fullness of life: “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10). It would, then, be the height of folly to stay away from Him: “Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.” (Jn 15:5-6).

Indeed, we need not be troubled in any way while we sojourn in this world, no matter how many and great are the obstacles and dangers we encounter – as long as we stay with Jesus. And our journey will surely end up in the eternal joy and glory in our true home, the Father’s House. This is what St. Paul had in mind when he said, “Who can separate us from the love of God?” Absolutely nothing! – (Source: Fr. Mike Lagrimas, St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Amsterdam St., Capitol Park Homes, Matandang Balara, Quezon City 1119).

Reflection 4 – Gate-Crasher

I am the way . . . . No one comes to the Father except through Me. –John 14:6

Scott Kerman calls himself a professional gate-crasher–and with good reason. He claims he has attended 300 sporting events or concerts, including 25 World Series baseball games, and he has done so without paying a penny. In fact, he has written a book that describes 50 ways to sneak into concerts and sporting events.

Scott’s gate-crashing raises all sorts of ethical questions, but let’s move beyond that to a higher issue. Think with me about what it takes to get into heaven. Jesus said there’s only one way to get in–through Him (Jn. 14:6). The “ticket” is personal faith in Christ, believing that He paid the penalty for our sin and accepting His offer of forgiveness as a gift (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 6:23). That and that alone guarantees admission.

There’s no way to crash the gates of glory–and it makes absolutely no sense to try. Nobody will enter the radiant presence of God unless that person is escorted by Jesus Christ Himself.

People gate-crash events because of the high cost of tickets and the thrill of sneaking in. We could never pay the price to get into heaven, but Jesus paid it for us. There will be no greater joy than being there with Him.  — Vernon C. Grounds

He the pearly gates will open
So that I may enter in,
For He purchased my redemption
And forgave me all my sin. –Blom

Christ is the only door into heaven (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 5 – Home

Jan and Hendrikje Kasper sailed into United States waters in January 1957. Their family of 12, along with other Dutch immigrants on board the Grote Beer, crowded on deck to catch their first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor.

That initial view of Lady Liberty was exciting – and emotional. They had just endured an arduous 11 – day journey across the sea on a no-frills voyage. They had left many friends and family members behind in The Netherlands. They had experienced rough seas brought on by a hurricane and had dealt with seemingly endless seasickness. But now – finally – they had arrived. They were home!

Someday those of us who have trusted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior will leave this life and go to the place He has prepared for us (Jn 14:3). The journey may be difficult or uncomfortable, but we certainly look forward to the final destination.

Composer Don Wyrtzen wrote the music for a wonderful song that pictures our earthly life as a “tempestuous sea.” It ends with these words:

“Just think of stepping on shore – and finding it heaven!

Of touching a hand – and finding it God’s!

Of breathing new air – and finding it celestial!

Of waking up in glory – and finding it home!”

When we see Jesus face to face for the first time – we will be “finally home.”

Those who love and serve God on earth will be right at home in heaven (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 6 – ‘I Know The Way’

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. –John 14:6

Dwight Slater, who is a retired missionary doctor, told me that while serving in Africa he had trained a brilliant but unschooled man to serve as his surgical assistant. Kolo was a quick learner, and soon he was able to perform surgeries.

A team of doctors from the United States was in Africa to provide some short-term help. They were performing operations when they came across a condition rare in the US but common in Africa. When they weren’t sure what to do, Kolo took the surgical instruments, cut through layers of tissue and ligaments, and corrected the problem.

When the amazed doctors began quizzing Kolo on the specifics of the complicated procedure, he answered simply, “I do not know the terms; I just know the way.”

Many Christians may not be able to define complex theological terms like redemption, justification, and propitiation, but they can still be effective witnesses because they know Jesus, who is the way to God (Jn. 14:6). Unbelievers need the simple gospel—that Jesus died for their sin and that they must accept Him by faith.

You don’t need to be afraid to witness. If you know the way, you can show others the way—Jesus Christ!  — David C. Egner

A guilty soul longs most to hear
The simple message true and clear
That tells how Jesus bled and died,
And for man’s sin was crucified. —DJD

Only one road leads to heaven—Jesus Christ is the way (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 7 – I Will Come Back For You

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. —John 14:18

In 1914 Ernest Shackleton led an expedition to sail to Antarctica, and then walk to the South Pole. The expedition went according to plan until ice trapped the ship and eventually crushed its hull. The men made their way by lifeboat to a small island. Promising to come back for them, Shackleton and a small rescue party set out across 800 miles of perilous seas to South Georgia Island.

With only a sextant to guide them, they made it to the island. Shackleton then led his party over steep mountainous terrain to the whaling port on the other side. Once there, he acquired a ship to rescue his crew. Their leader had kept his word and returned for them. Not one man was left behind.

As Jesus was preparing to leave His disciples, He promised to return. He said, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3). After enduring the horrors of the cross, Jesus rose from the dead to provide eternal life to all who believe in Him as their Savior. He indwells us today by the Holy Spirit, but one day He will return and gather us into His presence (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18). Jesus is true to His word.

If you are His, He will come back for you!  — Dennis Fisher

Lift up your heads, pilgrims aweary!
See day’s approach now crimson the sky;
Night shadows flee, and your Beloved,
Awaited with longing, at last draweth nigh. —Camp (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 8 – The Comeback King

A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. —John 14:19

We admire anyone who makes a comeback after failure and defeat. In 2001, Sports Illustrated magazine featured an article on the greatest comebacks of all time. Surprisingly, they selected the resurrection of Jesus as number one. It was stated this way: “Jesus Christ, 33 ad. Defies critics and stuns the Romans with His resurrection.”

How discerning! In any list of history’s comebacks, Jesus’ victory over the grave surely merits first place. Indeed, His resurrection is in a class that soars above any other comeback.

Death ultimately triumphs over life. When a person dies, there is no possibility of renewed existence—at least not in this world. But that wasn’t so with Jesus. He had promised His disciples that after being crucified by His enemies, He would come back to life—triumphing over the grave. Matthew records this in his gospel: “Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things . . . and be killed, and be raised the third day” (16:21). And that is what happened to our Savior.

Jesus Christ’s comeback assures us that we too by faith in Him will come back when we are resurrected from the grave (John 11:25-26).  — Vernon C. Grounds

When Jesus died upon the cruel cross,
“This is the end,” thought many standing by;
But we can put our faith in what He said:
“If you believe in Me, you’ll never die.” —Hess

The empty tomb is the foundation of our faith (Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 9 – Our hope is based in a God who loves us

As we look about us in today’s economic and political climate, there is much that we find troubling. Far too many of us have lost jobs or retirement savings. State and local governments have been forced to cut back needed programs that serve as a safety net for the disabled, the elderly, those without healthcare, and children. In the face of these and other challenges, we can feel overwhelmed.

Yet the Gospel (Jn 14:1-6) reminds us not to lose hope or to let our hearts be troubled, regardless of the current difficulties we face. Jesus is reassuring his closest friends on the eve of his passion and death. They must have felt that their world and all their hopes were crashing down around them. In these troubled times, we might feel much the same way. Be we are a community shaped by our belief in the hope and reasurance of Jesus.

As a believing community we can work together to feed one more hungry family, to care for a senior friend or family member, or to share job networking contacts with the neighbor next door. At the very least, we can offer those we meet a glimpse of the hope and the reassurance that we have found in God’s love for us.

In this Eucharist we remember and celebrate the fact that our hope is based in a fundamental belief that God has loved us from the moment of our creation, became one with us, and through the passion, death and resurrection has prepared a place for us and He said, “Believe in God and believe also in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. And after I go and prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am” (Jn 14:2-3).

As members of the one Body of Christ this same hope strenthens us even as we embrace our current challenges and together lighten the burdens we share. (Source: Anthony J. Schulte, Weekday Homily Helps. Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, May 8, 2009).

Reflection 10 – Do not let your hearts be troubled!

Do you allow any troubles to rob you of God’s peace? As much as we try to avoid it, we all inevitably encounter trouble and difficulties. Jesus knew his disciples would have to face trials and persecution after he left them to return to his Father in heaven. Adversity can make us lose hope and become discouraged, or it can press us closer to God and to his promises for us.

“It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you or forsake you; do not fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

A place for you in my Father’s house
Just as God, who appeared as a Pillar of Cloud by day and a Pillar of Fire by night, went ahead of Moses and the Israelites to lead them safely through the wilderness to the promised land, Jesus tells his disciples that he is going ahead through his ascension into heaven to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house – a place of lasting peace, friendship, and happiness with God. God’s house is never closed nor over-crowded – there is plenty of room for everyone who believes in God and in his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest fear in this present life – whether it be the separation and loss of a loved one or the threat to one’s own life – is put to rest by Jesus’ promise that we will live forever with him and the eternal Father. There we will be joined with a great company of saints and angels who will be our friends forever as well.

Do you know the way to the Father’s house in heaven? Jesus expected his disciples to know where his life was headed – to dwell in everlasting glory with his Father in heaven. And he expected that his disciples would recognize that this was their ultimate destination as well. Thomas, who was both a doubter and a realist, spoke for all the disciples when he said, “we neither know where you are going nor how we shall get there on our own?” Thomas was a very practical “down to earth” kind of person who wanted to see the map and landmarks showing the exact path that would lead the way to the desired haven. Jesus assured Thomas that he would not only give him everything he needed to complete the journey, he would be Thomas’ personal guide as well.

Traveling alone in unfamiliar or uncharted places can be unnerving and bewildering without a companion or guide. And some places are impossible to pass through without the right person who knows the way and who can guarantee a safe passage. Several years ago I was invited by Christian friends to visit their community in Lebanon. They were in the middle of a civil war that would last for 15 years (1975-1990). Months and years of hardship, exposure to danger, and the uncertainty of the war’s outcome, as well as being physically cutoff from outside contact with friends, was weighing heavily. I was eager to visit to offer some support. Since I had never traveled there before, nor spoke the local language, I knew that I was helpless without a trustworthy guide. Fortunately a close Christian friend from Lebanon met me half-way on my journey and personally guided me through some unfamiliar territory, including check-points, road-blocks, physical danger, and some social, religious, and political hurdles as well. My guide got me safely to my destination. I literally owed my life to his safe-keeping. The Lord Jesus promised his followers that he would be their personal guide and friend who would lead them to the source of  lasting peace, enduring friendship, and abundant life.

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life
The disciples were surprised that Jesus was going to his Father’s house and would return to take them with him. And they were even more surprised when Jesus said he expected them to know the way to the Father’s house. Jesus’ answer to there question, “show us the way”, was both a reminder that his disciples should trust their Master and Teacher to show them the way, and a challenge for them to recognize that Jesus had intimate knowledge of God and where God came from. Jesus made a statement that invoked the very name which God had revealed to Moses, “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14), and he made three claims which only God could make. He stated unequivocally to his disciples: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6)

Jesus proclaims: I am the Way (John 14:6). He alone knows the way to the Father because he has been with the Father from the beginning – before time and creation ever existed. The Lord Jesus gives us more than a road map and guide book. He personally is the way to the Father’s kingdom, and we cannot miss it if we follow him. He accompanies us on our daily journey and watches over us as the good shepherd who leads and sustains us each and every step of the way. Are you in step with the Lord and do you trust in his guiding hand for your life?

Jesus proclaims that he is the Truth (John 14:6). Many can say, “I have taught you the truth.” Only Jesus can say, I am the Truth. He possesses in himself the fulness of truth. Jesus claims to be one with the Father and to speak the truth which proceeds from the Father. Jesus promised his disciples that if they continued in his word, they would learn the truth and the  truth would set them free” (John 8:31). The truth which Jesus proclaims has power to set us free from ignorance, deception, and sin. The words which Jesus speaks are true because there is no lie or falsehood in him. Moral truth requires more than mere words or ideas because the person who speaks them must be true – true in thought, speech, deed, example, and action. Jesus embodies the truth in his person.

Jesus proclaims that he is the Life (John 14:6). He not only shows us the path of life (Psalm 16:11); he gives the kind of life which only God can give – abundant life that lasts forever. Is there any trouble, fear, or distraction that keeps you from the perfect peace and joy of a life surrendered to Jesus Christ?

“Lord Jesus, you fill us with the joy of your saving presence and you give us the hope of everlasting life with the Father in Heaven. Show me the Father that I may grow in the knowledge of your great love and truth.” – Read the source:  http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/2020/may8.htm

Reflection 11 – The way, the truth and the life

Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6). “My child, the more you depart from yourself, the more you will be able to enter into me. As the giving up of exterior things brings interior peace, so the forsaking of self unites you to God. I will have you learn perfect surrender to my will, without contradiction or complaint.

“Follow me. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without the Way, there is no going. Without the Truth, there is no knowing. Without Life, there is no living. I am the Way which you must follow, the Truth which you must believe, the Life for which you must hope. I am the inviolable Way, the infallible Truth, the unending Life. I am the Way that is straight, the supreme Truth, the Life that is true, the blessed, the uncreated Life. If you abide in my Way you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free, and you shall attain life everlasting.

“If you wish to enter into life, keep my commandments. If you will know the truth, believe in me. If you will be perfect, sell all. If you will be my disciple, deny yourself. If you will possess the blessed life, despise this present life. If you will be exalted in heaven, humble yourself on earth. If you wish to reign with me, carry the cross with me. For only the servants of the cross find the life of blessedness and of true light” (Venerable Thomas A Kempis, +1471).

Reflection 12 – The many dwelling places of God’s kingdom