Know Jesus, Know God

‘If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.’
Jn.14:7

Jesus has just washed the disciples feet at the Last Supper and is now giving them his final instruction. He wants them to be fully aware that to known him means to know the Father.

Father, Son, Holy Spirit, the three-in-one mystery of the person of God. For me, sometimes God the Father drifts off into that stern old man up in the clouds and the Holy Spirit morphs back into the dove with the olive branch in its beak.  Jesus reflects the Father and gifts the Holy Spirit. He is the key to experiencing the three person-hoods of God.

As the bumper sticker eloquently says; Know Jesus, know God. No Jesus, no God. Jesus, come into my life today.

Jesus, you are God. Help me know you and see you today.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

True Bread

'I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’
Jn.6:51

People are clamoring after Jesus following his miraculous feeding of the five thousand. Jesus knows their motive; 'You are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Jn.6:26' Jesus then leads into his discourse on what the true bread is that he provides, his very flesh.

I can't read John, chapter 6 without being so grateful I have the Eucharist available to me, just twenty minutes walk down the road from where I live. The Bread of Life is available to me even today, at our local cathedral.

Jesus' listeners could not accept what he was saying and left still hungry. I do accept Jesus meant what he said and according to him, eternal life is mine. Oh wonderful gift, I long for you. I need to go to Mass today.

Thank you Jesus for the most precious gift you have given me, your very flesh and blood. You give yourself completely so I may live eternally.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Believe

Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life, but anyone who refuses to believe in the Son will never see life: the anger of God stays on him.’ 
Jn.3:36

John the Baptist is speaking to his disciples about Jesus, having just said that He, Jesus, must become greater while he, John, becomes lesser. He then says belief in Jesus is the only way to eternal life. To underscore this, John adds that refusal to believe in Jesus is a death.

Belief. Defined as:  Confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof. My faith waxes and wanes but eventually comes down to this. Belief in the unseen. Jesus said to Thomas in today's Gospel Acclamation, "You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me; happy are those who have not seen me, but still believe!"  This belief is crucial as it leads to life, real life, not just the froth and bubble of the day but full, heart throbbing, joy filling eternal happiness.

This is the life giving joy of Easter that still throbs through my veins in this second week of Eastertide.  Oh wondrous mystery and gift of belief, I embrace you today.

Jesus, I believe in you. Your fullness of life and Easter joy is mine to share today.
Saint Peter, please pray for me.

The Light

"And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, for fear his actions should be exposed; but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light, so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.’
Jn.3:20,21

Jesus has been sought out by Nicodemus. Jesus uses earthly things to explain heavenly things to Nicodemus. Jesus speaks of himself as light that has come into the world but that people prefer darkness. This must have resonated with Nicodemus who sought Jesus at night for fear of the Jews.

Recently our neighbour's house was broken into and robbed while they were away. This happened at night, in darkness. I was reminded of the above words of Jesus, 'everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, for fear his actions should be exposed;'.  The "everybody" referred to here includes me when I do wrong. Whenever I do wrong I'm fully aware of my actions and I don't want them exposed.

The antidote for this malady? Light! The light that comes from Jesus overcomes the deepest darkness. What wonderful news. I need to do some "Son" bathing and expose myself to the Light of Christ... daily.

Thank you Jesus for being the light that overcomes my darkness. Let your light shine in me today.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Peace

They were still talking about all this when Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’
Lk.24:36

The two who met Jesus on the road to Emaus have just told of their fantastic encounter to the others when Jesus himself appears among them. His first word is "Shalom", peace be with you.

The very first act of the risen Jesus is to bring his followers peace. His first words each time he appears to them is always "Peace be with you". What a great Easter salutation that pre-empts even the joy of Easter.

Today I can be a man of peace to those I meet, starting with myself.

Lord Jesus, I claim your peace this morning so I may pass it on to a world that is lacking the true peace that only you can give.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Bucket to Brazier

They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’
Lk.24:32

Two downcast disciples are on their way home to Emmaus following Jesus' death. They are joined by Jesus on the road but do not recognise him at first. Jesus hears the disciples woes and then explains the meaning of the prophets in reference to his suffering, death and resurrection in glory. The disciples hearts are transformed from buckets of gloom to braziers of flaming hope.

This is a magnificent Easter story. It encapsulates in a few versus the before-during-after process of an authentic encounter with the risen Jesus. Jesus meets them in the midst of the dust of their despondency and leaves them with hearts aflame with hope and love. Then, the first thing they did following this encounter was to rush back and share the good news with their brothers.

Oh Easter joy, fill me so that my heart burns with an un-containable love that has to be shared.

Risen Lord Jesus, you are the source of my hope and joy. Make me an contagious Easter person that I may share this joy today.
Saint Cleopas, please pray for me.

Plan for your Children

The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God will call to himself.
Acts2:39

Peter the sand pile has just been transformed into the Peter the Rock by the Holy Spirit. He gives his first public exhortation and three thousand are added to their number. The plan for receiving salvation is simple; repent and be baptised. The result? You and your children will be saved.

This Easter Sunday grandchild number six was baptised. I was struck how the promise Peter made, quoted above, was being enacted before my eyes. My children and my children's children have been baptised, qualifying them for salvation. The only thing left for my three week old grandson to do is to repent. This he will do on reaching the age of reason.

My job and the job of the Church is to ensure he is raised in an atmosphere of faith so, when he is old enough, he knows how to repent.

Repentance and baptism.What a wonderful plan.

Lord Jesus, help me be a witness to my children to encourage their faith in you. Thank you for your wonderful plan of salvation.
Saint Peter, pray for us.