Words of Life

Glory to you, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ!
Your words, Lord, are spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.
Glory to you, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ!
Jn:6:63,68

Today's Gospel Acclamation includes the declaration of faith from Peter in John chapter 6; “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” 

Lord, to whom else shall we go? This cry is still true today. The world continues to deny Christ and calls me to join it. No way! As Jesus says in today's gospel, if you can't believe in him at least believe in his works. There's two thousand years of Christ's works even before looking at his works in my own life. 

Jesus' words are spirit and life. I step into today alive purely because Jesus has spoken it to be so. The breath that I draw and the beat of my heart are from his will. Thank you Lord.

Lord, to whom shall I go? You have the words of eternal life. I have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

I Am

The Jews then said, ‘You are not fifty yet, and you have seen Abraham!’ Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
before Abraham ever was,
I Am.’
At this they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.
Jn.8:58,59

The Jews continue to argue with Jesus, calling him possessed. He then settles the matter as to who he says he is by giving himself the sacred name of God, "I Am". The infuriated Jews try to stone him.

This is another moment where, even today, we have to settle the question as to who Jesus is. He's either mad, as the Jews asserted, bad as they believed in their rage, or who he says he is, the great I Am. 

All the evidence I have read and seen supports Jesus' claim. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is my rock on whom I stand today.

My hope is built on nothing less 
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus' name

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

Free Indeed

‘I tell you most solemnly,

everyone who commits sin is a slave.

Now the slave’s place in the house is not assured,

but the son’s place is assured.

So if the Son makes you free,

you will be free indeed.

Jn.8:34-36

The Jewish people are disputing Jesus over their sonship and the sonship of Jesus. Jesus points out their sonship has been forfeited by their slavery to sin, a slavery from which only he can give freedom.

Freedom from sin is the ultimate freedom I can receive. It's the "free indeed" that Jesus talks about.  This freedom brings with it peace and joy. I've experienced both the slavery and the freedom. Sin's first job is to make me forget about my freedom, my sonship in exchange for its empty promises. 

I step into today a free man, a son and heir, thanks to my liberation by Jesus. Keep this firmly in front of me and today I will be free indeed.

Jesus, truly you are the Son of the living God. You have set me free indeed.

Believe and Live

‘You are from below; I am from above.

You are of this world; I am not of this world.

I have told you already:

You will die in your sins.

Yes, if you do not believe that I am He,

you will die in your sins.’

Jn.8:22,23

The Pharisees are disputing with Jesus over who he is. Jesus makes it clear for them. They are from below. He is from above. They are of the world. He is of heaven. Believe or die in your sins.

In his marvelous book, Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis states the outworking of Christianity is based on three things; baptism, eucharist and belief. Faith, or belief, is a foundational part of Christian life.  There are lots of good reasons to follow Jesus but in the final analysis it requires belief that he is who he says he is, the Son of God. 

The beauty of belief is that it can't be taken away from me. I can let it fade away or slip through my fingers but that is my choice. My belief needs nurturing and feeding. It needs this daily prayer time. It needs the Church where I'm encouraged by other believers and where I receive communion. This means, according to Jesus, when I die I won't die in my sins, I'll die forgiven.

Jesus, I believe you are who you say you are, the Son of the living God. I place my trust in you.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

Pride

He looked up and said, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir’ she replied. ‘Neither do I condemn you,’ said Jesus ‘go away, and do not sin any more.’
Jn.8:10,11

The Pharisees test Jesus by bringing a woman caught in the very act of adultery, who is undeniably guilty. Jesus cuts straight to the most serious sin before him, the pride of the Pharisees. In their shame, the Pharisees leave the woman uncondemed. 

Oh don't we love this story! Why is that? Maybe because we love seeing the Pharisees outwitted so superbly by Jesus. Maybe because of compassion for the woman as we ask"And where is the man?" Maybe because Jesus' reprieve for the woman we hope to gain for ourselves. Maybe all of the above...

What impresses me is how Jesus goes out of his way to give the woman back her dignity. The custom was to strip those guilty of adultery. The woman would have been standing at least half naked. Yet Jesus placed himself lower still, sitting on the dirt. He literally looked up to her.  He does the same for me. When I stand naked before him and authentically confess my sinfulness he gives me back my dignity, my sonship and says ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go away, and do not sin any more.'

Jesus, please forgive me my sin of pride when I am so ready to throw stones. With your help I will try not to sin again.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

Noble and Generous

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Happy are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus Christ!

Today's Gospel Acclamation is taken from Luke 8:15 where Jesus, explaining the parable of the sower,  says the seed in rich soil are people with noble and generous hearts who listen to God's Word and act on it.

The description "noble and generous hearts" resonates with me. I know people like that. They have high moral principles yet they always see the best in people. They are generous,  are open handed and welcoming. In short they are great to be around. 

Noble and generous. These are virtues I can work on today.

Jesus, you are the finest example of one with a noble and generous heart. In seeing the best in me you call me further up and further in. Help me be noble and generous today.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

Time's Up

They would have arrested him then, but because his time had not yet come no one laid a hand on him.
Jn.7:30

Jesus not only claims sonship with God but accuses the Jewish leaders of being far from the father. Despite their malice and anger they did not arrest him as his "time had not yet come".

There's a time for every purpose under heaven. There are seasons. I'm mindful of this as a dear friend has just received the dreaded news that her illness is incurable and fatal. She's the same age as me. Why her and not me? Because it's not yet my time. My time will surely come, we are all dying, but not yet.

Keeping one eye firmly on heaven puts these things in perspective. While I sweat over plus or minus a few years, eternity stretches out infinitely before me. Eternal heaven or eternal hell. That is where I need to place my energies and concerns. Making sure I get there and as many of my loved ones as well when my time is up.

Lord Jesus, my times are in your hand. I place my trust in you.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.