5th Sunday of Easter (18/05/2014) Jesus = The(Way+Truth+Life) Reflection on the Gospel (John 14:1-12) Bishop Fulton Sheen shared this story. One time he was going to give a talk in a parish. He could not find the way to the church. He saw a boy on the road and asked for directions. Seeing him in his episcopal attire, the boy was curious, “Sir, you are not superman, are you?” The bishop smiled and explained, “No, I am a priest.” “What does a priest do?” the boy asked. “Well, I tell people how to go to heaven.” The boy did not believe him. “Nah! You cannot even find the church, how can you help people find heaven?” Jesus knew exactly the purpose of his coming into this world. The meaning of the name Jesus expresses it: God saves. He has come to save us. In the Gospel this Sunday, he solemnly declared, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” That is his mission statement, and it is absolute. Take note of the words he used. He did not say, I am a Way, a form of Truth, and a way of Life. A man gave a beautiful ring to his wife on their wedding anniversary: “To the Number One in my life!” The wife protested, “I don’t like being Number One. That means there could be Number Two or Number Three. I want to be the Only One in your life.” When Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”, he is saying that he is the ultimate Absolute in this world – he is the Only One. Nowadays, the Cafeteria Catholics are growing in number. They are the pick-and-choose Catholics: Ill believe in the miracles of Jesus but not the Eucharist. “I’ll rejoice in the resurrection, but I will not accept the cross.” “I’ll receive the sacraments, except Confession.” But for Jesus, this is a supreme absurdity. It is either we fully accept him and his teachings or reject him altogether. It is either we are with him or against him. There are no multiple choices; there are no compromises. He is The Way, The Truth and The Life. There is no one else. #Jesus_is_the_way. In last Sunday’s Gospel, he said, “I am the gate. No one enters the sheepfold except through me” (Jn 10:9). This Sunday, he has a similar message: “No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6). When we lose Jesus, we lose our only way to salvation. We are led astray, and that means eternal damnation. #Jesus_is_the_Truth. He declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12). When we lose Jesus, we lose the light of truth. We live in darkness and error, and so we make fatal blunders and wrong decisions. #Jesus_is_the_Life: “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10). He added, “I am the vine, you are the branches… Without me you can do nothing. 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). When we lose Jesus, we lose eternal life and suffer the eternal fires of Hell. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called ‘hell’. Life in this world is never easy. Though saddled with the troubles, fears, confusion and sorrows of life, let us take courage and strength from the loving invitation of Jesus: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God; have faith also in me (Jn 14:1). He is our Way, our Truth and our Life. Through him and with him, we will come to the Father and enjoy everlasting life and glory in His eternal Kingdom.
Posted on: Sat, 17 May 2014 03:24:02 +0000
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