GOSPEL OF JOHN

GOSPEL OF JOHN

SCRIPTURE JOHN 1:1-16

 in the beginning was the word

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.

JESUS IS LIGHT OF THE WORLD

But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God…From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him

 REFLECTION

John’s Gospel makes clear that the Son of God, the Word, existed from the very beginning.  The Word is God. The name of God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Word we will see later becomes Incarnate in Mary’s yes to the Father’s will. Nothing is made that did not come through Jesus, the Word.  Jesus will come to judge the world at the right hand of the Father at the end of time.

John’s Gospel foretells the coming of John the Baptist, a voice crying in the wilderness to make way for this coming Messiah. John came to testify to the light.  Jesus is the light of the world but so many shutter that light and prefer darkness to cover their deeds.  Let the Light of Jesus shine in us that we may glow to others and breathe the Spirit of Christ on others.  The Spirit goes where it wills. John 3:8

The Law cannot save us.  Only Grace merited by our Savior, Lord Jesus Christ can empower us to seek God’s mercy and repent of our sins.  Jesus is the revelation of who God is. If we want to share in that divine life, imitate Jesus.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

SCRIPTURE JOHN 1:19-28

 john the baptist’s testimony to himself.

And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites [to him] to ask him, “Who are you?”  he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Messiah.” So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?”^* And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”

 So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” He said: “I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord,”as Isaiah the prophet said.

VOICE CRYING OUT IN DESERT

Some Pharisees^* were also sent. They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?”  John answered them, “I baptize with water;^* but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,^* where John was baptizing.

REFLECTION

John the Baptist asserts he is not the Messiah, the expected one.  John could have out of pride taken their adulation and sycophancy, but no, he told the truth.  John was all about truth, repent, the kingdom is coming, be ready, prepare yourselves, your salvation is at hand.

There was no deceit in John the Baptist.  I think of all the false prophets even today, the con men, those who build cults of personalities.  John the Baptist was not about himself but pointing to others.  Do we ever try to insert ourselves into situations for attention and recognition? Let God’s will be done, not ours.

John the Baptist tells us one is coming for whom he is not even worthy to untie the sandals on His feet and that we may not even recognize.  Do we miss Jesus in this world?  He is present you know.  Jesus said it best to Saul, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me!  Lord I am not worthy to receive you but say the word and I will be healed. Take away our blindness and deafness that we may hear your word and see you in other people.

 SCRIPTURE JOHN 1:29-34

john the baptist’s testimony to jesus.

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God,^* who takes away the sin of the world He is the one of whom I said, A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him,^* but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.”

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD

John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove^* from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

REFLECTION

 “Behold the Lamb of God.” With these words John the Baptist points to Jesus as the one who is to come, the  Lamb who will be sacrificed for our sake.  John could have put himself into the picture with a Howdy, Cousin. Jesus and John were cousins, after all. Luke 1:39  John the Baptist knew his place in the Divine Plan.  Do we know our place?  Do we accept it?  Or do we stretch it into more about me than about God and others?

John the Baptist witnessed the Spirit of the Lord affirming Jesus as the one sent by God. John then testified to the others gathered, this man is the Son of God.  How are we doing with recognizing Jesus in others?  How are we in testifying to others that Jesus is the Son of God, there is no other to follow.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

 

SCRIPTURE JOHN 2:1-

the wedding at cana.

On the third day there was a wedding^* in Cana^* in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”  [And] Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”

 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”^* 

 So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

 Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. After this, he and his mother, [his] brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there only a few days.^*

REFLECTION

My first thoughts are our trip to the Holy Land back in 2010 and our Mass and exchanging marriage vows in the Wedding Church at Cana.  Marriage as covenant invaded my consciousness.  My love exchange for my spouse grew and I knew it was God’s will we spend our time on earth mirroring God’s relational love.

What a great God to create man and woman in His image. “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female* he created them. God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply…” Genesis 1:27-28 This image is for now and all eternity, when we see God face to face.

In Scripture, the kingdom of heaven is often compared to a wedding feast, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. Matthew 22:1; “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.” Matthew 25:1

I know now why there are so many references in Scripture to Marriage and Wedding feasts. Marriage is an imitation of the relationship of the Most Holy Trinity, the Father the lover, the Son the beloved, and the Most Holy Spirit the love between them.

In the Last Book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation, we find a conclusion to the metaphor of the wedding feast. “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride( The Church) has made herself ready…. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”Revelation 19:7-9

WEDDING CHURCH AT CANA WITH SIX WATER JARS  

The Gospel of John is often referred to as a “Book of Signs,” where “the Word reveals himself to the world and to his own in seven signs. The first sign is the changing of water into wine at the Marriage Feast at Cana.

The seven signs are:

Changing water into wine at the wedding at Cana (Jn 2:1-11);

Healing the royal official’s son (Jn 4:46-54);

Healing the paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem (Jn 5:1-15);

Feeding the 5,000 (Jn 6:5-14);

Walking on water (Jn 6:16-21);

Healing the man born blind (Jn 9:1-7); and

Raising Lazarus from the dead (Jn 11:1-45).

His Mother, Mary tells her son, Jesus, they are out of wine.  It could have just been a comment anyone might make, but Jesus did not let it go unnoticed.  He tests his mother, is she asking him to intervene? Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.

 A strange response from a son, addressing Mary as woman, not mother or Mary. Perhaps Jesus foreshadowed Mary was more than his Mother but Mother of us all and intercedes on behalf of us all.

“My hour has not yet come.” What hour is he waiting for??? Is it too early to make wine available?  Waiting for more guests to arrive or leave?  No, His hour is when He reveals the kingdom of God is at hand.

Mary understands through divine revelation that her Son will act when it is the Father’s will so she tells the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

SCRIPTURE JOHN 3:22-30

final witness of the baptist.

After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing. John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, for John had not yet been imprisoned.

Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew^* about ceremonial washings. So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.” 

 John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven.^t You yourselves can testify that I said, I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him.

 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I  must decrease.”

HE MUST INCREASE, I MUST DECREASE

REFLECTION

Jesus and John are both baptizing.  We don’t know what Jesus’ disciples thought but we do know John’s disciples complained about Jesus baptizing.  I am going to take a guess if Jesus was confronted about John baptizing, he would say something like good for him.  He is preparing the people for conversion and pointing the way.

John rebuffs his disciples, No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven.  John again affirms his role and Jesus’ role.  Do we accept our roles in the salvation plan? Is it God’s will or ours?

John further advises us, “He must increase; I must decrease.” Jesus tells us as much in Matthew 10:39The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it. Which is more precious your things on earth or eternal bliss in heaven?  God never disappoints.  His promises are guaranteed by an all loving God who knows no deceit!

 

SCRIPTURE JOHN 4:4-42

the samaritan woman.

He had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.

The Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” [The woman] said to him, “Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the well is deep; where then can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?”

Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”

Jesus said to her, “Go call your husband and come back.” The woman answered and said to him, “I do not have a husband.” Jesus answered her, “You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’ For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband.

What you have said is true.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.”

The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming the one called the Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking with you.” At that moment his disciples returned, and were amazed that he was talking with a woman, but still no one said, “What are you looking for?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

The woman left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, “Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Messiah?” They went out of the town and came to him…..Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me everything I have done.”

When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because of his word, and they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”

 REFLECTION

Jesus lived at a time that there was a deep cultural divide between Jews and Samaritans.  Samaritans were remnants of the Northern tribes of Israel. The Northern Kingdom had been taken over by the Assyrians centuries prior to Jesus’ time.

Many of their descendants considered themselves Jews. The Jews in Judea did not agree. They considered the Samaritans to be a mongrel race and saw many problems with the way they practiced Judaism. There was much intermarriage between the Jews and gentiles resulting in the worship of false gods.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, comes for everyone, no sheep were considered lost when it came to Jesus.  Do we feel like that or do we dismiss some as not worthy?

Jesus was tired from his journey and rested at a well. He addressed a Samaritan woman at the well and asked for her assistance.  Now, Jesus new this was an opportunity for conversion.  This woman had issues because no one came to a well alone in the heat of the day. Jesus began A slow approach, Give me a drink. that would lead to “living” water. Do we approach others slowly or just lay the Nicene Creed on them all at once? Evangelization takes time.

After a discourse on where to worship Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem, the woman opens the door wide,“I know that the Messiah is coming the one called the Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything.” Jesus affirms to the woman, “I am He”

This is just one example of many when Jesus confirms in Scripture. He is the Messiah.  The woman left to share the Good News with her fellow townspeople. She is an evangelist too, like Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection to the Apostles.

It was one thing for the townspeople to hear the testimony of the woman but then townspeople went out to see for themselves.  Remember Thomas, the Apostle, in the upper room after the Resurrection?

Townspeople exclaimed, “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world”

 Jesus said to Thomas, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Blessed are we who believe!

 SCRIPTURE JOHN 4:46-54

 second sign at cana.

Jesus returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death.

Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.

While he was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon. ”The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe.[Now] this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.

REFLECTION

Jesus seems to rebuke the royal official who pleads for his son’s life. “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” Is Jesus testing the man or scolding the crowd?   What about us?  Do we need spectacular miracles to believe or else?  Every day miracles happen in everyday life. The fact we exist is a miracle in itself.  All is gift! Thank God for his miraculous providential care of us each and every day.

 The royal official, ignoring what Jesus was saying in general, pleaded again, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”  We would probably do the same thing.  It would be personal.  So Jesus tested the man’s faith, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.

His faith was rewarded as his son lived.  What if the man had argued with Jesus or tried to force Jesus to come with him, or mocked Jesus. Would his son live?   I think not, separated from Jesus is certain death.

Choose to believe and trust in Jesus.  You can’t go wrong even if you are sometimes disappointed because Jesus is beside us in our disappointments and will lighten our burden.

PRELUDE

Jesus tells an ill man to pick up his mat and walk on the Sabbath. Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.”  For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.

THE FATHER SENDS THE SON

SCRIPTURE JOHN 5:19-30

the work of the son.

Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also. For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed.  For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.

Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life.  Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself. And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man.

Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voices and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.t “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.

REFLECTION

The work of the Father is the work of His Son. Jesus again acknowledges He is the Son of God, the one God sent, the long awaited Messiah. We sometimes think we have to wait a long time in anticipation, how about the Jews waiting centuries?  God will not disappoint. Be patient.

Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own. If we are truly sons and daughters of God and we are, do we always do God’s will or do we go it alone?  Do we follow Jesus along the Way or go our way?

Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation. That certainly is laying it on the line for us.  Our choice, Life with Jesus.  Death without Jesus.

 SCRIPTURE JOHN 5:31-47

 witnesses to jesus.

“If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.

But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life.

I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.

How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

MOSES TESTIFIES TO JESUS

 REFLECTION

The five books of Moses are liberally sprinkled with symbolic references to Jesus. Some of the most famous are the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22), the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12), the Bread from Heaven (Exodus 16) the Smitten Rock (Exodus 17:1-7 and Numbers 20:1-12), the Bronze Snake (Numbers 21:4-9) But perhaps the clearest is from Deut.18:17-19, where the prophet like Moses is promised.

And the LORD said to me, what they have said is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kindred, and will put my words into the mouth of the prophet; the prophet shall tell them all that I command. Anyone who will not listen to my words which the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will hold accountable for it. Deut.18:17-19

Jesus tells the Jews, the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me.

John the Baptist, a contemporary prophet with Jesus, testified to the truth, Behold the Lamb of God! Jesus one ups John the Baptist by testifying on His own behalf by doing the works of the Father and they still reject Him.  You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life. Do we want to have life? Cling to Jesus!

 

 

SCRIPTURE JOHN 1-15

multiplication of the loaves.

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.

The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little [bit].

 One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.

 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet,^* the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

 JESUS TOOK THE LOAVES, GAVE THANKS, AND DISTRIBUTED THEM

 REFLECTION

Some like to deny this miracle of Jesus and say people, ashamed at the boy’s sharing, began sharing what they had with each other kumbaya style. No this was not a lesson about fellowship.  Jesus did not do a lesson on sharing or accuse people of hoarding food in their robes.

This was another sign that Jesus is God, the Christ, the awaited one, the Messiah.  Those that dismiss this sign also dismiss the divinity of Jesus, that he was just another prophet, teacher etc.

John’s Gospel is a Book of Signs, all about the divinity of Christ…From the very beginning of John’s Gospel “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, And the Word was made flesh.”

When the people saw the sign Jesus had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet,^* the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

 Jesus knew the people weren’t ready yet for the kingdom He was here to build so He went off to give people time to reflect, chew on it for a while if you like.  Do we read scripture, pray about it, search for meaning that God intends or do we just read to find things that justify how we feel about things?

Before meals do we give thanks to God who provides?  And Do we share God’s bounty with others who may have not yet received? We demonstrate our love for God to God by loving our neighbor.

“One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments? Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-30

 SCRIPTURE JOHN 26-69

 the bread of life discourse.

“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal. So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, so that you believe in the one he sent.” So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

 So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”  Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst….

 The Jews murmured about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven, and they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day.

 It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me… Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world…….

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat? Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats^* my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever….

Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it? Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh^* is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.

Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave? Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”….

 I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE

 REFLECTION

Jesus realizes the crowds forming around him are looking for more material goods like the loaves and fishes.  It is gimme, gimme, hands out for whatever this wonder worker has to give.  Jesus knows their hearts are hardened and not yet filled with the Spirit but that does not mean He is going to avoid the truth nor water things down as we Christians sometimes do.

They challenge Jesus, What are you going to do, Moses gave us manna in the desert?”  Jesus rebuts their ignorance, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.”

Well, then the crowd cried out, give us that, not really knowing what they were asking for but Jesus gave it to them straight on, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Harumpf! People didn’t like that answer. They thought they knew Jesus of Nazareth, his mother and father and his work as carpenter. And besides, Nothing good ever came out of Nazareth. . (John 1:45) But did the people really know Jesus?  Do we sometimes dismiss some people too prematurely based on hearsay or prejudice and miss an otherwise grace filled encounter.

Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die…. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink

This Scripture passage prefigures what happens at the Last Supper,” Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; (for everlasting life) do this in memory of me. And likewise the cup after they had eaten, Luke 22:19-20 saying, “Take this and drink This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you and the many for the remission of sins” Matthew 26:27-28

At the end of Bread of Life Discourse, we find many of Jesus’ followers abandoning Him.  Reminiscent of our Church today where polls show only 31 % of Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

It is not a symbol, folks.  It is Jesus, body and blood, soul and divinity.  I am saddened that so many do not take refuge in Jesus being present to us today.  The story of Salvation is not an old folk tale or myth.  It continues today with us configuring ourselves to Jesus and participating in His grace filled sacraments. Just as His apostles embraced Jesus, we can, today, embrace Jesus in the Most Holy Blessed Sacrament!

Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave? Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God. Are we convinced like Peter and the Apostles?  Or do we abandon Jesus for the lures of this world?

 

 

SCRIPTURE JOHN 7:1-47

the feast of tabernacles.

Jesus moved about within Galilee; but he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him. But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near. So his disciples said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, so that others also may see the works you are doing….Jesus said to them, “My time is not yet here…You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, because my time has not yet been fulfilled.”….

When the feast was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple area and began to teach. The Jews were amazed and said, “How does he know scripture without having studied?” Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not my own but is from the one who sent me….Whoever speaks on his own seeks his own glory, but whoever seeks the glory of the one who sent him is truthful, and there is no wrong in him…..

JESUS SPEAKS IN TEMPLE FEAST OF TABERNACLES

 Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, “Is he not the one they are trying to kill? And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities^* have realized that he is the Messiah?…Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know…I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”

Jesus said, “I will be with you only a little while longer, and then I will go to the one who sent me. You will look for me but not find [me], and where I am you cannot come.” So the Jews said to one another, “Where is he going that we will not find him? Surely he is not going to the dispersion^* among the Greeks to teach the Greeks, is he?…

The Pharisees sent guards to arrest him.  Some in the crowd who heard these words said, “This is truly the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But others said, “The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he? So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come. The guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?” The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this one.”….

FOOTNOTE

The Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Booths and Sukkot, is the seventh and last feast that the Lord commanded Israel to observe  The Feast of Tabernacles takes place on the 15th of the Hebrew month Tishri. This was the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar and usually occurs in late September to mid-October. It was a time of joyous celebration as the Israelites celebrated God’s continued provision for them in the current harvest and remembered His provision and protection during the 40 years in the wilderness.

As one of the pilgrim feasts when Jewish males were commanded to go to Jerusalem it was also the time when they brought their tithes and offerings to the Temple (Deuteronomy 16:16).  With the influx of people coming to Jerusalem at that time, we can only imagine what the scene must have been like. Thousands upon thousands of people coming together to remember and celebrate God’s deliverance and His provision, all living in temporary shelters or booths as part of the requirements of the feast.

REFLECTION

 Jesus was no dummy.  He realizes the threats against him, even how it will all play out but this was not the time to expose himself.  He had more to accomplish in his public ministry including the institution of the Eucharist that He might be present to us in communion here on earth.

Did Jesus lie when He said He was not going up to the Feast?  No, He was only saying He was not going up with His disciples and make a big splash.  His hour had not yet come. Jesus would not let another teaching opportunity pass. Thus, went up in secret until it was time to make His word known.

Jesus confirms, my teaching is not my own but is from the one who sent me….Jesus speaks with authority, even if all the listeners don’t understand that fact.  Today, too, people reject the truth. Jesus does not speak on His own behalf but at the direction of the Father who sent Him. Jesus is the Word Incarnate…God’s word, even if people don’t accept it at their own peril.

Jesus again announces his impending exodus from this world. I will be with you only a little while longer, and then I will go to the one who sent me…an exodus similar to the one led by Moses, a deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Only Jesus’ exodus will lead us from slavery of sin and death.

This feast should also remind all Christians as well, that God protects us and provides for us as we go through life in the wilderness of this world.  While our hearts long for the Promised Land (heaven) to be in the presence of God, He preserves us in this world as we await the world to come when Jesus Christ returns again to “tabernacle” or dwell among us in bodily form

 

 

SCRIPTURE 8:3-11

a woman caught in adultery

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say? They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.

Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her

Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?  She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.

WHOEVER IS WITHOUT SIN CAST THE FIRST STONE

REFLECTION

The Scribes and Pharisees bring a woman to Jesus for his judgment to test him, to catch him in a gotcha moment to bring charges against him and bring him down.  These wily Scribes and Pharisees are no match to the all wise, all knowing God man. What shame must the woman have felt brought half naked before men!

The story of the woman caught in adultery has always bothered me.  She certainly was not committing adultery alone.  And what about the person(s) that caught her in adultery?  Were they an innocent bystander or part of a peeping tom group?  Well, Jesus sets the record and justice straight.

Jesus bends down and begins writing on the ground. There is a lot of speculation that Jesus was writing the sins of those gathered but to me I just like to think he was giving the crowd time to reflect and come to a new place.  Judge not lest you be judged!

Those without sin cast the first stone. They began to leave beginning with the elders.  Did John know they were the elders or is he making an extra point that the older we are the more sins we have to repent.  Love the sinner but hate the sin!

Jesus demonstrates the mercy that takes away the curse of sin by not condemning the woman to her sin.   Jesus does not let the woman off the hook though, like so many of us do by denying we have sinned.

As he dismisses her, Jesus tells her, “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” You will notice Jesus does not tell her to not commit adultery again but to sin no more. This is reminiscent of our act of contrition in the Sacrament of Reconciliation where we ask God to help us amend our life and sin no more.

SCRIPTURE 8:21-59

Jesus speaks to the jews in the temple

He said to them again, “I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin.^* Where I am going you cannot come.” He said to them, “You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world.  That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM,^* you will die in your sins.”… When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me….

They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone…Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin…. I know that you are descendants of Abraham…. “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works of Abraham. But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God; Abraham did not do this. They answered Him, We are not illegitimate. We have one Father, God.”

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? Because you cannot bear to hear my word. You belong to your father the devil and you willingly carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies…..

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.  So) the Jews said to him, “Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham,^* who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?

Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word.

Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it^* and was glad. So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”^* Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

JESUS TEACHES THE JEWS IN THE TEMPLE 

 REFLECTION

I have edited this scripture passage to retain the main points to keep the sense of the Gospel but eliminate some of the verbiage. I believe one of the main themes is Jesus is from God and the Jews are not and thus they better get their act together before it is too late.

Jesus confronts the Jews, You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world.  Which world do I belong to?  For where your treasure is so is your heart. Matthew 6:21

 The Jews try to defend themselves by claiming to be descendants of Abraham but Jesus will not have any of that self-serving excuse. “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works of Abraham. But now you are trying to kill me. This reminds me of those Christians in name only who say, Jesus is my Lord and Savior and I am saved and can do anything I want.  No, Faith without works is dead. James 2:14

The Jews who are on defensive now, grasping for straws, ask Jesus who does he say he is.  Of course, they are ready to attack any answer he gives.  Jesus answers in humility and Truth, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God. You do not know him, but I know him. Why does Jesus say they do not know Him?  I suspect it is because they don’t act like they do.

I am reminded of the first words of Mary’s magnificat when she visited her cousin Elizabeth, My soul glorifies the Lord. Mary gave all credit to God.  Do we do that in our blessings and good works?  Only God is good and by His grace we can share in that goodness. God is good all the time.  All the time God is good!

Then Jesus really blew them away, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area. It was not yet His hour.

The title I AM is the same name God gave Moses at the burning bush.  God is not any thing or any being but existence itself ground of all that is.  God’s daily providence is intimately involved in our daily living. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Phillipians 4:4

SCRIPTURE 9:1-41

 the man born blind.

 

As he passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.  We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, “Go wash^* in the Pool of Siloam. So he went and washed, and came back able to see.

His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?

Some said, “It is,” but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” He said, “I am.” So they said to him, “[So] how were your eyes opened?” He replied, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see.” And they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.” They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.

Now Jesus had made clay^* and opened his eyes on a Sabbath….. some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath.” [But] others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them….so they summoned his parents… Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?

His parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself. His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Messiah, he would be expelled from the synagogue. For this reason his parents said, He is of age; question him.

So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him…What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes? He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?

They ridiculed him and said, “You are that man’s disciple; we are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from. The man answered and said to them, “This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him.

It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.  They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us? Then they threw him out.

When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, “Who is he, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he. He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.

Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind. Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we? Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.

REFLECTION

This Scripture reading begins with Jesus encountering a man born blind on the Sabbath. His disciples ask Jesus, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind.  Back then it was just assumed especially by the religious leaders that if you were sick you were also a sinner.

While it is true one of the consequences of Original Sin is suffering and a broken human nature, it does not necessarily mean that a specific personal sin is responsible for a current affliction.  However, we may bring on that affliction by our own personal sinful behavior.

Jesus asserts, While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.  This means He can conquer the darkness of sin and its consequences, including death.  Bring on the light, especially this Advent season.

The curing of this blind man is different than other healings.  It reminds us of the story in the Old Testament of Elisha the prophet curing Naaman the leper. 2 Kings 5:1-19 Jesus tests this blind man’s faith by giving him  instructions on how to cooperate in God’s grace

When the formerly blind man is brought before the Pharisees all they could see is a legalistic point of view, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath. Elsewhere in Scripture, Jesus says this about the Sabbath, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Mark 2:27  The Sabbath was not intended to be a burden like the rules Pharisees made up but a time of rest and worship and refreshment in the presence of God.

Who is really blind in this story?  You guessed it! So these blind Pharisees  summon his parents to testify They are looking for physical evidence of a spiritual mystery. But the clincher is when they summon the blind man again and they get their comeuppance.  The blind man bears witness to the Pharisees, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?

 After the young man was thrown out, Jesus found him and gave him solace,  Do you believe in the Son of Man?” the blind man answered and said, “Who is he, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he. He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.

SCRIPTURE 10:1-20

the good shepherd.

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold^* through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” Although Jesus used this figure of speech,^* they did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came [before me] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep^* that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.

REFLECTION

Jesus is the gate keeper.  We can’t sneak into heaven.  Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves. Jesus opens the gate for his sheep.  Are we among His herd? Jesus walks ahead of His sheep and they follow him. Do we follow Jesus? His sheep will not follow strangers.  Do we follow strange gods, idols?  Where our treasure is so will be our heart.  Whoever enters through me will be saved. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  There is no other!

A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…Are we good shepherds to others? Are we willing to deny ourselves and lay aside our wants and needs to address the needs of others even those we call enemies? Are we envious of others, hold grudges, anger, resentment in our hearts?  If so, let’s purify those hearts before purgatory in the next life by seeking and nourishing the virtues of mercy and humility.

I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me. I have other sheep^* that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.  I find this very encouraging. We all know people who have walked away from the sheepfold or were never apart of it.

Jesus has his way of seeking those outside the fold. We cooperate in this search on earth by spreading the Good News and prayers and sacrifices. God wills the salvation of all but also respects free will. Pray for conversion of sinners that they may find themselves back in the care of the Good Shepherd.

Let us also pray for ourselves that we hear his voice at the Last Judgment,  ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matthew 25:34

SCRIPTURE 10:22-39

feast of the dedication.

The feast of the Dedication^* was then taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter. And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense?^* If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you^* and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.  But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.

My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,^* and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.

The Jews again picked up rocks to stone him. Jesus answered them, I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me? The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God. Jesus answered them…,

If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize [and understand] that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Then] they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power.

REFLECTION

The Feast of Dedication is a Jewish festival mentioned in John 10:22–23. Today, this Jewish festival is perhaps better known as Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights.  This winter holiday is an eight-day festival observed which occurs in late November or December depending on the Jewish calendar. During the Feast of Dedication, Jews celebrate the dedication of the second temple as recorded in the books of First and Second Maccabees in the time between the Old and New Testaments.

 If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you^* and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.  The spiritually blind (works of the Father) and deaf (words of Jesus) will never recognize Jesus.  They are too filled with themselves and their agendas.  Busyness and noise fill their hearts and there is no room in the inn.

Plainly, Jesus declares His divinity in this passage. The Father and I are one. One God three Divine Persons.

The Jews again picked up rocks to stone him. Jesus answered them, I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?  The Jews could not deny the good works but could not accept Jesus’ claim of divinity.  Still today there are those who would deny Jesus’ divinity. Reject Jesus at your own peril!

 

 

SCRIPTURE 11:1-44

the raising of lazarus.

Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was ill.

So the sisters sent word to him, saying, “Master, the one you love is ill.” When Jesus heard this he said, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

He said this, and then told them, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” So the disciples said to him, “Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.” But Jesus was talking about his death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep. So then Jesus said to them clearly, “Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him.” So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go to die with him.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home.

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. [But] even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise. Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.”

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, “The teacher is here and is asking for you.” As soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. For Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still where Martha had met him. So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her, presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed* and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Sir, come and see.”

And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.” But some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that man would not have died?” So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone.

And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”

LAZARUS, COME OUT!

REFLECTION

 In this scripture passage of the raising of Lazarus, we read about GLORY, LOVE, COMPASSION, FAITH, RESURRECTION, AND ANOTHER EPIPHANY.

Jesus loves Martha, Mary, and Lazarus but does not immediately go to them, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

 When Jesus does decide to go, he is rebuked by his apostles, Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?” Jesus reminds them He is the Light of the world. If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world Choose light over darkness!

Jesus tells his apostles, I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. The apostles may not understand Jesus’ purpose to affirm their faith.  Just like we may not  understand God’s providence in our lives. Thomas the apostle speaks up, “Let us also go to die with him.” Are we willing to follow Jesus wherever He may lead us?

When Jesus does arrive,  Martha approaches Jesus and expresses her faith, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. [But] even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you

Jesus then stretches Martha’ faith like He sometimes pushes us farther than we might want to go. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus receives exactly the response He hopes for from a faithful disciple. Martha said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” Do we believe and express that belief of Martha’s to others? 

Jesus asks Martha to show Him where they have laid Lazarus. And Jesus wept. Jesus knows what He is about to do but in His humanity and divinity shows compassion for those who mourn. Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted!

 Many of those accompanying Martha questioned Jesus a man who opened the eyes of the blind, couldn’t He do something to save the one He loved. Of course Jesus could, but raising the dead would be much more dramatic and revealing of His divinity that others might believe He was truly the Son of God.

They took away the stone covering the tomb of Lazarus.  Jesus prayed, Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” Do we pray to the Father before significant events?

 Lazarus, come out! Lazarus walked out, another Epiphany of Jesus, Son of God, Savior of the world. Throughout the Gospels Jesus has shown us who He is.  Who do we say Jesus is?  What impact does our belief have in our lives?

“But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. Matthew 16:16 Faith in Jesus is revealed by the Father.  Pray for that faith!

SCRIPTURE 11:45-54

raising of Lazarus brought to Pharisees and chief priests.

Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.”

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.”

He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.

So from that day on they planned to kill him. So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews, but he left for the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and there he remained with his disciples.

IT IS BETTER FOR YOU THAT ONE MAN SHOULD DIE,

SO THAT THE WHOLE NATION MAY NOT PERISH.”

 REFLECTION

The chief priest called together the Sanhedrin.  The Sanhedrin back then was like our Supreme Court with leaders, presided over by the chief priest, Caiaphas. The question before them is a political one even though held in temple and made up of high priests.

 What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation. They are more concerned for their secular world than whether this Jesus may be the long awaited Messiah.

Caiaphas thinks he has the answer, it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” While Caiaphas was looking for a secular solution, the irony is that yes it is better spiritually that Jesus dies for the salvation of the world, a new exodus from sin, to eternal life.

So from that day on they planned to kill him. So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews.  Although Jesus knew his passion, death, and resurrection lie ahead, it was not yet his hour.  Jesus had more evangelizing, more healing, and more catechizing of his disciples before He left this world.

We the mystical body of Christ (the Church) today are the beneficiaries of this public ministry, institution of the sacraments, and founding of his church upon Peter the Rock. “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

 Jesus loves His Church.  Do we love the church warts and all?  All means for salvation are found in the Sacraments ministered today in the Catholic Church.

In the Catholic Mass we celebrate the wedding feast of the Lamb as they are celebrating it in heaven.  We will never be as close to heaven on earth as we are in the liturgy of the Mass.

 

GOSPEL OF JOHN CHAPTER 12

 SCRIPTURE JOHN 12:1-8

 the anointing at Bethany

Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

Then Judas the Iscariot, one [of] his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

 REFLECTION

Jesus knew the heart of Judas, a man not so interested in caring for others but what he could gather for himself.  Are we selfish in any ways similar?  Do we have to force ourselves to share with others?  Are our motives for apparent charitable acts always pure or do we sometimes look to call attention to ourselves?

Is Jesus putting himself above the poor?  Is he asserting special privilege because he somehow believes He is more important?  I think not.  Jesus knows his hour is near and accepts the love and anointing of Mary that previews his death and burial.  His time on this earth is limited and He is not going to get in the way of his disciples returning His love and blessings upon Him.

SCRIPTURE JOHN 12:12-15

 the entry into jerusalem.

On the next day, when the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him, and cried out: “Hosanna!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel.” Jesus found an ass and sat upon it, as is written: “Fear no more, O daughter Zion; see, your king comes, seated upon an ass’s colt.”

REFLECTION

 Jesus makes triumphant entrance into Jerusalem fulfilling the prophecy of Zecariah (9:9) “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; cry out, daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king is coming to you. He is righteous, and he is able to save. He is humble, and is riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

This fanfare and enthusiasm for the Messiah did not last even a week before many would be shouting with crowd mentality, Crucify him, Crucify him!  Do we lose our enthusiasm for Jesus and His Church?

How are we trying to rekindle that original spark when we first discovered Jesus? I am reminded of the parable of the Sower who planted seeds along a path where birds of the air snatched them away, some among rocky soil that had no roots, and then again some fell among thorns that choked the seeds.  What thorns do we have that strangle our faith in Jesus?

 SCRIPTURE JOHN 12:23-33; 44-50

 the coming of jesus’ hour.

unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat but if it dies, hit produces much fruit.

Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life, loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.

 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me “I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.”

 The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come for my sake but for yours. Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world* will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.

Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.

 And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life.

REFLECTION

The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified Once again Jesus blows us away.  God’s ways are not our ways.  Who back then or now for that matter thinks death by crucifixion is a moment to celebrate?  It is at our own peril to second guess God.

Jesus defines clearly what a disciple of his must be. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.  Can we drink the cup Jesus must drink? Is a servant greater than His master?

Even Jesus in his humanity had trouble accepting His Father’s will, Father, save me from this hour. Just like us Jesus doesn’t enjoy suffering but suffering may be necessary to fulfill the Father’s will.  Again trust God.  God knows the full picture and if God can bring glory out of the greatest suffering, the passion and death of His only begotten Son, what is the good God will bring out of our suffering a little on this earth.

I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Jesus did not come to condemn but save! The words Jesus spoke will condemn us if we fail to observe his teachings.  We ourselves choose Heaven or Hell.  We are free to embrace Jesus or not, again at our own peril!

when I am lifted up from the earth, 

I will draw everyone to myself.