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Gospel of John 14:1-12
Jesus said to them, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
During the past week, the mass readings have switched gears. No longer are we reflecting on Jesus' Resurrection. Now we've gone back in time and read passages from the Last Supper discourses, before Jesus' death took place.
In this familiar passage from John, the apostles are confused by what Jesus is telling them. They understand him to be a miracle worker and a prophet. But, all of the talk about Jesus being in the Father and the Father in him has them stumped. Thomas has no clue of where Jesus is going and what his way is supposed to be like.
Has the apostles' faithful leader gone mad? Who is the Father and what he's all about? Where is the proof that Jesus is the Father and the Father is Jesus? How are the disciples supposed to know the way ?? The disciples scratch their heads in concern and misunderstanding. They will figure out what Jesus is speaking of only after the Resurrection. At this point their minds are muddled.
Via (The Way) How is Jesus The Way (Latin: Via)? This has been a question asked for centuries. Jesus' way involves following his commandments and teachings. It involves loving our enemies and caring for those in need. Jesus instructs us on a narrow path to holiness that involves a lot of frustration and struggle. His way is not the easy way! Jesus' way involves perseverance and strength. It involves pushing ourselves away from sinful temptations and fully immersing ourselves in the light of Christ. His way is beneficial! His way is bountiful! His way is beautiful! Beware if the way seems a little too easy and a little too pleasurable, it may not be the right way. In fact, Satan loves to distort our thinking patterns to pull us away from God.
I've been reading C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters . In Lewis' amazing classic, Screwtape instructs his nephew Wormwood, a fellow demon, on how to pull his "patient" away from the grasps of the Enemy (aka God) and into the deceptive arms of "Our Father" (Satan). Screwtape finds himself frustrated by Wormwood's mistakes. Wormwood isn't doing a good enough job tempting his patient into following the bad way. God is the stronger entity!
Following the Jesus way takes an incredible amount of faith and devotion!
Veritas (The Truth) Jesus is The Truth (Latin: Veritas) Many sceptics, mostly atheists, want to portray Jesus as a man who never existed. It's as if he's Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or some other fictional character. His "truth" could not possibly be accurate since he wasn't a real man to begin with! Fortunately, we have the bible as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls and archaeological artifacts that prove of Jesus' existence. The "truth of the manner" is that Jesus is the Son of God. He became fully human and died on the cross for the salvation of all. His Truth encompasses faith, love, hope and charity. His Truth encourages teaching of the faith. His Truth is a positive source that we can draw from. His Truth gives each one of his followers strength and determination. We must be careful not to relativize Jesus' Truth, fitting our own needs and beliefs. We need to focus our lives around God. When we do, we will reap the benefits of a life that's much more fulfilling.
Vita (The Life) Jesus is The Life (Latin: Vita). Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead. He gave life to each one of us! He could have easily become selfish and fell for the Devil's temptations while in the desert. Jesus could have decided to live a life wrapped around Satan's lies and debauchery. However, he chose the right path! Jesus chose to remain faithful to his mother, to Joseph, and to the Father himself. He died for our redemption. The best way for us to honor his deep love for us is to respect all human life!
Our secularized culture continuously dismisses life:
- If a child is deformed, abort it.
- If a woman converts to another religion, kill her for apostasy.
- If a child is unwanted, sell him or her into the slave trade.
- If an elderly man is in pain, give him the option for Euthanasia.
Life is so precious! Allow Our Lord to take each one of us to the grave according to his own schedule - his place and at his appointed time
Jesus is via, veritas, vitas! He loves us so much. He's is there with us on our journey through life. We just need to acknowledge his presence. Pray for his intercession and his healing. His way, his truth, and his life is something we should cherish forever in our hearts!
-J.
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