FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Jesus Is the Way
“Where are you going in life, or what are you living for?” is the most important question to ask ourselves, one another, the Church, our people. Many do not know what answer to give to this. Even we Christians at times feel lost. Yet we shouldn’t, for we have Jesus who shows us the way, who is our way to God, to ourselves, to people. Jesus is not only our way but he is our companion on the road. Let him show us his way here in this Eucharist.
Reading 1: Acts 6:1-7
During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers—“Hellenists”—toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food lines. So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, “It wouldn’t be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care of the poor. So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we’ll assign them this task. Meanwhile, we’ll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word.”
5-6 The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose—
Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit,
Philip,
Procorus,
Nicanor,
Timon,
Parmenas,
Nicolas, a convert from Antioch.
Then they presented them to the apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their task.
7 The Word of God prospered. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased dramatically. Not least, a great many priests submitted themselves to the faith.
Reading 2: 1 Pt 2:4-9
Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God. The Scriptures provide precedent:
Look! I’m setting a stone in Zion,
a cornerstone in the place of honor.
Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation
will never have cause to regret it.
To you who trust him, he’s a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him,
The stone the workmen threw out
is now the chief foundation stone.
For the untrusting it’s
. . . a stone to trip over,
a boulder blocking the way.
They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted.
9-10 But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.
Gospel: Jn 14:1-12
“Don’t let this rattle you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”
5 Thomas said, “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. How do you expect us to know the road?”
6-7 Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”
8 Philip said, “Master, show us the Father; then we’ll be content.”
9-10 “You’ve been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don’t understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, ‘Where is the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren’t mere words. I don’t just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act.
11-14 “Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.
Prayer
Let us pray to our living God
that in Jesus he may show us the road of life
(pause)
Lord, our living God,
you are a God on the way with your people;
you led them through the desert to freedom,
you sent us Jesus to be our way to you.
Let Jesus walk with us the road to you,
to our deepest selves, to people.
Quench your people’s thirst with the water of life,
keep giving us the food we need for the journey,
the bread of life of Jesus himself,
until we reach your eternal home.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reflection:
7 May 2023
V Sunday of Easter A
John 14:1-12
Please show us the Father
The passage in today’s Gospel is taken from the first of three farewell speeches pronounced by Jesus at the Last Supper. Jesus today speaks of the dwelling places that have been prepared for us. The entrance to this dwelling place is Jesus himself. Thomas the Apostle asks Jesus for the way to reach him. When we accept the person of Christ and his teaching—we have accepted the way. Jesus is the Way to the Father
Tolle et legge! “Take up and read!” St. Jerome teaches that to be ignorant of the scriptures is to be ignorant of Christ. One chapter each day would take us less than a month to finish reading one Gospel prayerfully. Responding to the Gospels in faith ultimately leads to that heavenly dwelling that has been prepared for us.
“There are many places in my Father’s House”, says Jesus. But this House of the Father is not a place where the Lord will take us after our death, nor is it a faraway place. This house is not paradise but the Christian community – the Church. In his Church, Jesus has prepared a place for everyone who agrees to follow Jesus’ “way”.
His Church is where he lives today – his Father’s house. He promises to take us to his Church so that we can be together with him, where he is. The house has many places which refer to the many services and tasks that need to be carried out there. The “many places” are nothing but the “various ministries” of the Church and the many gifts received from God.
Many people in their lives echo Philip’s request: “Show us the Father.” Since God in himself is invisible and unseen, it is not unusual to hear similar questions: “What is God like?” The truth of the matter is that for us Christians, this question has already been answered. God is like Jesus. To know the person and teaching of Jesus is to know God.
When Christians act Christ-like, they also reveal to us the face of the Father in different ways. The friend by our side in times of distress, the person who stays by our bedside in times of illness, and the one who forgives and does not condemn us when we make a grave mistake – they all reveal the merciful face of the Father. In the scriptures and our personal experience, there are countless ways in which we are being shown the face of the Father.