Word to the Wise
Friday, May 13, 2022 - 4th Week of Easter - Fri
[Acts 13:26-33 and John 14:1-6]"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." [John]
In today's gospel passage from the Gospel According to John, we begin several days' journey through the "Last Supper Discourse." The discourse itself is a challenge to read and preach because there is no logical unity to it. There are certain ideas that appear but the structure is rambling, as if the evangelist had on hand some unorganized material that he simply wished to include but not in any particular order. The purpose of the discourse, however, is fairly clear. Jesus is preparing the disciples for what is about to happen to him and what it will mean for the disciples. The tone is personal and not adversarial like the first half of the gospel.
Today's passage contains lines that are familiar to most Christians, although they are interpreted differently by various Christian traditions: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." In some traditions this is interpreted in a very literal and rigorous way to exclude millions of people from God's salvation because they do not have explicit faith in Jesus Christ as their personal savior. This is not the Catholic tradition. We believe indeed that Christ is the way, but people may follow that way without knowing the name of it!! It is our duty to proclaim the name of the way and invite others to follow Him! Jesus' invitation at the beginning of the gospel passage today should be ours: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith in me." We are challenged to remember that there are many dwelling places in the Father's house, and we are not the owners. AMEN