BELIEVE IN JESUS, OUR GOD - 03/30/22 (Wednesday of the 4th Week of Lent)

John 5:17-18,21-23

17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working still, and I am working." 18 This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the sabbath but also called God His Father, making Himself equal with God.

21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

For the full readings, click here: 

https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/daily-readings

Blessed Wednesday! Jesus made a claim of His Divinity in front of the Jews. Rather than believe Him, the Jews were consumed by their anger that they wanted to kill Him. In our gospel reading for today, there are at least three things we need to believe. 

First, we need to believe that Jesus is God. As recognized by the Jews, He claimed that He was equal with the Father. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Second Divine Person of the Holy Trinity. He is God, the Son, who is begotten by the Father and who is sent by the Father to redeem the world. Unfortunately, the Jews were blinded by pride and by other sins which made them not capable of seeing this truth. Today, even if we intellectually adhere to the doctrine of the Trinity, there is a tendency for us to act as if we do not believe in the divinity of Jesus. This happens when we do not follow His commandments and obey the teachings of Christ in the Church. If we truly adore Him, we will be obedient to His Will because of our love for Him. 

Second, we need to believe that Jesus grants eternal life. God is the only source of our graces that will raise us up from our spiritual death. Despite the anger and blindness of the Jews, Jesus was still inviting them to believe in Him for their salvation. When we are living in the state of grave sin, we are not capable of pleasing God. Our sins truly offend Him and make us blind. It can even lead us to despair. But, we should not be discouraged because Jesus is our Merciful Lord. He is calling us to have confidence in Him. If we realize our sins and faults, let's abandon ourselves to the will of God by seeking His strength in prayer. Let's call to Jesus for the graces we need to avoid sins and do good works. We should persevere in growing in virtues, so we can honor and glorify Him more. 

Lastly, we should believe in the judgment. Jesus Christ is a Merciful Savior and a Righteous Judge. To people who repent of their sins and follow Him, our Lord will grant them eternal life and everlasting happiness. We have the hope of being raised up, not just from our spiritual death, but also from our physical death because of Him. However, we should not abuse the patience and mercy of Christ. Jesus Christ was truly concerned for the Jews who rejected Him knowing that this entailed eternal separation from God. The reason why we should be obedient to the will of God is not just because He says it, but also because we want to love Him and be united with Him forever. 

Let's reflect upon our faith in Jesus. Do we truly believe that He is God? If yes, how can we express this faith in our life and in our works? May we always spend our time thanking Him and praising Him for His goodness and mercy. Jesus Christ is a faithful God, and He will grant us the strength we need to persevere if we have confidence in Him. By choosing to repent for our sins and progress in virtues, our God will reward us the crown of everlasting life. 

Amen +

 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic