May 22nd 2011, Gospel Reflection I

Hopefully religious teachings help us to love better, but Jesus converted hearts by His presence not sermons. "go and do likewise"

“Do not let your hearts be troubled”

In today’s Gospel Jesus is preparing His disciples to be strong in their faith even when the time comes for Him to ascend into Heaven to be with the Father. Jesus is reassuring them that He will always be with them, that he loves each of them, and that he is preparing a place for them in Heaven. It is difficult to have faith in something that you cannot see, but while they might not physically see Him Jesus says that they will find them when they look with eyes of Faith.

“‘Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?”

Jesus reveals Himself all around us and we can see Him if we see with eyes of Faith.

-Who are the people and what are the places that you see Jesus’ presence?

Jesus doesn’t walk around our cities and towns and show Himself to us in visions, Jesus speaks in the silence of our hearts and acts through the hands of our own loving action. Since many people do not explicitly see or hear Jesus they do not believe that He is God or that He exists at all.

-Should Jesus show Himself more?

-Does our daily life sometimes make it difficult for us to see or hear Jesus?

-Is Jesus asking us to be his presence to those we encounter?

Imagine if each of us “put on the love of Christ” in a radical way. Imagine if the millions of us that gather in churches would put on Christ and carry Him in the world. Could people overlook that many Jesus-es?! Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life and we are called to make that way, truth, and life more present (relevant/non-contradictory) in our world.

If we live with a radical love people will wonder why we are different…and they will know we are Christians by our love.