May 14 - Fifth Sunday in Easter : Jesus is the Way

 

First Reading    Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7

The early Christian community chooses seven people to serve at table so that the Twelve can devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.

 

Responsorial Psalm     Psalm 33:1-2,4-5,18-19

The Lord is merciful toward those who trust in him.

 

Second Reading    1 Peter 2:4-9

Those who have faith are chosen in Christ to be a holy priesthood.

 

Gospel Reading John 14:1–12

 

Last Sunday we celebrated Christ the Good Shepherd. Today, the Fifth Sunday of Easter, we celebrate Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. The Gospel Reading of today from St. John, is taken from the Farewell Discourse at the Last Supper, and addresses concerns of the disciples that would arise because of the departure (i.e. death) of Jesus soon to occur. Jesus said to Thomas: "I am the way and the truth and life". Jesus does not merely teach us the way but He is the way (No one comes to the Father, except through me- Jn 14,6). Jesus does not merely declare what is true but He is the truth (...we have seen his glory...full of grace and truth- Jn 1,14). Jesus does not merely reveal the life to come but instead he is the life (I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly- Jn 10:10). Therefore Jesus is the way which we must follow. he is the truth which we must believe and he is the life which we must live. So what do we make of this saying of Jesus? What do they mean to us?

*'I am the Way' – Jesus is a road. A road is a journey. And we go to God the Father through Jesus and we call Jesus the Way, because he is the visible manifestation in human form of all that his Father is.

*'I am the Truth' – the Truth that meets us on the road. We Christians have not got the Truth. The Truth has got us. Jesus is God's gift of his true self to us. As God revealed His true self to Jesus, we look up to Jesus to reveal God to us.

*'I am the Life' – this journey of Truth gives us life. When we believe in Jesus, we find life. More, He becomes our life.

In short, what living the Christian life is really all about is living with Jesus in faith. It is to make the Truth and the Life - the Father Himself - really ours by following Jesus who is the Way.