Tuesday – 5th Week of Lent

Gospel – John 8: 21-30

Who Are You?

Temple Mount, Jerusalem

I am……………….

So reflect on this!  How would you finish that sentence?  I am…..  Would it be your name?  Your title?  Your occupation?  Maybe your religion, your ethnic background?  Or your family relationship – mom, dad, son, sister?  Your city or state?  Neighborhood?  High school or grade school?  Or maybe you would add your mood or state of mind – happy, angry, lost?  How would you define yourself?  At your very heart, who are you?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus chooses a different response.  Did you catch it?  When asked who He was, He replied “I AM”, and not just once but multiple times.  From our perspective, it seems as if He isn’t answering the question.  But for the Pharisees, His answer is clear!  It is a direct connection to God at the burning bush I AM WHO I AM!  Jesus makes a clear statement of His divinity.  And just like the bronze serpent in the first reading, Jesus tells them that He will also be ‘lifted up’ and then they will realize that He is the Son of God!

Next week begins Holy Week and Lenten time is quickly running out!  We have barely a week to go before the events of the Triduum.  Maybe it’s time for us to ‘life up’ our game!  In one way or another, after 5 long weeks, we are all struggling; we are all finding the practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving anything but easy.  So how about one last, concentrated, focused push toward Easter! 

And maybe one final thought – we know this journey is difficult and from time to time we all falter and give up hope.  We feel abandoned and deserted.  But Jesus reminds us:  “The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone”.  We are not alone either!

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