Thursday - Second Week of Easter  

Gospel – John 3:31-36

Short and Sweet

Rock of Agony, Gethsemane

 “Whoever believes in the Son will have eternal life.”  I don’t think it can get any simpler than that.  Believe in Jesus!  Believe that He is the Son of God.  Believe that He suffered and died for our sins.  Believe that He rose from the dead and offers us the gift of that same eternal life.

But let’s be clear – belief is not just a simple intellectual exercise.  It’s not the same as – if I flip this switch, I believe the light will go on.  It is not merely a mind game.  Belief in Jesus involves our entire self – body and soul, head and heart.  It means that we are called to live out that belief in our daily lives!  We are called to demonstrate that belief in our actions with others.  And not just once, not just occasionally but day in and day out.  Our life is to be a reflection of our belief!

Wow!  Things just got a lot more difficult.  How in the world can I do that?  I know I’m gonna mess up; I know I am gonna stumble and fall.  I can’t do this by myself!  Today’s Gospel addresses that as well.  “God does not ration out the gift of the Spirit.”  The Spirit!  The Spirit will be there to guide us, support us, calm us down and energize us to move forward.   

You are not alone!  Believe in me and trust in the Spirit!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Sunday – 13 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 10:37-42 The Cost/Rewards of Discipleship Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem I’m holding in my hand a simple piece of paper, barely bigger than an index card.   It’s a mini-golf scorecard and it’s 47 years old.   At the time, the game itself probably cost only about $6.   Certainly a lot less than you would pay today.   So the cost today doesn’t seem like much.   But for me all that time ago, it was a wealth of money.   So it cost me a lot.   But the rewards of the card?   Well, that is priceless.   This was one of the first dates Ginger and I went on.   And who would have guessed how that would turn out?   All the memories we have shared, painful and joyful.   All the times we have shared together and the people who have touched our lives!   Priceless! Cost and reward!   Two vastly different concepts but they play a key role in all of today’s readings.   In the first reading, a rich woman goes out of her way t
Read more
Image
  14 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 11:25-30 The “Little Ones” Open Market, Jerusalem There’s a story about a rather eccentric teacher who was always looking for creative ways to test (torture) his students.   Sometimes it was crazy project and sometimes it was a wacky exam that tested not just their knowledge but also their experience. So one day he hands out a test, typical normal test, Q/A, except this was the last question.   What’s the name of the school janitor?   One of his students looked at the question and thought – I know he’s short, wears glasses and has light brown hair but how in the world would I know his name?   So he left it blank and turned in his paper. When class was over, he went up to the teacher and asked whether that last question would count in the test grade.   Absolutely, said the teacher.   Throughout your whole life, you will find that every person you cross paths with is important, significant.   They deserve you
Read more
Image
  16 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 13:24-30 Be Patient, My Child Tied Up in Knots! Many years ago, I remember one summer when it was time for our daughter Jaime to learn how to ride a bicycle.   So I took off the training wheels, she climbed onto the bike and proceeded to take off.   I followed close behind, holding onto the back bumper, trying to keep the bike upright and trying to make sure she didn’t fall.   It was exhausting for both of us.   I thought I was being a good dad by doing everything I could to keep her from falling.   But it didn’t work.   We were both getting frustrated.   Finally, she had had enough and she banished me to sit on the front porch while she worked it out on her own.   It took time and it took a lot of patience, something neither one of us had much of at the start of the process. I was getting impatient with the process and she was getting impatient with me.   Patience was in short supply.   But in the end, patience w
Read more