The scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter | USCCB
I have always found these words of Jesus very
comforting. There have been times in my life when there were worries that seem
to be impossible to resolve. Whether it was a family problem, or a problem that
I may have faced at work. Things happened in my life that worried me, and it
seemed like there was no way to resolve the problems I was facing Whether it’s
a problem with one of my children, or a problem I was facing with my wife,
there were times when I have felt that Jesus was not there in my life helping
me with whatever it was I was dealing with. I’m sure all of us can relate to
these worries.
But Jesus in today’s gospel is reminding us to not let
our hearts be troubled. We need to place our faith in God the Father and in the
Lord Jesus. Whether we feel God present or not, God is indeed present to us,
waiting for us to call upon Him to give us comfort and strength in whatever we
are facing.
Our Lord reminds us in the gospel for today that he is going to prepare a place for us. That place is within our hearts. We need to allow Jesus to enter into our hearts to guide us, to give us his peace, and to help us in whatever issues we are facing. I’ve discovered that once I turn to our Lord during those difficult times in my life, the problems are resolved, maybe not in the way I was hoping, but in a way that was best.
Thomas in today’s gospel, in his usual good way of asking the right question at the right time, asks Jesus, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus responds with something absolutely true and comforting to all of us, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Our Lord is teaching us that in all aspects of our lives, we are to have God at the center of all we do. In this way, whether we are facing problems, or happen to be at peace in our lives, Jesus will be there to help us grow ever closer to God through our trust in His presence in our life.
Let us at every mass we pray at, as the
priest elevates our Lord during the Eucharistic prayer, invite Jesus into our
hearts to give us that peace that can only come from God. And as we receive
Holy Communion, let us be grateful that He is truly present within us: body,
blood, soul, and divinity. It will be then that we can have a heart that is not
troubled. And we will have that faith that God is truly present within us.
Yes, this is a very comforting Gospel. It is the Gospel I have always requested for the funeral Mass for members of my family. In fact, this is the Gospel that you, Deacon Tom, proclaimed at my Mom's funeral when you were kind enough to travel to St. Pancras Church in Glendale, Queens, from your home in the Bronx, with the help of your friend, Nilda.
ReplyDeleteThe LORD JESUS both prepares a special place for us in our hearts & prepares a special place in heaven for us & our loved ones & all who have known, loved & served Him in this life.
Probably one of the hardest areas for me to refrain from being troubled & to trust the LORD is about what is going on in our country. God did not cause the COVID-19 pandemic but He allowed it to happen, & it happened during the administration of a President who, despite his many faults, was a good friend to the pro-life cause, to the Catholic Church & Catholic school system in America & to our ally, Israel, & for job creation & energy independence in America. This paved the way for the election of the most pro-abortion administration in history. We were making good progress in the pro-life cause in America, but the current resident of the White House & his administration seek to ruin the good that was accomplished over the past 4 years, even while claiming to be a "devout Catholic".
I need to trust that God is still on the side of the pro-life cause, the Catholic Church, American workers & his Chosen People, Israel. Apparently the LORD has something up His Divine sleeve that we do not yet understand. Maybe His answer will come by other means that the Federal government & politicians. We need to pray that the LORD will reveal what He wants us to do to promote the Gospel of life in America & throughout the world & He will guide us. The most important thing for us to do is to remain centered in the LORD, pray & trust Him.