HE RAISES THE DEAD
AND GIVES THEM LIFE
AND GIVES THEM LIFE
It is only by our faith in Christ
that we can pass from death to eternal life. It is in Christ that we find God,
and in Him alone.
One of the greatest problems
facing the world today is a movement either to deny or ignore the divinity of
Christ. There are some that would want to see Jesus as a great philosopher, or
social reformer. To be sure, Jesus has a human nature, which creates appeal for
us: He graced the wedding banquet, blessed little children, ate and drank with
sinners. But Jesus is much more than a man, even a very extraordinary one. He
is truly God, and the religious leaders in today's Gospel saw clearly that
Jesus spoke of God as His own Father, thereby making Himself God's equal.
Jesus forcefully manifested His
claim of divinity by attributing to Himself two works in particular that are
distinctively God's works. These are the greater works which Jesus will show;
greater, for instance, than the cure of the man at the pool which was in
yesterday's Gospel. First, Jesus gives life; He raises the dead to life.
Second, He judges all people, and thereby grants them eternal life, or gives
them a choice to turn away from Him.
In today's Gospel, we hear that
the reason why the religious leaders were even more determined to kill Him was
because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also, worse, was speaking of
God as His own Father. Then Jesus says to them: "I solemnly assure you -
the man who hears my word and has faith in Him who sent Me possesses eternal
life. He does not come under condemnation, but has passed from death to life.
And an hour is coming, has indeed come, when the dead shall hear the voice of
the Son of God."
Reflecting on these readings, I
couldn't help but think about the Stations of the Cross. In Paul to Corinth, we
read, "We walk by faith, not by sight" (Cor 5:7). Truly that is what
Jesus shows us by His Stations. As we reflect on the Stations, they show us God
and His unconditional love for us.
During this Lenten season, I
have been reading and reflecting on a book titled, "Faith Walkers" by
Joseph Nassal. I would like to share some of these thoughts with you:
The way of the cross is a sojourn of the soul.
This journey invites us to engage our imaginations
In a process of holy recovery -- recovering the last steps
Jesus took on
His walk on earth.
As such, this journey takes us
to places we'd rather not go.
But by walking this way with
Jesus, we learn how not to become frustrated when fear and failure creeps and
seeps into our souls. The Station of the Cross teaches us that we are
faith-walkers and not sightseers: "we walk by faith and not by
sight." We are pilgrims not tourists. The only postcards we purchase are
from the edge of time and space that place where heaven meets earth and hope is
born again and again.
The Stations of the Cross has
long been a popular devotion for Christians, especially during Lent. Catholic
Churches have placed these Stations on their walls for centuries. More than a
pious devotion, the Stations of the Cross is a spiritual journey that takes us
across the treacherous terrain of the heartland; beyond the grave to an eternal
space where dreams are conceived. As we walk this way this Lenten season, be
prepared to stop often. Not to rest but to sense how this cross is crushing our
shoulders; how the pebbles feel like boulders upon our bare feet; how the
splinters from the wood slice through our skin and sink deep beneath the
surface to leave scars on our souls. There are no exit ramps, no rest stops,
along this harrowing, yet holy way. Winter's cold winds, ice, and snow have
wounded the pavement beneath our feet. We will fall into potholes so large we
will think we will lose our lives if we are not careful. But then that's the
point: be careful. Be full of care for those who walk this way with us. And when
we are full of such compassion and empathy for those we meet along the way --
the weary ones, the weeping ones, the angry ones, the violent ones, the jeering
ones, the curious ones -- we will lose our lives.
And maybe, just maybe, find our
souls!!!
We can see by all that Jesus
went through for our salvation, that we must accept Christ, and believe in His
divinity. We should take this occasion to remind ourselves of what this belief
entails. It is only by our faith in Christ that we can pass from death to
eternal life. It is in Christ that we find God, and in Him alone. The divine
life, which God the Father has in Himself, has been given to us through the
Son, by God sending Him into this world as the life-giver who welcomes those
who are lost with open arms.
The Lord is gracious and merciful (Ps 145).
May we run into His loving arms this Lent.