WEDNESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER - Gospel (John 12:44-50) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
- NHA CHUA CHA
- 7 minutes ago
- 4 min read
FIRST READING - Acts 12:24-13:5a
"Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
24 But the word of God continued to spread and grow.
25 After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission, they returned to Jerusalem,[a] taking with them John, who is called Mark.
1 [b]Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off.
4 [c]So they, sent forth by the holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They had John[d] also as their assistant.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Jn 12:44-50
"I came into the world as light."
✠From the Gospel according to John
44 Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, 45 and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. 46 I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness. 47 And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. 48 Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, 49 because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”
WEDNESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER - Gospel (John 12:44-50)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear people of God,
In today's Word of God, Jesus introduces God the Father to all of humanity.
Through the image of Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God the Father who came into the world and became man, it is revealed that there is a God the Father who loves all mankind immensely, a God the Father whom all of humanity must revere, worship, and to whom we must turn to offer our petitions and thanksgiving.
Out of love, He sent His Only Begotten Son to come to earth to become human, to sacrifice Himself and die to redeem the sins of humanity.
And in a certain way, He made it known to humanity that obedience to the Holy Will of God the Father is above all things.
Everything must be oriented toward God the Father.
Even His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, had to obey God the Father’s Will in all places and at all times.
He obeyed absolutely, carrying out commands with total submission: whatever God the Father spoke and whatever God the Father instructed, He did exactly as God the Father wished to teach humanity.
For Jesus Christ Himself said that the Word of God the Father is the Word that brings eternal life to humanity.
This is what God the Father teaches us: we must be absolutely obedient to His Holy Will in all places and at all times.
If even the Only Begotten Son, who is God Himself, did nothing of His own accord, how much more should we, a lowly creature in the sight of God the Father?
God the Father calls upon us to be humble, to lower ourselves in absolute obedience to His teachings through Jesus Christ, for His very teachings will bring eternal life to humanity.
Let us no longer disobey God the Father’s Holy Will, and no longer yield to the temptations of Satan.
Instead, let us return to the teachings of Jesus Christ: learn to revere and worship the One and only God the Father.
Let us put into practice the path and the teachings of God the Father: to love and to fear God the Father, and to submit to His Holy Will absolutely.
To love God the Father above all things and to love our fellow brothers and sisters as ourselves.
That is the greatest commandment that God the Father calls upon us to fulfill.
Furthermore, God the Father calls upon us to believe absolutely that He alone is the One who is the Creator of the heavens, the earth, and all the living things. He alone is the One who created our very beings, and He alone is the One who loves us most of all.
Apart from Him, there is no love as great as the love God the Father has for each of us.
Therefore, we must be wise, submissive, fearing God the Father, and doing all things according to God the Father’s teachings, so that we may inherit eternal happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Comments