Day XXXII: Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Gospel Reading of the Day

From the holy Gospel according to

John Chapter 8, verses 51 to 59

ABRAHAM AND HIS THREE VISITORS.
Image from en.wikipedia.org via google.com

Jesus said to the Jews: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death." So the Jews said to him, "Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, 'Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.' Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?" Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, 'He is our God.' You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad." So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM." So they picked up stones to throw at him: but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ

Personal Reflection on the Reading

Sharing for the Day

Jesus had friends in a town called Bethany which is about two kilometers away from Jerusalem. They were Lazarus, Martha and Mary. They were His close friends so when Lazarus fell ill and was about to die, they informed Jesus about it hoping, or perhaps expecting due to their closeness with Him, that Jesus would come immediately to save Lazarus from death. But Jesus did not and stayed two days more where He and His Apostles were at that time. His reason was that Lazarus's sickness and death would bring about the glorification of the Father through the Son [see John 11:4] and for His Apostles to believe [see John 11:15]. Upon arrival at Bethany, Lazarus has been buried four days already so  Martha told Him that if He just arrived earlier, her brother Lazarus would have not died. But Jesus asked her if she believes that 

"I am the resurrection. Anyone who believes in me, even though that person dies, will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." [John 11: 25-26]

In another instance, Jesus corrects a misconception of the Jews regarding the resurrection which Mark [12:27], Matthew [22:32] and Luke [20:38] records,

"God is not God of the dead but of the living!"

Luke adds, "because to Him all are alive". 

In God no one dies. Our physical bodies may be corrupted, eaten by worms, but our spirits remain alive. We may no longer be seen walking upon the earth, but we still exist in another world. That's what Jesus our Lord teaches us: so we do not have to fear sufferings, persecutions and death here on earth but avoid that destruction in the afterlife, for He warned us by saying,

"Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. 

Rather, fear Him who can destroy both body and soul in hell." 

- Matthew 10:28, see also Luke 12:5

Many of us, yes, even among us Christians, worry too much about the present times. We act as if we do not believe in the resurrection. When noise about the end of the world is circulated, we become afraid as if it is something that we ought to be afraid of. It is written in Revelation,

"Look, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, 

to repay everyone as their deeds deserve."

- Revelation 22:12

Therefore we ought to be ready and say,

"Come, Lord Jesus."

- Revelation 22:20c

It is also recorded by Luke that the Lord declared,

"... when these things begin to take place, 

straighten up and lift up your heads, 

because your redemption is drawing near." 

- Luke 21:28

Therefore we should not fear the end of the world; what we ought to fear is what will happen if we are not ready yet. This is something foolish for even if the world does not end soon, we still face the certainty of death which could take place at a time when we least expect it to happen!

Perhaps it is because we have not yet fully embraced the Gospel, much less practiced it in our lives that's why we fear the future. Maybe we have not yet fully obeyed the command of the Lord to love one another and has failed to wash each other's feet that we even fear facing God instead of being excited to meet Him. Maybe our Christianity is just skin deep, like the physical beauty of many people, that will be corrupted at the appointed time and will never achieve the glorified body like that of the Lord at the resurrection. As we said above, it is an utter stupidity to delay our readiness!

As we draw nearer to the end of our Lenten retreat, let us make more effort to focus on heavenly things rather than on earthly things. For this present world is subject to corruption. Instead, we must prepare for the new heaven and the new earth where there will be no longer any sea [see Revelation 21:1]. 

Application of the Message

[1] Prayer

     Pray for the grace to focus more on heavenly things than earthly matters.

[2] Abstinence

     Abstain from something that makes you attached to the world rather than focus on heaven.

    

[3] Almsgiving

     What can you share today in order to inspire someone to long for heaven than be attached to this world?