“DO YOU NOW BELIEVE?”

A reading from the holy gospel according to John. The disciples said to Jesus: “Yes, now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure of speech! Now we know that you know all things, and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” (Jn 16, 29-33)

I find this short dialogue between Jesus and his disciples which John presents at the end of chapter 16 of his gospel very interesting. In it the disciples profess their faith in Jesus and he questions them: “Do you now believe?” I have been thinking about this question because I feel that … I have the lyrics but I do not know the tune! I am curious to know how Jesus pronounced the question. On which word did he put more emphasis? How did it sound to the apostles? Did it sound like “Do you now believe?” or “Do you now believe?” Is there another sound to these words?
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I will come back

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 14, 27-31)

Jesus said to his disciples: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.  You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.  And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.

This is a selection from Christ’s discourse at the end of John’s version of the Last Supper. Perhaps we can understand it better if we read it in context.

In Chapter 13 John speaks of the Last Supper and he reports that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, a slave’s work, at which Peter was disturbed. When his turn came Peter told Jesus: “You will never wash my feet”. Jesus told him: “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand”. As Jesus insisted that he had to accept this humble service, Peter told his master: “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus answered: “You are clean, though not all of you!”

Then Jesus asked the disciples: “Do you know what I have done to you? … So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example.”

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Do you love me?

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin,^[a] Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 

Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you have no fish, have you?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the lake. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn.  

Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

It’s God’s wonderful mercy!

Today we celebrate the second Sunday of Easter, which the Church dedicates to the Divine Mercy. Actually, the Bible is a story that tells us about God’s mercy to all people. It is not enough for us to celebrate God's mercy once a year. We have to remember God's mercy during every moment of our life. Why? Because we need this mercy constantly in our lives; because we have to accept the mercy of Jesus, which is a gift of love. But a gift is not received if it is not accepted. Jesus told us: "I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing." ( Jn 15: 5 )

When we receive a gift, it is a sign of good manners to thank the giver. Are we good mannered with Jesus? Do we thank Him for His mercy? Do we participate in the Mass as a sign of gratitude? There are many people who only know how to ask for things but do not know how to thank and praise. Perhaps, they are not true Christians?

Silence at the empty tomb

A reading from the holy gospel according to John (20, 1-9)

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. This is the word of the Lord.

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The other day I was listening to Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem with its beautiful, dramatic and tremendous music. It is awe-inspiring! It is not the first time I listened to it, but I was deeply impressed by the words and music of the Dies Irae, the Sequence that speaks of the coming Judgement Day, the Dies Irae, the Day of Wrath. The fourth stanza presents Death stupefied when it sees all creatures awakening in answer to the call for everybody to stand before the judgement Throne. The Requiem is a Mass for the Dead. It is not an Easter celebration. But it was Lent and I was thinking of Easter. Imbued as I was with Verdi’s music, I imagined Death dumbfounded, astonished and speechless at the resurrection of humankind on Judgement Day. I thought, how much more wordless must have Death been on that first Easter Sunday when Jesus resurrected to life on his own power. The Easter sequence we read today tells us that “Death and life contended in a spectacular battle: the Prince of life, who died, reigns alive”.

Master what do you say?

Early in the morning Jesus came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.” (John 8, 1-11)

Through the prophet Isaiah, today God tells us: "I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" I love these words because they tell me two things. First, they tell me that God is a creator God and that even today he is creating new things. He never stopped his work of creation. Second, they invite me to pay attention to what is happening around me. A Christian cannot live without being aware of God’s work, because he wants our help, not in order to create new things but as witnesses and as his messengers to all the people of God. This is our vocation. If we listen attentively to his words we will help in the building of a new world of justice and peace.

About returning home

Often during the year, and especially during Lent, the Catholic Church invites us to turn from our sins through repentance and confession. Some people are afraid to approach the priest for confession. The Church understands this very human feeling, and she teaches us that we must resist the temptation of the devil if we wish to live in peace with a pure heart.

Jesus teaches us that God is a father who loves us. When a disciple asked Jesus to teach them to pray, Jesus replied: "When you pray say: Father! Hallowed be Thy name!" These words are very important because we use them to talk with our God. St. Paul said: "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name"(Eph 3, 14-15). This prayer is very beautiful because it reminds us that we are children of God and, as the Apostle Paul teaches us, we can cry, “Abba! Father!" (Rom 8, 15). Do not, therefore, be afraid of a father who is as good as our God.