Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”

Gospel Reading John 7: 1-2, 10, 25-30

Jesus moved about within Galilee; he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him. But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near. But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret. Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, "Is he not the one they are trying to kill? And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ? But we know where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from." So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, "You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me." So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.

What does it mean to know Jesus the Christ? In today’s Gospel reading, the people of Jerusalem questioned Jesus about His origins. The people of Judea built up so much hatred that they wanted to kill him. “And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ?” Jesus tells the people that they know who he is, but they refuse to accept Him as the Christ. He tells them that they can’t know him because they have not accepted him. He comes to reveal God to the world, the God that they cannot see or touch. Jesus knows God because he is God. Jesus knows the Father because he is from the Father. He brings the message, the word forth into this world. He is the Word that became flesh. Jesus knew that He would upset the people of Jerusalem and that they would try to kill him. Even under these conditions He was willing to deliver the message of God with no fear about what would happen to him. Jesus knew that the message of God would entail suffering and sacrifice. To know Jesus the Christ is to know that we must face suffering and sacrifice. We too have to make tough decisions. Everything we do becomes a choice between God and not God. There is not one decision we will make in life that will either lead us toward or away from God. Many times fear of condemnation from others keeps us from making the right decision. The fear of being hurt or being rejected has great power over us. We must overcome these weaknesses and stay focused on God. Fear is the greatest weapon of Satan. If he causes us to fear rejection in the world, then he has won our souls. But God gave us the grace through our internal conscience to know right from wrong and the ability to know the truth and the ability to fight Satan. He also gives us the strength through His grace to chose the right decision. After Jesus delivered his message, the people of Jerusalem wanted to arrest him, but nobody could lay a hand on him. It was not “his hour” and therefore his Father protected him from the crowds. We too are saved by the sacrifice of Christ. He came to show us that when we chose him, we chose eternal life. Nobody can touch us if we chose God. It is only through Him that we have access to eternity. We must desire to know Christ because to know Christ is to know God. And to know God, to love God and to desire God is to truly want eternal life.

A Simple Prayer

Lord of heaven and Earth, open the gates of my heart.

Fill me with the hope and desire to walk with you.

Give me the strength to carry my cross no matter the cost.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon