Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.”

Gospel Reading John 8:51-59

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.

We are but one week away from the beginning of the Holy Triduum. Lent is a long journey through an inward reflection of our faith. You may have fallen on the path when it got rough or even stumbled on the stones that were obstructing your way, but hopefully you never lost site of the goal – Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The Lenten Journey is like a 12 hour car ride. When you start out in the morning, you’re refreshed and excited about the trip. As you start down the road, the trip becomes monotonous and you start asking the question, “Are we there yet?” or “How much further until we get there?” Then, just when all hope seems to be fading, you get a glimpse of your destination. You become revitalized. You’re refocused on getting to your target. The same feelings can happen during Lent. Sometimes we get weary on our journey or we get tempted to divert from our path. But if we keep focused on the path, we will get to our destination. Take today to reflect back on your Lenten commitment and renew your vows before Holy Week begins.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Jews, “Whoever keeps my word will never see death.” Our path is the Word. Believing in the Word will take us to the cross, through the cross and into the resurrection of new life. “You do not know him, but I know him.” To know him, we need to complete our journey, we need to make it to the resurrection. The journey is not easy, but it is worth the effort. “Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” We too will be able to rejoice in the Word of the risen Jesus. We will celebrate the Easter of our redemption. God made a promise or covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:3-9). He promised to be his God and the God of his descendants. He gave Abraham the land of Canaan . But God said to Abraham, “You and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”

We are called to keep the Word, to live the Word to fulfill our journey to Jesus the Christ. Jesus is the life giving Word that will set us free from the bondage of Sin. We are called to share the Word at the last supper, to rejoice in the crucifixion and celebrate the resurrection. “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to myself.” (John 12:32) After we betrayed Jesus, after we scourged him for our sins, after we drove nails through his hands and feet, after we hung him on the cross in his full nakedness, after we crowned him with thorns to strip him of his dignity and after we ran a sword into his side so his blood would be spilled on the earth, he asked God to have mercy on us for we know not what we do. Through his resurrection, we are drawn to believe in him and his glory. In his resurrection he has defeated our sin; he has freed us from the bonds of slavery. We now know the true mercy of our Father. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

A Simple Prayer

Come Holy Spirit, fill my soul with the Word of God.

May the fire in my soul lead others to your Word.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon