Jesus’ love for his Father completely permeates the gospel reading today. Every word, every sentence is filled with his love for His Father. You can feel the oneness of their relationship in the words of the gospel. The essence of the Trinity has completely manifested itself in these words. They are beautiful. Both of the readings for mass today are beautiful. Both of the readings for mass can be summed up in one word: Love. God’s love for His son, Jesus’ love for his Father and both of their love for us, which is manifested through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has enlivened these words in scripture until they have become living words, with a life all their own.
If we return to the first reading for mass today, from the book of the prophet Isaiah, the words we find there expresses God’s love for His people very beautifully. He says that in the time of favor he will answer us and help us. God has compassion on those who live in the darkest dungeons of their own sins. He wants to free them and bring them His light and His love. God sounds so protective of us in this reading, especially when He says:
“They shall not hunger or thirst, nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them. For he who pities them leads them and guides them beside springs of water …. the Lord comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted …. Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.” ~ Is 49:8-15
We are held, and loved, and are secure in our Father’s care. His love for us is just so evident in today’s first reading for mass. This sense of peace, security and love should remain with us the entire day today. We are joined with our Father, through the Holy Spirit in everything we do and in all the places and circumstances we find ourselves in today.
We also carry Jesus inside of us. May we truly realize this and come to know this peace, a deep seated sense of peace that nothing in this world can shake. You can feel the same in Jesus’ words in the gospel today. This sense of certainty and peace. This is how we recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit is through this sense of certainty and peace. The devil stirs things up, but the Holy Spirit calms everything down.
Jesus and his Father are so intertwined that Christ said he does not act on his own, but only does what he sees his Father do. That’s the thing about real love, it does not want to offend the one it loves. You work toward unity when you genuinely love someone. However, Jesus did not do so with the Pharisees today. He provoked them even more than before, by saying that his Father was at work, so he was also at work (on a sabbath). Even though he explained the truth to them, it sounded a lot like blasphemy making himself equal to God.
His words sing with a life all their own though:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life.” ~ Jn 5:24
There are no better words that we could reflect on today, than these. It is a good thing to remember the rest of the day, and be at peace. We all seek a deep seated sense of peace, the kind that only Jesus Christ can give us. Nothing in this world can ever satisfy this longing we have for God, for love, for unity with our creator and with one another, but God himself and through His son Jesus Christ. He is our best friend, our brother, the surest guide for our lives and may we never be separated from him in our earthly lives, so that we may one day rejoice with him in our eternal home.
Daily Mass Readings:
Isaiah 49: 8-15 / Psalm 145: 8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18 / John 5: 17-30
