Fifth Sunday of Easter (A)

May 10, 2020

Readings:

First Reading: Acts 6: 1-7

Psalm 33 “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”

Second Reading: 1 Peter 2: 4-9

Gospel reading according to John 14: 1-12

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Homily: In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.

We have to believe to Jesus, in his sayings and in his promises, and above all trust him at all times.  Jesus is about to leave his disciples, us, and he will be going back to where he came from, to his Father in Heaven, the Source of all things.  “Jesus said to his disciples, ‵Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You have faith in God; have also faith in me′.” (John 14: 1).  Jesus said in his last farewell to his disciples, he is going back to his Father, and our Father, who sent him to bring the good news to all His creatures – the salvation of all, through his passion, death on the cross and resurrection. He encouraged them to have faith and trust in him as they put their trust in the Lord, God Almighty.  They have to believe in him that he will not leave them totally orphans but with God who is always near them/us.

His promises are true.  He will go back to his Father’s house and there are many places to dwell.   “‵In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.  If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you′?” (John 14: 2).  He cannot tell a lie for he came there and he knew very well his Father’s house and dwelling places.  “‵And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be′.” (John 14: 3).  He has to go so he can prepare a place to dwell of his disciples, otherwise he was telling a lie and there is no really place available to dwell in there.  His leaving fulfills what he promised.  And when everything is ready and prepared, he will go back again to take his disciples to himself, for where he is there also his disciples.

But the way of going back to the Father is cumbersome (masalimuot); Jesus must passed through the narrow gate and the pain and suffering of the cross.  He must passed through Jerusalem to experience passion, crucifixion and death in the hands of his adversaries, and on the third day be resurrected. “‵Where I am going you know the way′.” (John 14: 4).  That is the only way.  Jesus told his disciples the way to the Father through carrying of one′s cross.  He told his disciples many times the life that will happen to him in the near future and that he will endure hardships in the hands of the chief priests and elders.  This is the only way to go back to the Father, to be crucified, experience hardship of life, and die on the cross.

Thomas, who doubted the resurrection of Jesus until it was shown to him by Jesus his wounds on his hands, side and feet, that’s the only time he believed in the risen Lord, asked Jesus the way to follow him.  “Thomas said to him, ‵Master we do not know where are you going; how can we know the way′?” (John 14: 5). Thomas wanted to know the way where Jesus was going, and in what way they can follow him.  “Jesus said to him, ‵I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me′.” (John 14: 6).  When Jesus said that he is “the way,” he meant that he is the model, the pattern, and the exemplar to be followed.  We have to imitate his way of life.  There was no lies found in him, when he said that he is “the truth.”  What he said were all true.  And he offered his life to many, so that many will have life, life to the full, when he said that he is “the life,” his life we follow.  When we imitate and emulate him as our way, truth and life, we can come to the Father.  Jesus leads us to the Father through his way, his truth and his life as our example and pattern to follow.  To live like Jesus in his way, truth and life, God the Father recognizes us as His children, for we obey Him in the manner of Jesus His beloved Son who totally surrendered himself to Him.

By following his examples, and making him as our model and pattern of our lives through his way, his truth and through his life, we can know him and by knowing him we can also know the Father as well.  “‵If you know me, then you will also know my Father.  From now on you do know him and have seen him′.” (John 14: 7).  In living the life he lived, little by little, we will find him as who he truly is.  In Jesus’s way, truth and life we can see also God in himself, for he and the Father are one.  God the Father lives in him and him in God.  So we too when we live in God the Father He lives also in us.

Philip was very interested to see God, the Almighty Father, in his physical appearance.  When he heard Jesus saying that they will know God and they have seen Him, Philip asked Jesus to show to them the Lord God.   “Philip said to him, ‵Master, show to us the Father, and that will be enough for us′.” (John 14: 8).  To see God in his physical appearance was the longing of all creatures since God became far from us after the fall of Adam and Eve.  All of us long to see our Creator.  So, too, Philip.  He wanted to see God in his physical appearance and that is enough for him, and even for us.

Jesus was amazed when Philip said this to hm.  He cannot believe about the request of Philip to show to them God the Fatter whom always and everywhere was with them.  “Jesus said to him, ‵Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?  Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.  How can you say, Show us the Father′?” (John 14: 9).  Everyday God accompanies them through Jesus Christ.  So long a time they did not recognize God in Jesus.  What they saw and heard was Jesus and not God, the compassionate, merciful, forgiving, giver of everything and of love.  Philip saw Jesus as he was – an ordinary man like them with extraordinary power, wisdom and open heart to all sinners, but not with God the Father.  So Jesus told him that God was with him, since the beginning of time. He who saw Jesus, saw also the Lord God. Jesus was and is with the Father and the Father was and is in him.  “‵Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.  The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.  The Father who dwells in me is doing his works′.” (John 14: 10).  God and Jesus are one, for he is in the Father and the Father is in him.  The proof that he is in the Father is the words he has spoken.  When he speaks, he speaks on behalf of the Father.  He does not speak on his own behalf.  Another proof that the Father is in Jesus is the works he do. “‵Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves′.” (John 14: 11).  The works he did, the healing of the sick, giving sight to the blind, lame walked, lepers were cleansed, dead raised up to life, fed thousands of men and women with five loaves of bread and two fish, forgiving sinners, taking care of the sheep like a good shepherd, and many other good deeds he performed in the name of God the Father.  “‵Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father′.” (John 14: 12).  Before leaving his disciples, he guaranteed them that what he did, they too can do and most probably many and greater than he did, for he is going back to his Father, where the sources of all good things come.  We can do what he did and spoken, in the same way, truth and life he underwent with the help of God the loving Father, with the knowledge and wisdom of the Holy Spirit and with the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ.