FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (Cycle A)
Readings:
Acts 6:1-7
Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19
1 Peter 2:4-9
John 14:1-12
All Scripture passages are from the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) unless designated NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). In addition, CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The word LORD or GOD rendered in all capital letters is, in the Hebrew text, God's Divine Name, YHWH (Yahweh).
God reveals His divine plan for humanity in the two Testaments, which is why we read and relive the events of salvation history contained in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Catechism teaches that the Liturgy reveals the unfolding mystery of God's plan as we read the Old Testament in light of the New and the New Testament in light of the Old (CCC 1094-1095).
The Theme of the Readings: The Time of Fulfillment
The Greek language has two words for time: chronos,
time measured in hours or years, and kairos, time of opportunity, as in
a time/kairos for receiving God's grace = charis. For Christians, kairos
is when we experience the mysterious presence of God. This "time of grace" is a
gift of God that we must actively embrace to experience it, as when we choose
to receive the gift of God's grace in the Eucharist. Chronos time alters
us as we grow older with every day and year. Kairos is also a life-altering
time, but as we receive the gift of God's charis/grace, we experience
divine life and spiritual regeneration that leads to eternal life.
The First and Second Readings concern the establishment of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and its forward momentum in its mission to teach the Gospel of salvation to the world. The First Reading describes a time of fulfillment as the Church, in the first apostolic act of the Magisterium (St. Peter and the Apostles), appointed deacons to assist in works of mercy for the Jerusalem community.
In the Responsorial Psalm, the psalmist invites us to join in a hymn of praise to God, who created the universe. The psalmist assures us that when we place our faith and trust in God and show Him reverence, He will dispose mercy to those who seek His gracious help.
In the Second Reading, from St. Peter's Second Letter to the Universal Church, he used Old Testament symbols and Scripture references to connect the Old Testament to its fulfillment in the New Covenant in Christ Jesus. He employed imagery from several Old Testament passages that referred to a primary foundation or cornerstone. He identified the promised Messiah as a stone that was rejected and then accepted as a cornerstone or foundation stone of a new order and a New Covenant. The Church is the spiritual house built on the "cornerstone" of Jesus Christ, our eternal High Priest, and we are His "living stones" that form the structure of His Kingdom of the Church.
In the Gospel Reading from Jesus's last discourse on the night of the Last Supper, He announced that He is the only way to union with the Father in Heaven. Jesus promised His Apostles that their works would be even greater than the ones they witnessed in His ministry. He was not saying that the Apostles would be greater than Him; instead, the Apostles' power comes from Christ, and after His Ascension, He would do even greater works through them as His emissaries to the world. St. Augustine wrote that Jesus was saying, "I shall then do greater works than now; greater, by him who believes in me, than I now do by myself without him" (The Gospel of John, 72.1).
It is only through Jesus Christ that we have access to the Father. Jesus tells us what He said to Thomas, "I am the way," and to Philip, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." Jesus is God's Living Word to us. We must be open to God's Word because now is the kairos (time) to receive God's charis (grace/favor), a gift freely given, but it must be accepted and used to advance and fulfill Christ's Kingdom in the world and God's grace in our lives.
As God's anointed representatives, the Old Covenant prophets, priests, and kings of Israel/Judah were responsible for showing "the way" the people of God must follow to continue in fellowship with their LORD God. Jesus, God's New Covenant mediator, redefined "the way" in Himself. He is the only path to salvation and eternal life; for every generation, "now" is the time of fulfillment. The Church lives in the continuing "now." Today is the time of fulfillment in the mission that Jesus gave His Church to receive His spiritual gifts, to share those gifts with the world, and to show "the way" to eternal salvation. Every professing Christian must take up the challenge of contributing to that "now" in helping to fulfill the Church's continuing mission to share the Gospel message of salvation with the world through our words and actions. Today is the time of fulfillment!
The First Reading Acts 6:1-7 ~ The Appointment of
the Seven
1 At that time, as the number of disciples continued to
grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were
being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 So the Twelve called together the
community of the disciples and said, "It is not right for us to neglect the
word of God to serve [diakonein] at table. 3 Brothers, select from among you
seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint
to this task, 4 whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry
of the word. 5 The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they
chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip,
Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to
Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the Apostles, who prayed and laid hands
on them. 7 The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples
in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming
obedient to the faith. [...] = Greek term (IBGE, vol. IV, page 336).
The "Hellenists" were Greek culture Jews. There were many Hellenist widows in Jerusalem. Many Greek culture Jewish-Christian widows were probably from Roman provinces outside Judea. It was customary for Jewish men from the Diaspora to return to Jerusalem in their old age to die in the land of their ancestors. Unfortunately, they often left their surviving widows destitute. The Hellenists accused the Jewish Christians who were disbursing the food of favoring local Aramaic-speaking Jewish widows over the Greek culture Jewish widows.
2 So the Twelve called together the community of the
disciples and said, "It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve
[diakonein] at table.
Dealing with this dispute and others was a problem for the Apostles.
Administrative issues concerning the community were taking up too much of their
time. Those problems were taking them away from the most essential part of
their ministry: prayer and preaching the word of God the Son to the Jews of
Jerusalem and Judea. So they decided to ordain Spirit-filled men as deacons to
serve the community of believers so they would be free to pray and preach.
There was a division of labor within the community between the twelve Apostles and the seven deacons. The Twelve were praying, preaching the Gospel, and offering the Eucharist as the teaching and ministering authority of the Church. The mission of the seven was to assist the Twelve, especially in works of charity. However, the division of labor did not mean the deacons were not also proclaiming the Gospel, a duty of all Christians. The noun "deacon" (diakonos), which St. Paul used in Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13, is from a Greek word that means "one who serves." St. Paul advised St. Timothy on the selection of deacons, suggesting the same kind of critical examination of their character (1 Tim 3:8-10, 12-13; also see Tit 1:5-9, and CCC 1554).
5 The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so
they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip,
Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to
Judaism.
The seven men have Greek names, which is fitting since they
would assist Greek culture Christian widows who probably did not speak Aramaic.
St. Stephen became a pivotal figure in the continuing narrative in Acts of the
Apostles, as would St. Philip. The martyrdom of St. Stephen in Acts 7:59 ends
the Jerusalem section of the early Church's mission in Acts, and St. Philip began
the movement of the Church's mission into Samaria in Chapter 8.
6 They presented these men to the Apostles, who prayed
and laid hands on them.
The Apostles ordained seven men by "the laying on of hands."
The ritual act of "laying-on-of-hands" was a transfer of power/authority that
was also part of the ordination ritual for the Levitical lesser ministers (Num 8:10),
the commissioning of Joshua (Num 27:18), and the symbolic transfer of
life for atonement or consecration in the sacrificial rites (Ex 29:10). The seven
men were the Church's first deacons. The passage indicates that the diaconate was
a sacred office of apostolic origin. In about AD 107, St. Ignatius Bishop of
Antioch wrote: "Let everyone revere the deacons as Jesus Christ, the bishop as
the image of the Father, and the presbyters as the senate of God and the
assembly of the Apostles. For without them, one cannot speak of the Church" (Epistula
ad Trallianos 3.1).
The Catholic Church teaches that the degrees of priestly participation (episcopate/bishops and presbyterate/priests) and the degree of service (diaconate) are all conferred by an act of ordination that is the Sacrament of Holy Orders (see CCC 1554). For the laying-on-of-hands in the sacramental rites of the Church today, see CCC 699, 1150, 1288, 1504, 1538, 1558, and 1573.
7 The word of God continued to spread, and the number of
the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests
were becoming obedient to the faith.
Peter and the Apostles continued to teach daily at the Jerusalem
Temple. As a result, more and more Jews became part of the faithful remnant of
the old Israel transformed into the new Israel of the universal Kingdom of the
Church (CCC 877), even from among the chief priests of the Old Covenant who
became New Covenant Christians. This verse is St. Luke's fifth notice of the
growth of the Christian community in Acts
(see Acts 2:41, 47; 4:4; 5:14; 6:7).
Responsorial Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19 ~ Praising God
The response is: "Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place
our trust in you." Or "Alleluia."
1 Exult, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright
is fitting. 2 Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre
chant his praises. [...].
Response
4 Upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are
trustworthy. 5 He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the LORD the earth
is full. [...].
Response
18 See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness, 19 to deliver them from death and
preserve them in spite of famine.
Response
Palm 33 begins with an invitation to the congregation to praise the LORD (verses 1-2) and continues with why God deserves our praise (verses 4-5 and 18-19). We should praise God because of the constancy and consistency of His word and because we can trust Him to fulfill His promises. All God's works are righteous and just, and He shows the earth His compassion and mercy. Finally, the psalmist says we should praise God because His protection is over those who fear offending Him and trust in His divine providence.
The Second Reading 1 Peter 2:4-9 ~ We are a Priesthood of
Believers!
4 Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings
but chosen and precious in the sight of God, 5 and, like living stones, let
yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it says in
Scripture: "Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and
precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame." 7 Therefore,
its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith: "The stone
that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," 8 and "A stone that will
make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall." They stumble by
disobeying the word, as is their destiny. 9 You are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises" of
him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
In this passage from St. Peter's first letter to the Universal Church, he used Old Testament symbols and Scripture references. Rock or stone was a metaphor for God in the Old Testament (for example, see Dt 32:4-16, 18, 30, 31; 2 Sam 23:3; Is 26:4; 30:29; Ps 1:3; 19:15; 62:3, 7). St. Peter used the same symbolism in this passage, connecting the Old Testament to its fulfillment in the New Covenant in Christ Jesus. He combined imagery from several Old Testament passages, including Isaiah 28:16, which speaks of a primary foundation stone, and Psalm 118:22, which identifies the promised Messiah as a stone that was first rejected and then accepted as a cornerstone or foundation stone to build the Kingdom of the Church and a New Covenant.
4 Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings
but chosen and precious in the sight of God, 5 and, like living stones, let
yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
First, Peter offered allusions to God's election of Israel
as His "chosen people" in Exodus 19 at the rock of Mt. Sinai. He founded the New
Covenant holy people on another "Rock," the "living stone" that is Christ
Jesus.
Then, Peter compared both Christ and Christians to "living stones" that build up the Body of Christ, the Church. Christ is the "living stone" that was rejected by His people (Ps 118:22; Acts 4:10-12) but chosen and precious to God (c.f., Mt 3:17; 17:5; Lk 1:31-33; 9:15). Baptized believers also become "living stones" that are incorporated into Christ's Kingdom by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Baptism. The Sacrament of Baptism consecrates them to be part of a "spiritual house" that is the Church and to a "holy priesthood" serving that "house." This common priesthood unites Christ with all His members who participate in the "priesthood of believers" who offer spiritual sacrifices that become the living presence of Christ with His Church (see CCC 1141, 1179).
6 For it says in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying a stone
in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not
be put to shame." 7 Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for
those without faith: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone...."
St. Peter supported his theme of Christ's acceptance and
rejection with quotes from Old Testament passages. In verse 6, he quoted Isaiah 28:16 from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) but adapted it to his message. Through
His death and resurrection, Christ became the "cornerstone" of God's people, a stone
both precious and chosen and those who believe in Christ will "not be put to
shame" (verse 6) or disgraced. However, Peter wrote that the value of Christ is
only for those who have faith. In verse 7, he wrote: Therefore, its value is
for you who have faith (verse 7A).
But, for those without faith, he quoted Psalm 118:22 LXX
(verse 7): "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone ..."
The theme of acceptance and rejection continued in the next
two verses, which are quotes and allusions from Psalm 118:22 LXX in verse 7,
Isaiah 8:14 in verse 8, and allusions to Exodus 19:5-6, and Isaiah 43:19-21 in
verses 9-10. "The stone that the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone" is a quote from Psalm 118:22 and is the same passage Jesus
applied to Himself (Mt 21:42; Mk 12:10; Lk 20:17) and which Peter quoted to the
Jewish Sanhedrin at his trial. He identified Jesus as the "cornerstone" and
defiantly told the Jewish leaders that they were "the builders" who rejected
Christ, the "cornerstone" and Messiah.
8 and "A stone that will make people stumble, and a rock
that will make them fall." They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their
destiny. 9 You are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
of his own, so that you may announce the praises" of him who called you out of
darkness into his wonderful light.
Verse 8 is an allusion to Isaiah 8:14. Verse 9 recalls Israel's
divine commissioning as God's chosen people, a royal priesthood, and a holy
nation at Mt. Sinai from Exodus 19:5-6 and the promised "something new" in the
prophecy of a "chosen people" from Isaiah 43:19-21. When the Jews (the "builders"
of the Old Covenant) rejected Jesus and His Gospel of salvation, they "stumbled"
and lost their prerogatives that were then transferred to the Christians of the
"new Israel" (CCC 877). Christians are anointed through the Sacrament of Baptism
by the Holy Spirit to a "royal priesthood" (see Ex 19:6) to serve and worship
God in Christ, continuing the priestly functions of His life and His mission. Christians
are a "holy nation," chosen by God as His possession (Ex 19:6; Mal 3:17) in
virtue of Christian Baptism into Jesus' death and resurrection. The titles in
verse 9 identify the unity of the Church's relationship with God and its
responsibility in the world. God has called us out of the "darkness" of sin
into the "light" of Christ (Jn 1:9; 9:12). It is a message of "light" that He
calls us to share with the world.
The Gospel of John 14:1-12 ~ Jesus is the Way, the Truth,
and the Life
Jesus said to his disciples: 1 "Do not let your hearts be
troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. 2 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? 3 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. 4 Where I am going, you know the way." 5 Thomas said to
him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" 6 Jesus
said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me. 7 If you know me, then you will also know my
Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said to him,
"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." 9 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'? 10 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. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the
Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. 12 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."
This passage is from Jesus's last discourse to His disciples in the Upper Room on the night of the Last Supper, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Jesus told His disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me." In Hebrew, the word for faith comes from the root 'mn and has the concept of firmness. In the Hebrew understanding, then, to have faith is to participate in God's firmness. Jesus was telling the disciples to have that same "firmness" of faith in Him that they had in God the Father.
2 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?
The Greek word for "places to live" or "dwelling places" is mone
and can refer to a night stop or resting place for a traveler on a journey. In
his Latin translation, St. Jerome used the word mansio, meaning halting
place. Therefore, the most likely meaning Jesus was using in this passage was
that in Heaven, there is a prepared final resting place for the disciples and all
believers in Him when they come to the end of their faith journey.
3 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. 4 Where
I am going, you know the way."
These words are not only addressed to those in the Upper
Room but also to all faithful believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and
Redeemer-Messiah in every generation and every age. There is a double meaning
in Jesus's use of the word "return." He was speaking of His Second Advent or Parousia
at the end of the world as we know it (see 1 Cor 4:5; 11:25; 1 Thes 4:16-17;
1 Jn 2:28). However, He was also referring to His greeting to each soul at the
end of their journey of life on earth. In John 13:33c, Jesus told the disciples
that where He was going, they could not come. Peter responded to that statement
by asking in verse 36: "Master, where are you going?" to which Jesus
replied: "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow
later." In John 14:1-12, Jesus provided more information about what they would
find when they could follow Him.
5 Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you
are going; how can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I AM the way
and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If
you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and
have seen him."
Thomas was perplexed, just as the other disciples must have
been confused. He asked for clarification by picking up the challenge of the
preceding verse, and Jesus responded by telling him that He is Himself the Way
to the Father. Verse 6 is the sixth use of "I AM" with a predicate nominative in
St. John's Gospel (also see 6:35; 8:12; 10:7; 10:11; 11:25). The use of I AM is
a reference to the divine name YHWH, "Yahweh" (Ex 3:14). Every time Jesus used
this expression, He was stating His divinity and His oneness with God the Father.
Jesus also expressed His oneness and unity of will with the Father in the
three-fold expression of His identity as "the Way, and the Truth, and the
Life." In His statement, Jesus effectively summed up His entire Messianic
mission as the promised Messiah, fulfilling His mission to the Covenant people
as God's holy anointed Prophet, Priest, and King (CCC 436, 1547).
Jesus is the Way to the Father. As God's anointed representatives, the Old Covenant prophets, priests, and kings of Israel/Judah were responsible for showing "the way" the people of the Covenant must follow to continue in communion with Yahweh. Now, Jesus redefined "the Way." There are five ways in which Jesus is "the Way" to the Father:
The destination of "the Way" is eternal life with the Father. This "life" is a gift the Father has given to the Son (Jn 5:26), and the Son alone can give it to those who believe in Him (Jn 10:28). Jesus's gift of the return of natural life to Lazarus was a sign of the eternal reality behind Jesus's claim to be the resurrection and the life (Jn 11:25-26).
No one comes to the Father except through me.
In this statement, Jesus affirmed that no other path linking
Heaven and earth exists. Therefore, he is the only means of salvation
(Acts 4:12). Reflecting on this passage from John 14:6, St. Josemaria Escriva
wrote: "Jesus is the way. Behind him on this earth of ours, he has left the
clear outlines of his footprints. They are indelible signs which neither the
erosion of time nor the treachery of the evil one have been able to erase" (Friends
of God, page 127). What we must do to know "the Way" is to
faithfully follow those footprints.
St. Peter would affirm this truth in his address to the Jewish High Priest and the Sanhedrin in Acts 2:11-12, referencing Psalms 118:22 when he said, "This is the stone which you the builders, rejected but which has become the cornerstone. Only in him is there salvation; for of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved" (bold added for emphasis). God would never condemn those ignorant of Christ's gift of salvation to an eternity of damnation. Those who never had a chance to hear the Gospel of salvation would be saved by righteously living the natural law in obedience to the dictates of their conscience, which calls all men to a life of justice and mercy (see Rom 1:16-32, 2:14-16 and CCC# 847-48). Even those souls could merit eternal salvation through the redeeming work of Christ the Savior.
Is it fair of God to demand this exclusivity by making Jesus the only means to salvation and for the Catholic Church to declare, "Outside the Church there is no salvation"? See CCC page 224, at the end of CCC 845. While it is true that in this teaching, Christianity is indeed, in a sense, exclusive since it denies that other religious leaders like Buddha or Mohammed can provide a means of salvation. Christianity does not accept the premise of ecumenism that "on the mountaintop, all paths meet." According to the teachings of the New Testament and the Catholic Church, while other religions can provide sound teaching on moral living and a sincere search for God, only Jesus's path offers eternal salvation. This exclusiveness is, however, mitigated by several factors:
The "Way" of Jesus is God's one true path. God has declared it as such. Therefore, we should not complain about exclusivity and attempt to "play God" by suggesting alternatives to God's one plan to provide a remedy for sin and salvation. Instead, we should be grateful to the Most Holy Trinity for providing a way out of the sinful condition that is the inheritance from Adam of every human being. The "Way" is the New Covenant of Peace Yahweh promised in Jeremiah 31:31 and Ezekiel 37:24-26. Before the believers adopted the title "Christian" at the Church of Antioch in the first century AD, believers referred to the New Covenant Church of Jesus Christ as "the Way." The title "The Way" appears for the New Covenant Church seven times in Acts of Apostles (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, and 22).
Jesus is the Truth who calls us to truth. The Old Testament states that God is the source of all truth (see Ps 119:142; Pro 8:7; 2 Sam 8:7; etc.). In Jesus, the Messiah, the complete truth of God has been made manifest to humankind. In the Sacrament of Confirmation, professing Christians vow to "live in truth" in the sincerity and simplicity of a life that conforms to Jesus' life. St John wrote: If we say that we share in God's life while we are living in darkness, we are lying because we are not living the truth. But if we live in light, as he is in light, we have a share in one another's life, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:6-7). Also, see CCC# 2465-70
Jesus is the Life because only through Him do we have the promise of a rebirth into the family of God through our Baptism and the gift of eternal life at the end of our journey to salvation (John chapter 3:1-21). St. Augustine wrote that in this passage, it is as though Jesus was asking each of us: "By which route do you want to go? I am the Way. To where do you want to go? I am the Truth. Where do you want to remain? I am the Life. Every man can attain an understanding of the Truth and the Life, but not all find the Way. The wise of this world realize that God is eternal life and knowable truth; but the Word of God, who is Truth and Life joined to the Father, has become the Way by taking a human nature. Make your way contemplating his humility, and you will reach God" (De verbis Domini sermones, 54 as quoted from the Navarra Commentary: Gospel of St. John, page 185).
In verse 7, Jesus told the disciples: "If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him" (underlining added). "To know," yada in Hebrew, is covenant language. The Old Testament uses this word for Israel's acknowledgment of Yahweh as her sole God and King and of Israel in her covenant relationship as His Bride. God promised through His prophet Jeremiah "I will give them a heart to know me" (Jer 24:7; also see Ex 29:46; 33:13; Dt 7:9; Jer 24:7; 31:34; Hos 13:14; Zec 2:9, 11; 4:9; etc.). This theme in Jesus's last discourse reflects the significant covenant atmosphere of the Last Supper and makes true knowledge of Yahweh part of the New and Eternal Covenant. Jesus insisted that they must know Him even as Old Covenant Israel knew Yahweh. However, from now on in the New Covenant, it is Jesus who would be acknowledged by New Covenant believers as "My Lord and my God" (see John 20:28). Jesus was beginning to reveal a profound mystery to the disciples concerning His relationship to God the Father, a mystery at this point that they could not comprehend: the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity.
8 Philip said to him, "Master, show us the Father, and
that will be enough for us."
The disciples could understand Jesus's oneness with the
Father, and this confusion caused Philip to press the issue and ask for a sign
that what Jesus said was true.
9 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'? 10 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. 11 Believe me
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of
the works themselves.
Jesus rebuked Philip. He had already shown Philip "works" that
should be evidence enough for him to believe that Jesus and the Father are One.
Some of Jesus's supernatural miracles included:
Only God can control nature and give life. Jesus chastised Philip for not recognizing His divine condition through these signs, even though He had the nature and physical appearance of a man.
12 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."
Jesus promised His Apostles that their works would be even
greater than the ones they have witnessed in His ministry. It was not that the
Apostles would be greater than Jesus. Instead, the Apostles' power came from
Christ, and after His Ascension, He would do even greater works through them as
His emissaries to the world. St. Augustine wrote that Jesus was saying, "I shall
then do greater works than now; greater, by him who believes in me, than I now
do by myself without him" (The Gospel of John, 72.1).
Only through Jesus Christ do we have access to the Father. Jesus tells us what He said to Thomas, "I am the Way," and to Philip, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." Jesus is God's Living Word to us. We must be open to God's Word because now is the kairos (time) to receive God's charis (grace/favor); it is a gift freely given, but it must be accepted and used to advance and fulfill Christ's Kingdom in the world and God's grace in our lives.
Catechism References (* indicates Scripture quoted or
paraphrased in the citation):
Acts 6:6 (CCC 2632*);
6:7 (CCC 595)
1 Peter 2:4-5 (CCC 1141*, 1179*); 2:4 (CCC 552); 2:5 (CCC 756*, 901, 1268, 1330*, 1546*)
John 14:1 (CCC 151); 14:2-3 (CCC 2795*); 14:2 (CCC 661); 14:3 (CCC 1025*); 14:6 (CCC 74*, 459, 1698, 2466*, 2614); 14:9-10 (CCC 470*); 14:10 (CCC 516)
Christ's prayer at the Last Supper (CCC 2746*, 2747*, 2748*, 2749*, 2750*, 2751*)
Christ opens for us the way to Heaven (CCC 661*, 1025*, 1026, 2795*)
Believing in Jesus (CCC 151, 1698*, 2466*, 2614*)
The order of deacons (CCC 1569, 1570*, 1571)
"A chosen race, a royal priesthood" (CCC 782*, 803*, 1141*, 1174, 1269*, 1322)
Michal E Hunt, Copyright © 2014; revised 2023 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.