“Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains. So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.” (JN 8: 34-36)
Our salvation and true freedom come from Him. Only Our Lord can make us truly free: “If the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.” When we go to the sacrament of penance or when we confess regularly, we come to Him to be liberated and saved.
“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him.’ Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.” (JN 8: 28-30)
Our Lord was closely connected with His Father; whatever He did, He did to show His Father’s love for us: “I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me.” They were one; they were united in the same mission. When love is present, nobody feels alone; when love is present, we “always do what is pleasing to” our beloved ones.
“The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower all who come to him will live for ever.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.” (MT 1: 20-21.24)
The Good News started when Mary and Joseph answered and did “as the angel of the Lord had commanded.” They experienced this in different ways and with different messages, but with the same love of God and connection of love—obedience. It happens to those who listen carefully, always ready to answer.
“Blessed are those who dwell in your house, O Lord; they never cease to praise you.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer will they have need to teach their friends and relatives how to know the LORD. All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.” (JER 31: 33-34)
Some of our good friends or even relatives do not know the Lord. We pray for them; we ask others to pray for them; we hope that one day they will know the Lord. Our God knows this perfectly, and He “will place His law within them and write it upon their hearts.” We should trust Him.
“Whoever serves me must follow me, says the Lord; and where I am, there also will my servant be.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, ‘Why did you not bring him?’ The guards answered, ‘Never before has anyone spoken like this man.’” (JN 7: 45-46)
We have His words in our Bible. We can open it every day and listen to Him. And His words bring us the love of His Father. When we get tired of silly talk, rumors and shallow conversations, we can always come back to His refreshing words.
“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“‘With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him.’ These were their thoughts, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, and they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.” (WIS 2: 19: 22)
When we look from this perspective to the things that happen to us—unexpected difficulties, rejection, and ignorance–we can see all of them as opportunities to express our gentleness and patience. Coca on the outside—water on the inside. Our reaction could be an inspiration for many.
“One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.’ So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.” (EX 32: 13-14)
The Desert Fathers (aka the Early Christian Monks of the Desert) used to ask God in the name of their spiritual fathers: ‘God, because of my father’s prayer, please listen to my request.’ They hid themselves and exposed their fathers. Like Moses in today’s” reading: “remember your servants Abraham, Issac and Israel…”
“God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life.” (JN 5: 37-40)
Only in Him is our eternal life. The Scriptures lead us to Him and to God’s love: “come to me to have life.” We will do everything for our loved one; the best that we can do is to bring them to Our Lord—by example and by constant prayer. When we can’t tell them about Jesus, we can tell Jesus about them. He is “the resurrection and the life.”
“I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; whoever believes in me will never die.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.” (JN 5: 28-29)
Today we also wait for the hour “in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out.” It is about us, stocked in different “tombs,” who pray to Our Lord to be relieved and healed, and who will receive “the resurrection of life.” We believe in Him.
“I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; whoever believes in me will never die.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.” (EZ 47: 8-9)
We know that it is only a symbol and promise of what we will receive from Our Lord. The water and blood from His pierced Heart, symbols of the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, are our true medicine, our life and our health.
“A clean heart create for me, O God; give me back the joy of your salvation.” (Gospel Acclamation)
