Whoever has seen me has seen the Father

Listening to the Spirit

Let us prayer with the lyrics of a famous song

"Tell The World Of His Love"
(Jamie Rivera)

For God so loved the world
He gave us His only Son
Jesus Christ our Savior
His most precious one

He has sent us His message of love
And sends those who hear
To bring the message to everyone
In a voice loud and clear

Let us tell the world of His love
The greatest love the world has known
Search the world for those who have walked
Astray and lead them home

Fill the world's darkest corners
With His light from up above
Walk every step, Every mile, Every road
And tell the world, Tell the world of His love

Our Lord our savior our king
Emmanuelle prince of peace
Begotten of the Father's love
Born to set us free

Let heaven and earth sing His praises
His righteousness proclaim
Let every heart rejoice in His love
And magnify His name

Let us tell the world of His love
The greatest love the world has known
Search the world for those who have walked
Astray and lead them home

Fill the world's darkest corners
With His light from up above
Walk every step, Every mile, Every road
And tell the world, Tell the world of His love

Let us tell the world of His love
The greatest love the world has known
Search the world for those who have walked
Astray and lead them home

Tell the world of His love

Listening to the Word

John 14:1-12

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. 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? 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. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “ I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” 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’? 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. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. 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.”

Reflection

In this Gospel, Jesus tells us that we follow Him into our Father's house. He says we should not be afraid or anxious because we know whom to trust. We can trust our Father and His love. So, let us not be troubled, for our Father wants us to rejoice in eternal life. We are all mortal yet destined for eternity. Jesus invites us to trust God's plan. He does not reveal the details of our journey while still in the world, but he invites us to follow Him as our guide. We believe in Him because we know that Jesus leads us toward a beautiful place. The purpose of our journey is paradise, and the journey may become a surprising and exciting adventure.

Jesus also says "I am the way." Every step toward our final destination may become a beautiful experience of communion with God. Jesus is the way, and therefore while still journeying, we can be in communion with Him. We do not need to wait for our death to start feeling it. Even now, in every single moment of our earthly lives, we can journey with the Lord.

Then, the gospel also says, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father (Joh 14:9 NRS)." Whoever sees Jesus sees the Father. This explanation is of the utmost importance to healing the image of God that is possibly sticking in the back of our minds. It is easy to understand Jesus' love for us. His words and actions in the gospel are beautiful. He died on the cross for all of us, and so we are enchanted by his immense love. Rather, it is more difficult to feel the love of God the Father. We imagine Him as a mighty King, often upset because of our sins and eager to punish us for our wrongdoings. He looks like a terrible judge more than a merciful Father. These words of Jesus tell us to heal this image of God to start believing in the God revealed by Jesus. By saying, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father," Jesus affirms that what he says is not different from the Father's word. Jesus' works completely fulfill his Father's will. Jesus' love for us all origins from the love of the Father for all of us. In short, we need to believe that whatever we see in Jesus reveals God's infinite and unconditional love for us.

The experience of God's love is very important in our spiritual journey. I often witness the effect of this perception on people, especially when they come for confession. They approach confession in a state of sadness, confusion, and fear. But, when they realize that their sins have been forgiven and that God the Father loves them immensely despite their mistakes, they leave happy, some even in tears of joy. It is the miracle that occurs when we discover God's love.

God loves us immensely! Let us be convinced of it. And let us tell our neighbors that also they are immensely loved by our Heavenly Father.