Friars Corner: Jesus leads us to abundant life now and forever

Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR

Acts 6:1-7; Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19; 1 Peter 2:4-9; John 14:1-12

One of the easiest ways to understand our Scriptures is to pray to the Holy Spirit asking him to activate the gift of understanding that we were all given at our baptism and the added gift of understanding from our Confirmation. As we read the scriptures reflectively the Holy Spirit turns the “lights on in our brain.” Then we begin to glow brightly. It really is amazing.

Most of us as adults realize that we are longing for happiness in life. God created us that way and only he can ultimately fill our desires. In John 10:10 last week, said Jesus said he had come to bring us abundant life. Jesus told us he was our shepherd leader and the gate to lead his sheep in and out to good pastures. His sheep know and hear his voice and follow him.

John 10:11-19, which we didn’t read last week, was further thoughts of Jesus as our Good Shepherd. He did lay down his life to invite us into his Church and take away our sins, which he continues to do for us. Then Jesus said two amazing things. “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must lead them, too, and they shall hear My voice. (At the end, probably of the world,) there shall be one flock then, one shepherd.”

This weekend, I want to say something about St. Peter’s sermon, after they were set on fire Pentecost Sunday. Read 1 Peter 2:4 and the following carefully. Jesus is the cornerstone of his church and we are “living stones,” that the Holy Spirit is building into a spiritual house to be “a royal priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

The Way

Today’s gospel of St. John 14:1-12, is explosive and exciting about heaven. Jesus said he was going to leave earth. “In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places, homes. …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,” our personal death. Thomas asked Jesus how they were to know the way since they did not know where he was going. Jesus gave another one of his famous “I AM” statements. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and new Life.” This is another reference to Jesus as the shepherd, the gate and the path for his sheep. Isn’t that amazing. We need to think more on this.

This passage goes on to hear Jesus say he and his Father are one. And these two desire us to be incorporated more in them. As we see and hear Jesus we see and hear his Father also. We shall look at the Holy Spirit in the coming weeks as we approach Pentecost.

Final instructions

Chapters 14 to 18 of John’s gospel are Jesus final instructions at the Last Supper without the words of consecration. St. John taught us about Jesus, our bread come down from heaven in chapter 6. Five times Jesus said we must eat his body and drink his blood. Then it sounded like cannibalism but he did not explain then and many left him. Now we know that teaching refers to Jesus’ words of consecration at Mass all over the world every day except Good Friday. I find all these treasures we have as members of Jesus’ flock exciting and challenging, not for the faint hearted.

Come and go with us, to our Father’s house, where there is joy and some suffering yet we are following Jesus and he is always with us. Amen! Have a wonderful week, knowing as we follow Jesus, that he already has our house ready for us in heaven.

As we grow we discover that there are only two types of humans on earth, male and female genders. We are alike in many ways but complimentary for creating life in different ways. Our bodies are slightly different and our brains are definitely wired differently to fulfill the tasks God has created us for.

Today our country celebrated Mother’s Day. My mother left to meet Jesus and I wouldn’t selfishly want her back. I remember all the wonderful and amazing things she did to care for us. I think of mothers as the industrial engineers of a family, all the many things to make a family work. To all the mothers reading this, we thank you.

We wish you a great day and pray for a wonderful and blessings for your Mother’s Day.
Peace and joy,

+ Fr. Bob Hilz
(© 2017 Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR)