The Word

Jesus cried out and said,
“Whoever believes in me believes not only in me
but also in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
I came into the world as light,
so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,
I do not condemn him,
for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.
Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words
has something to judge him: the word that I spoke,
it will condemn him on the last day,
because I did not speak on my own,
but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.
And I know that his commandment is eternal life.
So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”
John 12:44-50 (NAB)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father we often forget this truth at least part of it. We remember that Jesus comes to save lives, and the rest of what he says we soon toss aside. No matter what we do at the end we will be judged for it all. Many of us forget this and go about our day and say things that we shouldn't. Jesus asks us to believe in him and when we do we see the one who sent Him. That is beautiful in itself. Look how often our belief in family and friends, don't we see in their faces the joy in their heart for us because we believe in them. It's not just that either, when we are closed we don't see the way we should. When we are angry or just not as faithfilled as we should be what do we see when we look at another human being. Do we see the similarities of their parents in them as we look at them or are we blind by our self-centered ways. Jesus says when we believe in Him we will see the Father in Him because they are one. That's not hard to believe either. But the best part is believing in his presence in the Eucharist where we will always see him on a daily basis in the flesh and blood of the Mass.