Vamshi Eedara csc –
Readings: Is 49: 8-15; Jn 5: 17-30
Today’s gospel reading invites each one of us to have faith in God. The gospel reading gives us the idea of how close Jesus is to his Father. Their bond is limitless. Their love is eternal. Jesus’ life is not of himself alone, as he said, his life is of his Father. Therefore, we can understand why Jesus was so convinced and certain about his mission and his future. He carried all through his life the mission entrusted to him by the father for he knew exactly that he will be taken care of.
In the gospel passage we see that the Jews looked at life within the limited framework of the law and their religious tradition. Jesus leads them beyond and speaks to them about resurrection, judgment, and eternal life. The requirement he mentions for such a broader outlook is faith, which in turn will lead them to believe in life after death.
For our faith as Catholics, we are guaranteed that once we are united with the Father, nothing can harm us. We might go through some of the struggles, persecution and danger but we are assured that in the end the Father’s love will remain with us and bring victory to our life. This should be our faith, and this is our mission on this earth. As we believe in the power of the father’s love for us, we are commissioned therefore to help others believe what we believe. People, through our preaching and evangelization, may be transformed in their lives and believe in God.