“RISEN WITH CHRIST”
Easter Reflections
Sunday, 14th May 2017.
Fifth Week of Easter
Acts 6: 1-7;
Ps 32: 1-5, 18-19;
1 Pet 2: 4-9;
Jn 14: 1-12.
I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.
Are you saved? “Yes” we are saved in three ways: We are saved by grace through Baptism, We continue to be saved by God’s grace and mercy as we freely choose to follow Him, and we hope to be saved in your final hour so as to enter the glories of Heaven.
How is it that we receive the precious gift of salvation? Through the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ our one and only Way to the Father. There is no other way we obtain salvation than through Jesus. Thus Jesus Christ alone must thus be the central focus of our lives and we must see Him as the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the only Way to Heaven, He is the fullness of the Truth we must believe, and He is the Life that we are called to live and is the source of this new life of Grace. Without Him we are nothing, but with Him you obtain the life of perfect fulfillment.
In the Second Reading, Peter likens the church to a spiritual building whose builder is God and whose living stones are people. The construction began with a solid rock as foundation for the whole building: Christ on whom God has also placed other stones, those who believed in him. United to Jesus, they form a new, stunning temple.
The gospel presents Jesus as the guide in life, as the ‘Way, Truth and Life’. A Christian’s centre is the person of Christ. Our work for Jesus and our love for people, no matter what our calling in life, flow from this. Mother Teresa was once asked why she did what she did, and she simply said ‘for Jesus’. This centre always holds, it cannot be unhinged. It is a deeply personal relationship. Studying his life and times, getting to know the places and events of his life, becoming familiar with the gospels and getting to know him in the heart in prayer is the way of keeping our centre of conviction and motivation strong. As this happens freedom grows and we begin to find him everywhere. So Choose Him in a very personal and concrete way this day as your Lord and Savior. Humbly admit that you are nothing without Him and let Him into your life so that He can offer you to His loving Father in Heaven.
Prayer: My Lord and my Savior, I accept You into my life as my Lord and Savior. I thank You for the gift of Baptism which began my life of grace and I renew my choice to follow You, this day, so that You may enter more fully into my life. May all my actions be directed by You so that I may be an eternal offering with You, dear Jesus. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.
