Thursday of the Fifth Week

Reflection

The Gospel for today has Jesus telling a group of Jews that “...whoever keeps My word will never see death.” The Jews cannot grasp that promise and tell Him that “now we are sure that you are possessed.” They reply that everyone—even Abraham—has died, so “who do you make yourself out to be?” He says, “It is my Father who glorifies me...before Abraham came to be, I am.” Jesus seems to be claiming both pre-existence and to be at one with God. This is an amazing—and heretical—claim for the Jews to hear. Confused and angry “…they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.”  This seems to be a foreshadowing of the mortal danger that Jesus is in as the Jews in the Gospel are angered by His claims of divine identity.

The divine identity of Jesus, of course, is at the heart of the New Testament. His relationship to Abraham and God the Father was an extraordinary claim then, as it is now. Jesus belongs to a higher world that is beyond the borders of death. His assurance that if we keep His word we will never see death is a promise that we Christians take as a cornerstone of our faith.

The mystery of Jesus and the promise of eternal life are beyond the full understanding of mere mortals such as us. Yet God sends us encouragement and glimmers of what is beyond this earth.

Prayer

Flawed and finite human that I am, I find myself on the edge of what I can grasp of the great eternal.  Jesus, fill me with the Holy Spirit that I might more simply accept the glorious mystery of You and Your promise that if we just keep Your word, we may one day join You in glorious eternal life.

Vince Bolduc, Professor of Sociology

Scripture

First Reading: Genesis 17:3-9
Psalm 105:4-9
Gospel: John 8:51-59

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website