Have Faith and Believe in the Truth
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." Jn 10:31-42
In the beginning of this Gospel passage, Jesus is being threatened by his adversaries, they are accusing Jesus of blasphemy and threaten to stone and arrest Him. Jesus is trying to reason with them, that He is carrying out the will of His Father, that He teaches in the name of His Father and that He is “the Son of God”. They still do not believe Him.
As my first full year teaching comes to an end, I can look back on the last six or seven months and identify times in my life and find myself “doubting” and questioning whether I am doing His will. I often self criticize to a point that I lose perspective of what the Truth in my life really is. Juggling teaching and family can obfuscate and sometimes frustrate the purpose of my spiritual journey. This reading directs me to center my focus and continue to re-evaluate my prayer life as well as connect it to my days here on my new journey with you all at Jesuit. Jesus’ resiliency and belief in the people that so doubted him and his purpose calls me to firmly grasp the Truth that is His presence in my life, regardless of what each day brings.
This Lent, I am reminded that I have an opportunity to let past challenges and obstacles go through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The image of those threatening to stone Jesus is compelling and it demonstrates Jesus’ unconditional willingness to forgive us. He is always calling us to seek Him in our darkest moments. This reflection brings to mind the famous poem called “Footprints”. My doubts, struggles and all darkness is carried away when we see just one set of footprints in the sand, as the Lord reassures the man, “when you see only one set of footprints, it was then I carried you.”
Author: Conall Flanagan, Social Studies
Thank you for sharing!
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