Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
Saint John’s Gospel maintains an extraordinarily sharp focus on Jesus and his mission. This sixth chapter of the Gospel reflects on the Eucharist, the “bread that I will give you,” and in this passage Jesus tells us, “I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me.”
A child might ask of her mother, “Do you love me or Daddy more?” It’s not really an appropriate question for a child and the mother might struggle to respond honestly. The child is born of her parents’ love for each other; she is an “incarnation” of their faithful, intense, passionate bond of mutual affection and obedience. She is God’s gift to the married couple. Comparing the mother’s love of her daughter to that of her husband is like comparing apples and oranges.
But the daughter will have to understand that her parents have taken vows of obedience to one another. They will be married long after the daughter has stepped out on her own, beyond childhood and their authority. Despite all her expectation and their manifest devotion to her, she will never be the center of her mother’s life.
Jesus loves us but his obedience is to God His Father. He does not save us because he wants to; he is not driven by his own desires or preferences. Everything he does is done in loving, willing, eager and enthusiastic obedience to his Father.
I am a chaplain in the VA hospital. I get paid by the federal government but my mission is to the Veterans, especially the Catholic Veterans. I try to be conscientious in my duty to the government, and I am certainly available to all the patients, their families and the staff -- but I hope I am driven by God’s passion for his people. I assume that’s why the government hired me.
It is too easy to lose sight of the reason why we do good works. If we do them for anything less than the love of God they will be misdirected; and they will not represent our best efforts. An employee can work for money or the love of God. A parent can protect her daughter because she feels a jealous ownership of the child, or because God has appointed her as guide and protector of this vulnerable young person. A husband can love his wife out of jealous lust or in obedience to the Lord who made them to be one flesh.
During this Easter season, as we see Jesus crucified and raised up, as we share the Bread of Life which he gives us, we should understand we have been invited and gathered and swept into the cyclonic love generated between the Father and the Son, a tempest which we call Holy Spirit. 
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.