Jesus said to the disciples: “I have revealed your name to the people you gave me out of the world. They were yours and you gave them to me and they kept your word. Now they knew that everything you gave me was from you, because the words you gave me, I gave them. And they received them and truly recognized that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me” (Jn 17, 6-8).

Clinging to Jesus leads to a knowledge of the Father that surpasses words. Illustration image: unsplash.com/Marc Olivier Jodoin
Last time we thought about our Father’s house, how we should imagine it and what it means to us. But who is our Father? We certainly do not imagine him as an old man with a long gray beard that we saw in pious pictures as children. So who is the Father whom Jesus reveals to us? Who is it actually telling us about? What is his name?

THE REVELATION OF THE FATHER

The name in the biblical meaning means the essential center of the person, our essence, or according to tradition, the heart. The revelation of God’s name is the revelation of his presence to us. God surpasses our ability to express him in words, because he is not a figure, an object that we can grasp and imagine with our mind and senses.
That is why the apostle Philip was very surprised when, to the request he made to Jesus: “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough”, he received a rebuke rather than an answer: “Philip, I have been with you for so long, and you do not know me?!” Whoever sees me sees the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?!’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me?” (Jn 14, 8-10).The revelation of the Father by Jesus is not the revelation of his appearance, but the revelation of his life. When God appears to Moses, he pronounces his name – “I am that I am” (Ex 3, 14). What is the difference between this Old Testament name and what Jesus reveals to us? “I am that I am” was an expression of the eternal being of God, who is the fullness of all, and at the same time expressed his presence on the way of the wandering people.

THE PRESENCE OF GOD

However, Jesus develops this dynamic of God’s life even more. It does not represent the Father as a separate ruler, but as one who is part of our life experience. Clinging to Jesus leads to a knowledge of the Father that surpasses words. It comes from our life, from our life practice, from our actions that we do every day, whether it is sweeping the room, managing a company, walking with a loved one.
Our experience of God will not take place like in some movie, which will be shown to us in a dream or in some special experience. If that were the case, the vast majority of people would never meet God. How then is God present for us?
We are not expected to do anything special. It is enough to simply realize that whatever we do, we should do it in the awareness of his presence in us and in what we do. Our task is to give it free rein – to do what we do in the given situation, knowing our eternal immersion in God’s life. Without him we could do nothing (cf. Jn 14:5). This is how simply the Father is in each of us through the Son, and he created us so that he could reveal himself to us and give us gifts.

GENEROUS WEALTH

Finally, the very word God (Slavic Bog) is derived from the word rich. This reveals its essence, which is also represented in Sanskrit by the word Bhaga, which means bountiful divine giving, bountiful wealth. God is truly a rich giver of life, who says: “It is good that you are, because you are my good.” For we are of him, says Paul (cf. 1 Cor 3:16).
Let’s try to think about the secret that our good is also God’s good. In this way, we will better understand Jesus, who says that God does not want to give just some gifts, but first and foremost himself. The gift is for us to reach the Giver through it, but we must be careful not to cling to the gift and elevate it above the Giver.

A TRUE SACRIFICE

Let us believe that Jesus with the Father and the Spirit is in us immeasurably simply by creating and enabling us in everything we do. Let us believe that God is so great that no man is small to him. Therefore, it is enough for us to be immediate to God, without calculating, following the benefits that feed our ego. This is where our true sacrifice lies – I do not give God something I have or some words about sacrifice, but myself by giving myself in a given situation.
Our Father does the same, who gives himself to us and to all creation in every situation of our life. With every act of kindness, we participate in the life of God. And that is why each of us is capable of God.

This is not just an event, but a profound revelation. It is Matthew’s narrative amidst miracles. The masses encircle Lord Jesus. He heals and heals. His love extends in two directions. One reaches physical wounds, the other, less visible but equally perilous, spiritual anguish. My own fervor also requires two directions to embrace the world’s suffering. Word and deed. To teach and to heal. Or heal and teach. The sequence is often crucial. For the ‘healing of the body’ can be the precursor to the ‘healing of the soul ‘. Lord, let both arms of love grow in harmony and in proportion to the suffering I encounter, for the transformative power of compassion is boundless.

But in that crowd that swallowed the Savior, not only the sick were not suffering from bleeding. Only one’s daughter died. Two blind gods, one dumb. The vast majority of them were healthy on the outside. But Jesus’ gaze went deeper. He sees a “broken and scattered flock.” Everyone is looking. Everyone is tired. Everyone is wandering. A herd with no one to lead, no one to protect it, no one to sacrifice for it. And the Lord was seized with deep compassion. “He felt sorry for them…” And that compassion turned into tireless journeys and finally into the Way of the Cross and a redemptive death. Because a good shepherd “lays down even his life for his sheep.”

Fruitful compassion has never died out in the Church. Even Don Bosco saw the multitudes worn out and scattered. Crowds of abandoned boys were beginning to be swept away by the current of crime and destruction. Others saw it too. But with different eyes. They saw a bunch of suspicious, future criminals. Perhaps they themselves stood proudly in front of the altar: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not (I, nor my children!) like those’. Don Bosco did not succumb to indignation, but to compassion. ‘He felt sorry for them.’ From the first dream, he renounced the solution with his fists. Even his compassion turned into a life full of sacrifices and efforts. ‘I have promised God that till my last breath I will belong to my poor boys…’ His enduring compassion is a reassuring thread that connects us all in the Church.

Lord, give me a compassionate heart. And good seeing eyes and seeing deeper and further. I move among the multitudes of well-fed yet starving, modernly dressed and yet shamefully exposed, educated and unwise. I am asking you, let me not betray my place among the “worn and broken” so that I do not deviate from the path to the lost sheep so that I do not succumb to the temptation of an easier, more sympathetic, and outwardly more successful apostolate. Don Bosco showed me where to look. Let pity trouble me. Let compassion stretch out both arms of my love: word and deed. And where neither word nor deed can reach, prayer can—a prayer of living faith. If I won’t be able to touch you with either word or deed, I will help the “weary and broken” from afar by prayer.

Lord, what should I notice in this passage? » I realize with what faith Jairus came to me. He came asking me to heal his dying daughter. He believed I could do it. I could not remain oblivious to such faith and trust in my help, so I immediately went to his house.

What were you doing when Jairus came with a request? » I was just standing on the shore teaching the multitudes. Everyone wanted to hear my words and everyone was pressing me.

You healed someone in that stampede. How did that happen? » When I went with Jairus to his daughter and made my way through the crowd, I suddenly found that a power came out of me that healed someone. I stopped and asked who touched me.

Did you see the healed one? » A woman pushed her way to me from among a crowd, fell at my feet and told everyone how thanks to my power she was cured of the disease that was bothering her. With faith she touched my garment and this faith of hers found an answer. Don’t be afraid to push yourself with faith among the crowd that only wants sensations and touch me. I will heal you.

Immediately after this event, he went to heal Jairus’ daughter. How did this healing go? » When I was on my way to Jairus’ house, the servants came from there and reported that the girl had died. I saw that a greater miracle than healing would need to be performed here. But it is not a problem for me to give someone life, so I encouraged Jairus to trust me.

How were you welcomed in Jairus’ house? » There was a lot of crying and wailing waiting for us there. When a young person dies, it always shakes everyone. The girl was dead and, in their opinion, there was nothing more that could be done. I knew that the girl could be brought back to life. I did it as easily as if I woke someone up, so I told them the girl was just sleeping.

How did the residents of the house look after the girl’s resurrection? They were shocked at what they saw. Even the parents were completely beside themselves with amazement and joy, so I had to remind them not to forget to give the girl something to eat.

Lord, what do you want to challenge me to do today? » To greater faith. Trust me more. I can help you even when it seems that there is no more hope. I will help you in the fight against the enemies that are around you and in yourself.

MATTHEW DESCRIBES his reaction to the Master’s call: “He got up and followed him” (Mt 9, 9). From this moment on, his life will be completely different from the one he led before. He meets him when he sits and collects taxes. Perhaps his goal was primarily to enjoy the wealth he had earned. But with Jesus, the priorities of his life will be different. It is true that until now, he had not enjoyed great fame among his fellow citizens. Still, money and the respect of the Roman authorities compensated him for the rejection of many of his people. Looking at Jesus and his words, Matthew gave up these certainties and embarked on an adventurous journey to find the Messiah.

“He stood up”. One needs to stand in front of everyone. It is a gesture that shows recognition of a significant person; it means interrupting what one was doing to give it one’s full attention. When a person stands up, he is alert and ready to go in one direction or another. Matthew shows himself to be prepared to do anything for Jesus because his ranking of values has changed thanks to God and his dispositions: the most important thing is no longer wealth or a comfortable life, but to dedicate all his strength to Christ.

Saint Matthew was probably aware of the risks associated with this decision. However, he also leaves behind the attitude of a person who calculates. Every disciple’s life consists of opening oneself to a divine adventure, often full of surprises and uncertainties. Following Jesus means walking in his footsteps, not always knowing exactly where they will lead, but realizing that the happiness he can bring us is much greater than our predictions. “It is necessary to trust him and take a step to meet him and eliminate the fear of thinking that if we do this, we will miss out on many good things in life. His ability to surprise us is far greater than our expectations” 

Matthew’s ANSWER to Jesus needs to focus on himself. He needs to think about whether he’s ready or not or whether he’ll be better positioned to decide later. Perhaps, mysteriously, he was waiting for the call addressed to him by the Master. And to discover him in all his brilliance, he had to look and listen carefully to him rather than to himself. There can always be a temptation to stop following Jesus and sit down and count the costs and benefits, especially when the going gets tough, and it can seem like it’s not worth the effort.

This is what happened to Peter when he walked on the water. He could stand and move forward as long as his eyes were fixed on Jesus. However, as soon as he paid attention to his fragility and the strength of the wind, fear and uncertainty entered his heart, almost sinking him. At his cry: “Lord, save me” (Mt 14, 30), “Jesus immediately put out his hand, caught him and said to him: You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Mt 14, 31).

Following a vocation has something of walking on water, from overcoming one’s abilities with the certainty that the Lord does things and keeps accounts. On this journey, the spiritual guidance of someone who can always advise or help us discern is essential, not only in the first stages of discovering a vocation. “Serve your God sincerely,” writes Saint Josemaría, “be faithful to him… and do not worry about anything: because it is a great truth that if you seek the kingdom of God and His justice, He will give you everything else – material, means – in addition .

IN HONOR OF THE ANSWER to Jesus’ invitation, St. Matthew decides to prepare a feast in his house. Some publicans like him and others were present, but they were also considered public sinners in the eyes of the people. Therefore, when the Pharisees saw the Lord eating with Matthew’s friends, they asked the disciples: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Mt 9, 11). But when Christ heard these words, he replied: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. Go and learn what it means: I want mercy and not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mt 9, 12-13).

“The first thing we have to do is realize this: none of us, none of us here can say: I am not a sinner. The Pharisees did it, and Jesus condemns them” [3]. Accepting ourselves as we are, with our virtues and faults, draws us to the Lord. He comes to us not because we have done things right but because we are sinners who need his mercy. The first step in receiving the Lord is recognizing that we need Him. In this way, we will face our personal sufferings hand in hand with Christ, knowing that the experience of sin will not make us doubt our mission. “God’s power manifests itself in our weakness,” says Saint Josemaría, “and calls us to fight, to struggle with our mistakes, even though we know that we will never achieve complete victory in this earthly pilgrimage. The Christian life means starting over and over again, constantly renewing oneself every day”.

Mary is the mother of mercy. She can help us recognize our sins with a motherly, non-judgmental eye. And from his son, he will also give us the grace to fight with hope because he knows that Jesus reveals himself to us in that “we want to be better, in the desire for pure love, in suppressing selfishness, in completely giving ourselves to other people, doing so from our constant service of life.”

Through Baptism, we received participation in the life of God. But how does God live? What does his life consist of? Jesus Christ told us something about this when he revealed that God is indeed one, but triune. Jesus made visible the goodness and love of the heavenly Father. He lived to the extreme to fulfill the will of his Father to the extreme, to the cross. He also spoke about the Spirit who comes from the Father, who receives everything from Christ and proclaims it to us. God’s Spirit guided Jesus in fulfilling his mission, and Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit.

From these few indications, we can guess that the life of God is the life of individual persons, one for the other. Their relationship is so strong and deep that he is also a living person, the Holy Spirit. From this brief indication of what creates the life of God, we can guess that we, too, as baptized people, are called to cooperate in the growth and development of God’s life in us. This practically means that we develop our relationship with the triune God and our relationships with people and human persons.

We heard about these relationships with people in very specific, practical situations in today’s reading from the Old Testament. These are not easy requests. They require overcoming our egoism, an effort to respect others and do good to them. God challenges us as a motive for such an effort: “Be holy, as I, your God, am holy!” Holiness is God’s perfection. Practically, it means a challenge to grow in likeness to God. We are to express this similarity in our relationships with people.

In the Gospel, Jesus gives us yet another motive for such an effort: The other person, a person in need and suffering in various ways, a person who requires our service and overcoming our egoism, is a person with whom Jesus Christ himself identifies: “What have you done – or they didn’t – to one of these least of mine, you did it to me – or you didn’t.” There can be no stronger motive for doing good to one’s neighbors, for showing love to people. And in his caring love for us, Jesus reveals that these deeds will judge us. Jesus will reward us for manifestations of serving love in our neighbors by accepting us to direct and full participation in the life of the triune God – or, God forbid, exclude us from this participation if we were oblivious to the misery and suffering of people and closed ourselves in our egoism. When we think a little about these words of the Gospel about the last judgment, we realize how little we cooperate with the development of God’s life in us and how, in our daily circumstances, we must increase our efforts for concrete and practical love toward our neighbors – following the example of Christ himself, who loved us to the extreme, to complete self-sacrifice. But this complete self-giving for our salvation out of love for the Father led Jesus, even as a man, to full participation in God’s life at the moment of his resurrection.

Practical instruction: Manifestations of serving, attentive love towards neighbors, motivated by the belief that I am serving Christ himself in them.

Prayer: Merciful God and our Savior, turn our hearts to you and teach our minds with the heavenly doctrine so that we may improve in the Christian life through fasting and repentance. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who is God, lives and reigns with you in unity with the Holy Spirit forever and ever. 

 I am a “twin”…

Thomas from today’s Gospel is similar to us in many ways. Maybe even more than we would like. The name Thomas means Twin in Hebrew. And the figure of the apostle Thomas is genuinely the “twin” of many of us. After all, how many beautiful moments have we already lived with Jesus, how many times have we seen for ourselves what Jesus is capable of, and yet there are moments when we live as if we do not know Christ? Like we wouldn’t believe. In such moments, we become the “twin” of the unbelieving Thomas. Fortunately, Jesus left us one great gift that can tear us from our “unbelief”. That gift is community. When Tomáš was outside the community, he began to have a problem with his faith. But when he returned to it, his faith came alive: “My Lord and my God!” Community is an excellent gift for a believer.

Faith is not a “recluse”. No one can believe alone, just as no one can live alone. No one gave themselves faith alone, just like none of us gave life alone. We receive faith from others, and we have to pass it on. In the community, our faith can grow. And by faith, we conform to Jesus. In the community, Tomas believed anew in “the Lord and God”, he decided to follow Christ anew. Unbelieving, Thomas decided to become the “twin” of Jesus in the community! Solitude and isolation can help me to become the “twin” of the unbelieving Thomas. Community can help me to become a “twin” of Jesus.

Go deep:  Are there periods in my life when I live as if I don’t believe in God? Am I part of a community that would help me grow in faith? Do I realize my behavior can weaken or strengthen another person’s faith?

Tip for you:  I will renew my faith today by praying I believe in God!

 The word Magnificat is very well known to believers. It is a hymn that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, sang during her visit to Elizabeth. In it, Jesus praises the Lord for all the blessings he shows the entire human family.

 He begins it with the words: “My soul praises the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior, because he has looked at the humiliation of his servant. Maria also experiences and implements what she sang throughout her life. This is also an encouragement for us, so we, too, desire to remain in constant communion with God’s Son, Jesus Christ, throughout our lives. How we can do this, says the American spiritual writer Vinny Flynn in the seventh mystery of the Eucharist: There are no limits to how many times we can receive. Here he discusses the idea of ​​spiritual Holy Communion, that is, apart from the period when we can really receive the sacrament of the Eucharist, we can also receive it spiritually, by the very desire of this sacrament. We can unite our hearts with the heart of Jesus present in the Eucharist. The saints give us wonderful role models. St. Francis de Sales decided to receive spiritual communion at least every fifteen minutes to connect all the day’s events with receiving the Eucharist at Holy Mass. Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe not only received the Eucharist. But he attended the Blessed Sacrament very often. It was more than ten times a day. Even that was not enough for him, and, like Francis Sales, he decided to receive spiritual communion at least every quarter of an hour. “Sometimes,” he explains, “spiritual communion brings the same graces as sacramental.” However, we must not forget, brothers and sisters; that regular sacramental communion cannot be replaced.

Our spiritual communion must always aim at sacramental communion. The essence of communion is union with Holy Communion, which unites us with God, and spiritual communion helps us stay there. Saint Catherine of Siena testifies to us that spiritual communion has real value compared to the sacrament. Suddenly, she saw that Christ held two chalices. I pour your sacraments into this silver chalice. We may say – That is history, which Saint Padre Pio advises us: “During the day… call on Jesus even in the midst of duties… He will come to you and will always be united to your soul by means of his grace and holy love.” Fly in spirit before the tabernacle when you cannot physically stand there. Pour out the emotional desires of your soul there, and receive the lover of souls evens more than you could receive him sacramental.’

So what do we do? Shall we decide on spiritual communions? Certainly, yes! But how do we start? Above all, we choose to make a good spiritual communion whenever we cannot receive the sacrament at Holy Mass by praying Saint Alphonsus: “My Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. Above all, I love you and long to possess you in my soul. Since I cannot receive your sacramental, at least come into my heart spiritually. I embrace you because you are already here, and I completely unite with you. Never let me be separated from you.” We can also use others or our prayers.

Spiritual, Holy Communion means stopping momentarily to meet the dream in the depths of the heart. St. John Vianney advises: Spiritual communion acts on the soul as the wind acts on an extinguishing fire full of ashes. When you feel that your love for God is cooling, quickly make a spiritual communion. Furthermore, spiritual Holy Communion means that we invite God to do what He wants: to come into our hearts with all heaven and lift us through the veil into the eternity of His love.

 Let us commit ourselves to it fervently, so that our life may become a great Magnificat and always be united with the Lord as his and our Mother Mary.