Wednesday in the Fourth Week of Easter, May 6, 2020

John 12:44-50

Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”

As I write this, the other priests and I are hoping to hear a word from our bishop about beginning to celebrate the Mass publicly again.  As I have mentioned previously, I don’t think the Mass can be offered publicly with any restrictions, such as sitting people six feet apart or severely controlling the number of people allowed at a Mass.  These measures are not practical.  On the other hand, people may continue to wear masks in public, even in the churches, until they feel safe from infection.  I don’t think shaking hands at the Sign of Peace will be a popular action. My hope is that of the Sign of Peace is retained (it is optional) people will simply bow to one another, the custom in other parts of the world.

Jesus says, “I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.”  Jesus declares that he has come into the world in order to serve.  That is, he has come deliberately into the world with this intention.  He made a conscious decision to dwell among us.  No one but the Son of God could say this.  All humans are brought into this world through no will of their own, and it is some years before they are able to exercise their free will.  But Jesus, from the beginning, determined to enter this world, and did so in order to serve his own creatures.  He came “as light” to bring light.  He does not carry this light, but is the light itself, so pure and devoted is his service.  Those receptive to the light, “.everyone who believes in me”, are themselves enlightened.  But there are those who choose not to be receptive to the light.  They, indeed, hear his words, but do not observe them.  The Lord does not force himself on anyone.  Those who accept him, follow; those who do not, go their own way.  In this sense, these condemn themselves, Jesus allows them to experience the consequences of their rejection of him, and they will be condemned on the last day.

Jesus offers true service, for “the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak”.  That is to say, Jesus carries out the Father’s will.  He follows his Father’s orders and does not deviate from them according to his own preferences, as though he could have any that differed from those of his Father.  This is not a rote service, but one carried out in his love of the Father and out of love for us.  The purpose of this service is to confer eternal life on us.  It is as though the owner of a restaurant went out on the street and called out to people to come in for the best dinner that they could have.  Some people do not like the owner and would prefer to go hungry and pass right on by.  Others go into the restaurant.  His own son acts as their waiter and brings them everything they could want, even anticipating their needs.  Everyone eats until they are full.  The waiter thanks them for coming in and then tells them that the dinner was completely free, that he will gladly pay for it himself, as his father wants him to do.  This sounds like madness, but it is less mad than what the Son of God does for us in his Incarnation, Death, and Resurrection.