Catechism Links
CCC 2746-2751: Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper
CCC 661, 1025-1026, 2795: Christ opens for us the way to heaven
CCC 151, 1698, 2614, 2466: believing in Jesus
CCC 1569-1571: the order of deacons
CCC 782, 803, 1141, 1174, 1269, 1322: “a chosen race, a royal priesthood”
CCC Cross Reference:
Acts 6:6 2632; Acts 6:7 595, 1569
1 Pt 2:1-10 2769; 1 Pt 2:4-5 1141, 1179; 1 Pt 2:4 552; 1 Pt 2:5 756, 901, 1268, 1330, 1546; 1 Pt 2:9 709, 782, 803, 1141, 1268, 1546
Jn 14:1 151; Jn 14:2-3 2795; Jn 14:2 661; Jn 14:3 1025; Jn 14:6 74, 459, 1698, 2466, 2614; Jn 14:9-10 470; Jn 14:9 516
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Reading 1
Acts 6:1-7
As the number of disciples continued to grow,
the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews
because their widows
were being neglected in the daily distribution.
So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said,
“It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.
Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men,
filled with the Spirit and wisdom,
whom we shall appoint to this task,
whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer
and to the ministry of the word.”
The proposal was acceptable to the whole community,
so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit,
also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
They presented these men to the apostles
who prayed and laid hands on them.
The word of God continued to spread,
and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;
even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Exult, you just, in the Lord;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the Lord on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Upright is the word of the Lord,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading II
1 Pt 2:4-9
Beloved:
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings
but chosen and precious in the sight of God,
and, like living stones,
let yourselves be built into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For it says in Scripture:
Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion,
a cornerstone, chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.
Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone, and
A stone that will make people stumble,
and a rock that will make them fall.
They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.
You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people of his own,
so that you may announce the praises” of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Gospel
Jn 14:1-12
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Acts 6:1 – 7
About this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own widows were being overlooked. So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; you, brothers, must select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom; we will hand over this duty to them, and continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.’ The whole assembly approved of this proposal and elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
The word of the Lord continued to spread: the number of disciples in Jerusalem was greatly increased, and a large group of priests made their submission to the faith.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 32(33):1-2,4-5,18-19
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
or
Alleluia!
Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just;
for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.
Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp,
with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
or
Alleluia!
For the word of the Lord is faithful
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right
and fills the earth with his love.
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord looks on those who revere him,
on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine.
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
or
Alleluia!
Second reading 1 Peter 2:4 – 9
The Lord is the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices which Jesus Christ has made acceptable to God, may be living stones making a spiritual house. As scripture says: See how I lay in Zion a precious cornerstone that I have chosen and the man who rests his trust on it will not be disappointed. That means that for you who are believers, it is precious; but for unbelievers, the stone rejected by the builders has proved to be the keystone, a stone to stumble over, a rock to bring men down. They stumble over it because they do not believe in the word; it was the fate in store for them.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
Gospel John 14:1 – 12
Jesus said:
‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God still, and trust in me.
There are many rooms in my Father’s house;
if there were not, I should have told you.
I am going now to prepare a place for you,
and after I have gone and prepared you a place,
I shall return to take you with me;
so that where I am
you may be too.
You know the way to the place where I am going.’
Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus said:
‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through me.
If you know me, you know my Father too.
From this moment you know him and have seen him.’
Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’ ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip,’ said Jesus to him ‘and you still do not know me?
‘To have seen me is to have seen the, Father,
so how can you say, “Let us see the Father”?
Do you not believe
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself:
it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work.
You must believe me when I say
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;
believe it on the evidence of this work, if for no other reason.
I tell you most solemnly,
whoever believes in me
will perform the same works as I do myself,
he will perform even greater works,
because I am going to the Father.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
5th Sunday of Easter
From: Acts 6:1-7
The Appointment of the Seven Deacons
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[1] Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in numbers, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. [2] And the Twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the Word of God to serve tables. [3] Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. [4] But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word." [5] And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. [6] These they set before the Apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them.
[7] And the Word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
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Commentary:
1-6. A new section of the book begins at this point. It is introduced by reference to two groups in the early community, identified by their background prior to their conversion -- the Hellenists and the Hebrews. From this chapter onwards, Christians are referred to as "disciples"; in other words this term is no longer applied only to the Apostles and to those who were adherents of Jesus during His life on earth; all the baptized are "disciples". Jesus is the Lord of His Church and the Teacher of all: after His ascension into Heaven He teaches, sanctifies and governs Christians through the ministry of the Apostles, initially, and after the Apostles' death, through the ministry of their successors, the Pope and the bishops, who are aided by priests.
Hellenists were Jews who had been born and lived for a time outside Palestine. They spoke Greek and had synagogues of their own where the Greek translation of Scripture was used. They had a certain amount of Greek culture; the Hebrews would have also had some, but not as much. The Hebrews were Jews born in Palestine; they spoke Aramaic and used the Hebrew Bible in their synagogues. This difference of backgrounds naturally carried over into the Christian community during its early years, but it would be wrong to see it as divisive or to imagine that there were two opposed factions in early Christianity. Before the Church was founded there existed in Jerusalem a well-established Hellenist Jewish community -- an influential and sizeable grouping.
This chapter relates the establishment by the Apostles of "the seven": this is the second, identifiable group of disciples entrusted with a ministry in the Church, the first being "the Twelve".
Although St. Luke does not clearly present this group as constituting a holy "order", it is quite clear that the seven have been given a public role in the community, a role which extends beyond distribution of relief. We shall now see Philip and Stephen preaching and baptizing--sharing in some ways in the ministry of the Apostles, involved in "care of souls".
St. Luke uses the term "diakonia" (service), but he does not call the seven "deacons". Nor do later ancient writers imply that these seven were deacons (in the later technical sense of the word)--constituting with priests and Bishops the hierarchy of the Church. Therefore, we do not know for certain whether the diaconate as we know it derives directly from "the seven". St. John Chrysostom, for example, has doubts about this (cf. "Hom. on Acts", 14). However, it is at least possible that the ministry described here played a part in the instituting of the diaconate proper.
In any event, the diaconate is a form of sacred office of apostolic origin. At ordination deacons take on an obligation to perform--under the direction of the diocesan bishop--certain duties to do with evangelization, catechesis, organization of liturgical ceremonies, Christian initiation of catechumens and neophytes, and Church charitable and social welfare work.
The Second Vatican Council teaches that "at a lower level of the hierarchy are to be found deacons, who receive the imposition of hands `not unto the priesthood, but unto the ministry'. For, strengthened by sacramental grace they are dedicated to the people of God, in conjunction with the bishop and his body of priests, in the service of the liturgy, of the Gospel and of works of charity. It pertains to the office of a deacon, in so far as it may be assigned to him by the competent authority, to administer Baptism solemnly, to be custodian and distributor of the Eucharist, in the name of the Church to assist at and to bless marriages, to bring Viaticum to the dying, to read Sacred Scripture to the faithful, to instruct and exhort the people, to preside over the worship and the prayer of the faithful, to administer sacramentals, and to officiate at funeral and burial services" ("Lumen Gentium", 29).
2-4. The Twelve establish a principle which they consider basic: their apostolic ministry is so absorbing that they have no time to do other things. In this particular case an honorable and useful function -- distribution of food -- cannot be allowed to get in the way of another even more important task essential to the life of the Church and of each of its members. "They speak of it 'not being right' in order to show that the two duties cannot in this case be made compatible" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on Acts", 14).
The main responsibility of the pastors of the Church is the preaching of the Word of God, the administration of the Sacraments and the government of the people of God. Any other commitment they take on should be compatible with their pastoral work and supportive of it, in keeping with the example given by Christ: He cured people's physical ailments in order to reach their souls, and He preached justice and peace as signs of the Kingdom of God.
"A mark of our identity which no doubt ought to encroach upon and no objection eclipse is this: as pastors, we have been chosen by the mercy of the Supreme Pastor (cf. 1 Peter 5:4), in spite of our inadequacy, to proclaim with authority the Word of God, to assemble the scattered people of God, to nourish this people on the road to salvation, to maintain it in that unity of which we are, at different levels, active and living instruments, and increasingly to keep this community gathered around Christ faithful to its deepest vocation" (Paul VI, "Evangelii Nuntiandi", 68).
A priest should be avid for the Word of God, [Pope] John Paul II emphasizes; he should embrace it in its entirety, meditate on it, study it assiduously and spread it through his example and preaching (cf. e.g., "Addresses" in Ireland and the United States, 1 October and 3 October 1979 respectively). His whole life should be a generous proclamation of Christ. Therefore, he should avoid the temptation to "temporal leadership: that can easily be a source of division whereas he should be a sign and promoter of unity and fraternity" ("To the Priests of Mexico", 27 January 1979).
This passage allows us to see the difference between election and appointment to a ministry in the Church. A person can be elected or designated by the faithful; but power to carry out that ministry (which implies a calling from God) is something he must receive through ordination, which the Apostles confer. "The Apostles leave it to the body of the disciples to select the [seven], in order that it should not seem that they favor some in preference to others" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on Acts", 14). However, those designated for ordination are not representatives or delegates of the Christian community; they are ministers of God. They have received a calling and, by the imposition of hands, God -- not men – gives them a spiritual power which equips them to govern the Christian community, make and administer the Sacraments and preach the Word.
Christian pastoral office, that is, the priesthood of the New Testament in its various degrees, does not derive from family relationship, as was the case of the Levitical priesthood in the Old Testament; nor is it a type of commissioning by the community. The initiative lies with the grace of God, who calls whom He chooses.
5. All the people chosen have Greek names. One of them is a "proselyte", that is, a pagan who became a Jew through circumcision and observance of the Law of Moses.
6. The Apostles establish the seven in their office or ministry through prayer and the laying on of hands. This latter gesture is found sometimes in the Old Testament, principally as a rite of ordination of Levites (cf. Numbers 8:10) and as a way of conferring power and wisdom on Joshua, Moses' successor as leader of Israel (Numbers 27:20; Deuteronomy 13:9).
Christians have retained this rite, as can be seen quite often in Acts. Sometimes it symbolizes curing (9:12, 17; 28:8), in line with the example given by our Lord in Luke 4:40. It is also a rite of blessing, as when Paul and Barnabas are sent out on their first apostolic journey (13:3); and it is used as a post-baptismal rite for bringing down the Holy Spirit (8:17; 19:5).
In this case it is a rite for the ordination of ministers of the Church--the first instance of sacred ordination reported by Acts (cf. 1 Timothy 4:14; 5:22; 2 Timothy 5:22). "St. Luke is brief. He does not say how they were ordained, but simply that it was done with prayer, because it was an ordination. The hand of a man is laid [upon a person], but the whole work is of God and it is His hand which touches the head of the one ordained" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on Acts", 14).
The essential part of the rite of ordination of deacons is the laying on of hands; this is done in silence, on the candidate's head, and then a prayer is said to God asking Him to send the Holy Spirit to the person being ordained.
7. As in earlier chapters, St. Luke here refers to the spread of the Church—this time reporting the conversion of "a great many of the priests". Many scholars think that these would have come from the lower ranks of the priesthood (like Zechariah: cf. Luke 1:5) and not from the greatly priestly families, which were Sadducees and enemies of the new-born church (cf. 4:1; 5:17). Some have suggested that these priests may have included members of the Qumran sect. However, the only evidence we have to go on is what St. Luke says here.
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From Psalm 33: 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19
[1] Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
[2] Praise the LORD with the lyre,
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
[3] Sing to him a new song,
play skilfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
[4] For the word of the LORD is upright;
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
[5] He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.
[18] Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him ,on those who hope in his stead fast love,
[19] that he may deliver their soul from death,
and keep them alive in famine.
Psalm 33. The previous psalm ended with a call to "all you upright in he art" (Ps 32:11) to rejoice in the Lord; now that joy is expressed in the form of praise. The psalmist knows that the Lord sees everyone (vv. 13-15) and that he watches over those who fear him (v. 18), just as he promised in Psalm 32:8 to anyone who confessed his sin to him. The steadfast love of God that the psalmist experienced in Psalm 31:8 and proclaimed for those who trust in Him (Ps 31: I 0 ), is now ,seen in Psalm 33 as embracing all who inhabit the earth.
The psalm clearly has the structure of a hymn of praise. It begins with an invitation to praise the Lord (vv. 1-3 ); 11 goes on to outline why he should be praised (this is the body of the psalm : vv. 4-19); and it ends with the people proclaiming that they trust in the Lord (vv. 20-22). The reasons given for this praise are: above everything else, God's faithfulness and steadfast love (vv. 5), then his great power as manifested in creation (vv. 6-9), then his choice of Israel (vv. 10- 12), and finally his providential care of all (vv. 13- 19). When Christians read this psalm, they praise God not only for what is said here but also, and more fervently still, for his revelation of himself through Jesus Christ.
33:1-3. Praise of God calls for up rightness of heart and also external solemnity: the "lyre" and the "harp" were instruments used by the Levites (cf. 1 Chron 15:16). " A new song" (v. 3) is a reference either to the text or its music , or else to a response to a new act of deliverance by God (cf. Ps 96:1-2; 98:1- 2). There is always something new about praise due to the circumstances in which it is sung. Commenting on v. 3, St Augustine says: " Everybody wonders how he should sing to the Lord. Sing to him, but sing well. He will not listen to a song that offends his ears. Sing well, my brothers.[... ] Who, then, thinks himself so great a master as to sing for God? Who can claim to sit in judgment on the cantor? Who can listen with a truly critical ear? This verse tells of the way you ought to sing to Him: do not be concerned with words , as if word were able to convey what brings delight to God. Sing with joy. The song sung with joy is the song that pleases God. And to sing with joy is to recognize that we cannot put into words what our heart feel " ( Enarrationes in Psalmos, 32, 7-8).
33:4-5. Attention is focussed first on God himself; he has revealed himself always to be faithful.
33:6-9. There is a strong echo here of the first chapter of Genes is, although now the emphasis is laid on the ongoing nature of God's action (v. 9). Some Fathers, (for example, St Athanasius , St. Augustine , St. Gregory) see the "Word" and the "Breath" as being reference to the persons of the Son and the Holy Spirit.
3:13- 19. The psalmist is in awe of God's providence over mankind: he made every human being and he reads the hearts of all (vv. 13-15). Among them, not even the powerful (the "king", the " warrior": vv. 16-17) can be saved by their own strength: they all owe their lives to God's help (vv. 18 - 19 ).
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From: 1 Peter 2:4-9
The Priesthood Common to All Believers
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[4] Come to Him, to that living stone, rejected by men but to God's sight chosen and precious; [5] and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. [6] For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and he who believes in Him will not be put to shame." [7] To you therefore who believe, He is precious, but for those who do not believe, "The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner," [8] and "A stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall"; for they stumble because they disobey the Word, as they were destined to do.
[9] But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
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Commentary:
4-10. Baptism makes us members of the Church. The sacred writer uses the idea of constructing a building (verses 4-8) to explain that Christians together go to make up the one, true people of God (verses 9-19). The whole passage is built on quotations from the Old Testament, possibly ones used in early apostolic catechesis.
The Church is like a spiritual building of which Christ is the cornerstone, that is, the stone which supports the entire structure (cf. "Lumen Gentium", 6). Christians have to be living stones united to Christ by faith and grace, thereby forming a solid temple in which "spiritual sacrifices" are offered which are "acceptable to God" (verse 5). The closer their union with Christ, the stronger the building: "All of us who believe in Christ Jesus", Origen explains, "are called 'living stones' [...]. For if you, who are listening to me, want to prepare yourself better for the construction of this building, and be one of the stones closest to the foundation, you need to realize that Christ Himself is the foundation of the building we are describing. As the Apostle Paul tells us, 'no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ' (1 Corinthians 3:11)" ("In Iesu Nave", 9, 1).
8. Applying to Christ what the prophet Isaiah says of Yahweh (cf. Isaiah 8:14; note on 1 Peter 2:13), St. Peter shows how, for those who do not believe in Christ, the cornerstone becomes "a stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall"; Simon prophesied as much to the Blessed Virgin in the temple (cf. Luke 2:34).
"As they were destined to do": this does not mean that God predestined some to damnation. God wants all men to be saved (cf. 1 Timothy 2:4), and that was why Jesus Christ became man; but for someone to be saved, his free response is necessary, and man can oppose God's salvific plan and reject grace. It should be remembered that in the language of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, sometimes no distinction is made between what God orders or wills and what He simply allows to happen (cf. Romans 9:14-33 and notes on the same.
9-10. In contrast with those who reject faith (verses 7-8), believers form the true Israel, the true people of God. In this people the titles applied to Israel in the Old Testament find their full meaning: they are "a chosen race" (cf. Exodus 19:5-6), a people convoked by God to sing His praises (cf. Isaiah 43:20-21). Their election is something Christians should glory in; it makes demands on them: Christians are set apart for God, they belong to Him (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19), for the blood of Christ has been paid as their ransom (cf. 1 Peter 1:18-21). So, they must not remain passive; they have to preach the greatness of God and bring many other souls to Him: "the Good News of the Kingdom which is coming and which has begun is meant", says Pope Paul VI, "for all people of all times. Those who have received the Good News and who have been gathered by it into the community of salvation can and must communicate and spread it" ("Evangelii Nuntiandi", 13).
In this people there is only one priest, Jesus Christ, and one sacrifice, that which He offered on the cross and which is renewed in the Mass. But all Christians, through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, obtain a share in the priesthood of Christ and are thereby equipped to mediate in a priestly way between God and man and to take an active part in divine worship; by so doing they can turn all their actions into "spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God" (1 Peter 2:5). Theirs is a true priesthood, although it is essentially different from the ministerial priesthood for those who receive the sacrament of Order: "Though they differ essentially and not only in degree, the common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial or hierarchical priesthood are nonetheless ordered one to another; each in its own proper way shares in the one priesthood of Christ. The ministerial priest, by the sacred power that he has, forms and rules the priestly people; in the person of Christ he effects the eucharistic sacrifice and offers it to God in the name of all the people. The faithful indeed, by virtue of their royal priesthood, participate in the offering of the Eucharist. They exercise that priesthood, too, by the reception of the Sacraments, prayer and thanksgiving, the witness of a holy life, abnegation and active charity" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 10: cf. "Prebyterorum Ordinis", 2).
And the same Council says, apropos of those "spiritual sacrifices" (verse 5) by which Christians sanctify the world from within, that "all their works, prayers and apostolic undertakings, family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they are accomplished in the Spirit--indeed even the hardships of life if patiently borne--all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In the celebration of the Eucharist these may most frequently be offered to the Father along with the body of our Lord. And so, worshipping everywhere by their holy actions, the laity consecrate the world itself to God" ("Lumen Gentium", 34).
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From: John 14:1-12
Jesus Reveals the Father
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(Jesus said to His disciples,) [1] "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. [2] In My Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? [3] And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. [4] And you know the way where I am going." [5] Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going; how can we know the way?" [6] Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me." [7] "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; henceforth you know Him and have seen Him.
[8] Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." [9] Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father?' [10] Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does His works. [11] Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the sake of the words themselves.
[12] "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.
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Commentary:
1-3. Apparently this prediction of Peter's denial has saddened the disciples. Jesus cheers them up by telling them that He is going away to prepare a place for them in Heaven, for Heaven they will eventually attain, despite their shortcomings and dragging their feet. The return which Jesus refers to includes His Second Coming (Parousia) at the end of the world (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:5; 11:26; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 John 2:28) and His meeting with each soul after death: Christ has prepared a Heavenly dwelling-place through His work of redemption. Therefore, His words can be regarded as being addressed not only to the Twelve but also to everyone who believes in Him over the course of the centuries. The Lord will bring with Him into glory all those who have believed in Him and have stayed faithful to Him.
4-7. The Apostles did not really understand what Jesus was telling them: hence Thomas' question. The Lord explains that He is the way to the Father. "It was necessary for Him to say 'I am the Way' to show them that they really knew what they thought they were ignorant of, because they knew Him" (St. Augustine, "In. Ioann. Evang.", 66, 2).
Jesus is the way to the Father--through what He teaches, for by keeping to His teaching we will reach Heaven; through faith, which He inspires, because He came to this world so "that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life" (John 3:15); through His example, since no one can go to the Father without imitating the Son; through His merits, which make it possible for us to enter our Heavenly home; and above all He is the way because He reveals the Father, with whom He is one because of His divine nature.
"Just as children by listening to their mothers, and prattling with them, learn to speak their language, so we, by keeping close to the Savior in meditation, and observing His words, His actions, and His affections, shall learn, with the help of His grace, to speak, to act, and to will like Him.
"We must pause here...; we can reach God the Father by no other route ... ; the Divinity could not be well contemplated by us in this world below if it were not united to the sacred humanity of the Savior, whose life and death are the most appropriate, sweet, delicious and profitable subjects which we can choose for our ordinary meditations" (St. Francis de Sales, "Introduction to the Devout Life", Part II, Chapter 1, 2).
"I am the way": He is the only path linking Heaven and Earth. "He is speaking to all men, but in a special way He is thinking of people who, like you and me, are determined to take our Christian vocation seriously: He wants God to be forever in our thoughts, on our lips and in everything we do, including our most ordinary and routine actions.
"Jesus is the way. Behind Him on this Earth of ours He has left the clear outlines of His footprints. They are indelible signs which neither the erosion of time nor the treachery of the Evil One have been able to erase" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 127).
Jesus' words do much more than provide an answer to Thomas' question; He tells us: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life". Being the Truth and the Life is something proper to the Son of God become man, who St. John says in the prologue of his Gospel is "full of grace and truth" (1:14). He is the Truth because by coming to this world He shows that God is faithful to His promises, and because He teaches the truth about who God is and tells us that true worship must be "in spirit and truth" (John 4:23). He is Life because from all eternity He has divine life with His Father (cf. John 1:4), and because He makes us, through grace, sharers in that divine life. This is why the Gospel says: "This is eternal life, that they know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent" (John 17:3).
By His reply Jesus is, "as it were, saying, By which route do you want to go? I am the Way. To where do you want to go? I am the Truth. Where do you want to remain? I am the Life. Every man can attain an understanding of the Truth and the Life; but not all find the Way. The wise of this world realize that God is eternal life and knowable truth; but the Word of God, who is Truth and Life joined to the Father, has become the Way by taking a human nature. Make your way contemplating His humility and you will reach God" (St. Augustine, "De Verbis Domini Sermones", 54).
8-11. The Apostles still find our Lord's words very mysterious, because they cannot understand the oneness of the Father and the Son. Hence Philip's persistence. Then Jesus "upbraids the Apostle for not yet knowing Him, even though His works are proper to God--walking on the water, controlling the wind, forgiving sins, raising the dead. This is why He reproves him: for not recognizing His divine condition through His human nature" (St. Augustine, "De Trinitate", Book 7).
Obviously the sight of the Father which Jesus refers to in this passage is a vision through faith, for no one has ever seen God as He is (cf. John 1:18; 6:46). All manifestations of God, or "theophanies", have been through some medium; they are only a reflection of God's greatness. The highest expression which we have of God our Father is in Christ Jesus, the Son of God sent among men. "He did this by the total fact of His presence and self-manifestation--by words and works, signs and miracles, but above all by His death and glorious resurrection from the dead, and finally by sending the Spirit of truth. He revealed that God was with us, to deliver us from the darkness of sin and death, and to raise us up to eternal life" (Vatican II, "Dei Verbum", 4).
12-14. Before leaving this world, the Lord promises His Apostles to make them sharers in His power so that God's salvation may be manifested through them. These "works" are the miracles they will work in the name of Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 3:1-10; 5:15-16; etc.), and especially the conversion of people to the Christian faith and their sanctification by preaching and the ministry of the sacraments. They can be considered greater works than Jesus' own insofar as, by the Apostles' ministry, the Gospel was not only preached in Palestine but was spread to the ends of the earth; but this extraordinary power of apostolic preaching proceeds from Christ, who has ascended to the Father: after undergoing the humiliation of the cross Jesus has been glorified and from Heaven He manifests His power by acting through His Apostles.
The Apostles' power, therefore, derives from Christ glorified. Christ our Lord says as much: "Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it". "It is not that he who believes in Me will be greater than Me, but that only that I shall then do greater works than now; greater, by him who believes in Me, than I now do by myself without Him" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang.", 72, 1).
Jesus Christ is our intercessor in Heaven; therefore, He promises us that everything we ask for in His name, He will do. Asking in His name (cf. 15:7, 16; 16: 23-24) means appealing to the power of the risen Christ, believing that He is all-powerful and merciful because He is true God; and it also means asking for what is conducive to our salvation, for Jesus is our Savior. Thus, by "whatever you ask" we must understand what is for the good of the asker. When our Lord does not give what we ask for, the reason is that it would not make for our salvation. In this way we can see that He is our Savior both when He refuses us what we ask and when He grants it.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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