REFLECTIONS TODAY
In John’s Gospel, Jesus is portrayed as the one who is from the Father and is returning to the Father. Jesus is revealing the Father and making the Father’s love known to the world. Those who believe in Jesus as the one sent by the Father are the ones accomplishing God’s work (6:29). The work of God is to give life. The first attribute of the eternal Word or the Logos (Jesus Christ) is also life (1:3-4). The relationship between the Father and Jesus is characterized by life (5:21). Today’s Gospel narrates that some people are trying to kill Jesus. Such people do not know God and do not believe in Jesus. A committed Christian, on the other hand, helps in accomplishing God’s life-giving work. The true follower of Jesus is always life-giving. Do we truly believe in Jesus as being sent by the Father to give life to the world? Does our way of relating with God transform us to become more life-giving? How do we respond to the challenge of bringing life in our present world characterized by the culture of death?Gospel • John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
Jesus moved about within Galilee; but he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him. But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret.
Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, “Is he not the one they are trying to kill? And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ? But we know where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.” So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come. *Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2023,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]); Website: [http://www.stpauls.ph](http://www.stpauls.ph).*