REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • John 15:1-8 Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I...
REFLECTIONS TODAY At the Last Supper, Jesus continues to speak of his unique relationship with the Father. He is interrupted by the interjection of Philip, “Master, show us the Father” — a remark which reflects his deep desire for God and which also shows how far he is from understanding...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Greek term monai (singular, mone) here rendered as “dwelling places,” is related to the verb menein which means “to stay, remain, or abide with.” By mone, John refers to the place (state or situation) where the disciples can abide with the Father and with Jesus....
REFLECTIONS TODAY Light and darkness are the primordial actors on the cosmic scene, as in the creation account (Gn 1:1-3). In the parallel prologue of John’s Gospel, light and darkness are locked in struggle. Light stands for good, and darkness for evil. Jesus, the Wordmade-flesh, comes into the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus’ revelation of himself as the Good Shepherd was done during the feast of Tabernacles (Succoth), a movable feast celebrated in September or October. The evangelist joins it to the revelation of Jesus’ pronouncement on the feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) celebrated in the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In rocky Palestine and its neighboring countries where Jesus lived and preached, shepherds hold three things dearly: water, their tents, and their sheep. The shepherd not only guides the sheep, he is almost a “father” to the flock. He gives a name to each one; he allows them...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • John 10:11-18 The evangelist John introduces the image of the shepherd by describing how the shepherd enters the sheepfold, calls the sheep by name, and leads the flock to pasture. Then Jesus identifies himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus makes claims that can be understood only in terms of his origin. He is “the bread that came down from heaven” (Jn 6:41), because his origin is the Father, who is from above. His opponents will not consider that as a possibility: they know that his father is Joseph, who...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Faith in Jesus is not the fruit of sheer human effort; it is a grace of God. It is the Father who draws men and women to Jesus and, ultimately, to himself. Jesus says that this has already been prophesied: “They shall all be taught by God” (Is 54:13). The Isaian oracle...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The words of Jesus carry pastoral undertones and refer to his function as the Good Shepherd (Jn 10:14). While “anything” is neuter singular, it is sometimes used in reference to persons. Here it refers to the disciples, those who believe in Jesus. But Jesus has “other...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The discourse on the Bread of Life begins from the citation from the Torah (Law): Moses tells the people of the manna that appeared in the camp of the Israelites, “It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat” (Ex 16:15). The psalmist looks back to the gift of manna,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The basic nourishment for the human body is food and drink. People, Jesus says, ask, “What are we to eat?” or “What are we to drink?” (Mt 6:31). These are legitimate concerns, but life is more than food and drink that satisfy the body. Here in the Gospel, Jesus offers to...
