The Bible calls the good person’s life a light;
and it is the nature of light to flow out spontaneously in all directions, and fill the world unconsciously with its beams.
- Horace Bushnell (Prayerfully open to the Light of God. Let this Light shine forth through you this day.)
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Genesis 17:3-9; Psalm 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 John 8:51-59 Jesus said to the Jews:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
whoever keeps my word
will never see death.’
The Jews said, ‘Now we know for certain that you are possessed. Abraham is dead, and the prophets are dead, and yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never know the taste of death.” Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? The prophets are dead too. Who are you claiming to be?’ Jesus answered:
‘If I were to seek my own glory
that would be no glory at all;
my glory is conferred by the Father,
by the one of whom you say, “He is our God”
although you do not know him.
But I know him,
and if I were to say: I do not know
him,
I should be a liar, as you are liars yourselves.
But I do know him, and I faithfully keep his word.
Your father Abraham rejoiced
to think that he would see my Day;
he saw it and was glad.’
The Jews then said, ‘You are not fifty yet, and you have seen
Abraham!’ Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
before Abraham ever was,
I Am.’
At this they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.
Reflection on the Scriptures
In today's Gospel, Jesus identifies himself confidently, but he is confronted with skepticism and hostility. This mirrors the challenges we encounter today when striving to live authentically in alignment with
our beliefs. There is pressure to conform and remain silent in the face of injustice or uncomfortable truths; there is a temptation to default to cynicism. This can be overwhelming, at least for many of us. Yet, when we reflect on Jesus's example of steadfastness, we find inspiration to stand firm in our convictions, even when faced with opposition. Today, we are encouraged to be courageous, hopeful, and be empowered to push back against the darkness and hostility that prevents us from embracing
our identities in every way our identities intersect. Maybe we could find comfort in knowing that who we are and how we live stretches beyond historical context and the impermanence of life. Maybe we could also find comfort in knowing that what really matters is who God says we are. Merciful God, help us live out our faith in a way that has a
positive ripple effect far beyond the present moment. Help us live fully, purposefully, and with certainty in our spiritual identities. Grant us a faith that acknowledges life's fragility and celebrates its divine promise. Amen. -by Vivian Amu
The Bodily Resurrection of Jesus, by James Arraj
https://innerexplorations.com/catchtheomor/resurrecion.htm Inner Growth Publications, 2007.
Chapter 4: The Resurrection of Jesus Seeing and Recognizing If the body of Jesus was both a real body and a transformed one, then we
should expect that these two aspects would be expressed in the disciples’ descriptions of their encounters with the risen Jesus. If the body of Jesus was a real body, then these resurrection appearances could not have been simply subjective visions. The followers of Jesus felt that they saw him, and that he did things, e.g., he walked with the disciples on their way to Emmaus, he spoke to them, and he ate with them. But built into these stories is a distinction between seeing and recognizing.
Therefore, Mary of Magdala saw someone at the tomb whom she believed to be the gardener, and the disciples in their boat fishing saw someone standing on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. It would be hard to argue that this initial seeing was a seeing in faith because those who saw did not know it was Jesus, and in some instances did not know Jesus had, in fact, risen from the dead. It is as if beyond seeing was a deeper seeing, or insight, or recognition, bound up with an interior movement of
the heart, that is, with faith, itself, that allowed the disciples to recognize that it was Jesus who was present, not as a resuscitated body, but as the risen Lord. Therefore, the hearts of the disciples on the road to Emmaus must burn before recognition came to them. Mary of Magdala must be addressed in words spoken in love, and the disciples on the Sea of Galilee are stirred by witnessing the remarkable catch of fish. This distinction between physical seeing and recognition might help resolve a tension that is found in contemporary theology of the resurrection that comes from a reluctance to come to grips with the physical nature of the resurrection appearances. Kenan Osborne,
for example, illustrates this reluctance when he comments on the divergence between the contemporary scholarly view of the resurrection and the popular pastoral approach “which has remained more or less physical, historical, or even fundamentalist,” that is, believing that people actually saw Jesus and touched him. In theological scholarship, on the other hand, Osborne tells us, this kind of seeing and touching is secondary, as is the empty tomb, itself.
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