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Gospel: John 14: 6-14
Jesus said to Thomas, “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.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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While walking on this earth physically, Jesus lived with one significant limitation:
He could only be in one place at a time.
Although he gave sight to the blind, forgave sinners, and raised people from the dead, he could only do so for one person, one home, one village at a time.
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In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his Apostles that this “limitation” is about to change. “I am going to the Father,” he says.
But, “whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these.”
At Pentecost, the power of the Holy Spirit will come down upon the Apostles – and this power will change the world.
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Over the last twenty centuries, consider the work the Church has done, filled with the Holy Spirit.
We have founded more schools, universities, hospitals, and soup kitchens than any other institution in history.
We’ve fed, clothed, and sheltered tens of millions of people… if not more.
We’ve sent out more missionaries to foreign shores; made disciples of more nations; cured the sick, the lame, the blind, the mute; and followed in the footsteps of people like Peter, Paul, Mother Teresa and Dorothy Day.
We have been the face, hands, and feet of Jesus Christ not just in one place … but in every place.
Through us the work of God continues, as he promised.
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So, in what ways can I be he hands and feet of Christ today?
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Image credits: (1) Biblia JFA Offline (2) Jesus, Wikipedia (3) My Catholic Prayers