Faith Daily | 7 April 2022

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p 490

We thank you, heavenly Father,

that you have delivered us from the power of darkness

and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:

we pray that

as by his death he has recalled us to life,

so by his presence abiding in us he may raise us

to joys eternal;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Amen

GOSPEL for the Day: John 8: 51-59

351Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.’ 52The Jews said to him, ‘Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.” 53Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?’ 54Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, “He is our God”, 55though you do not know him. But I know him; if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. 56Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.’ 57Then the Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’*58Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.’ 59So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Anne MacRonald

Johns gospel goes to great lengths to help us believe that Jesus not only came from God but actually is God.

The authorities had great difficulty in believing that and this gospel highlights the differences between them and the way of Jesus.

How could Abraham and the prophets have died and did Jesus think himself greater than those.

In this reading Jesus found himself drawn into an argument about death rather than eternal life.

Jesus could speak strongly because he was speaking the truth.

Speaking to Reverend Jan today we spoke of having the courage to speak openly when the truth needed to be told no matter the consequences.

To me John’s gospel goes to great length to help us believe that Jesus not only came from God but is God. Jesus knew who he was and where he came from. He met huge opposition from the leaders of state and religion and saw through the hypocrisy.

In our strange world of injustice and inequality we can not remedy the evil effects of these in our lives.

What is a Christian to do in these circumstances of pain and suffering He is to pray that the Lord will hear him.

‘Faith helps one borrow strength when ones own strength leaves off It gives one permission to go beyond the known into the unknown’.

FINAL PRAYER: “It cannot be carried alone”

Father Richard Rohr wrote the following poem in response to the collective suffering of the people of Ukraine.

How can we not feel shock or rage at what is happening to the people of Ukraine— As we watch their suffering unfold in real time from an unfair distance? Who of us does not feel inept or powerless before such manifest evil? In this, at least, we are united. Our partisan divisions now appear small and trivial.

Remember what we teach: both evil and goodness are, first of all, social phenomena. The Body of Christ is crucified and resurrected at the same time. May we stand faithfully Inside both these mysteries (contemplation).

In loving solidarity, we each bear what is ours to carry, the unjust weight of crucifixion, in expectant hope for God’s transformation. May we be led to do what we can on any level (action) to create resurrection!

The people of Ukraine have much to teach the world.