Lately, I’ve been seeing an ad on TV that ends with the phrase: “He gets us.” The He is Jesus. Today’s gospel is proof that Jesus “gets” us, for it begins: “Do not let your hearts be troubled …” Jesus knows that more often than we’d like to admit or sometimes even think about … our hearts are troubled.
But human nature being what it is, we need to be convinced; we need a reason not to worry or be upset. It’s not enough to be told, “Don’t worry.” To this, Jesus unites His person and teaching to God the Father when He says, “You have faith in God; have faith also in me.”
We use this form of logic/argument when we are trying to convince someone that they can trust us in recommending someone or something to them: whether to a family member, friend, or even a customer.
We tell them, “Well, you trust Dad’s judgment, and he uses John, the plumber; that’s why you should listen to me about him.” Jesus wants us to have faith in His teaching, and so He continues about the hope for a path to heaven.
He says, in my experience, the words that so many people want to hear at a funeral Mass, “In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?”
We all want to hear that just as God knows each one of us by name, that Jesus has prepared a place for us in heaven for when it’s our time to leave this earth. And not only that, but once our place is ready and it’s our time, then Jesus will come back and bring us to heaven!
As my friend Bill would say, “This is tremendous!”
But here’s the part that many people miss … it’s when Jesus says, “Where I am going, you know the way.” But do we? Are we like me without G.P.S., not too confident going somewhere I’ve never been … or even just outside of Route 128/93?
Thomas asks the question most of us would when he says, “Master, we don’t know where we are going; how can we know the way?” Great question because you either make it to heaven or you don’t.
This is when Jesus reminds us all that He is “…the way and the truth and the life.” And “No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is unambiguous. Jesus is telling us that if we want to go to heaven, we need to let Him guide, teach, and heal us throughout our time on earth.
My brothers and sisters, there’s no alternate route. The good news is that Jesus does get us; the question is, not only do we get Him, but do we follow Him today?
- To view Rosary prayer and Mass streaming live, please visit our Facebook page at 11:30 am Eastern, Monday – Friday. Please invite your loved ones to join us too! (You don't need a Facebook account to view.)
