Never Alone

“I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.”

John 14:18-19

“I will not leave you orphans.” The very first time that I can recall hearing this verse from John’s Gospel was a few days after our father passed away. At the time I was in college and my spiritual life consisted only of going to Sunday Mass, so I really do not know how I stumbled across those words from Scripture. It must have been the Holy Spirit. I was filled with emotions — grief, sadness, confusion, and somehow this verse made its way into my heart “I will not leave you orphans.”

Sometimes in our lives we experience the loss of a loved one. Other times we may also experience the loss of a friendship or the loss of trust or some other betrayal that leaves us confused and questioning why. Maybe after several years of investing in a company or group, they suddenly no longer feel you are a fit for them. Sometimes those whom you trust most will be the ones who let you down or betray you. Jesus knew this firsthand. Perhaps that is why He assured His disciples, “I will not leave you orphans.” Jesus was rejected by His own people and was later betrayed by His very own friend. He knew what it feels like to be left behind. Yet, He knew that even in those most desperate moments He was not alone, for the Father was with Him. In the same, the Lord tells us that we too are never alone, even when we may feel that way.

Even when those whom we trust most betray us, even when those whom we love choose to walk away from us, even when we seem to have been left in the dust, and even when we feel all alone, Jesus says to us, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” Perhaps a parent’s love or a mother’s love is similar. They may not always be physically there, but deep down, when you sit in the silence and listen to the beating of your heart, you know that your parents are with you. “I will not leave you orphans.” May we always remember that even as we walk through the loneliest times of our lives, we are not alone. Jesus says, “I will come to you.”

Happy Mother’s Day.

Whose Sheep Are You?

“Jesus says: I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.”

John 10:9

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is commonly known as “Good Shepherd Sunday” because we here about the Good Shepherd in John’s Gospel. Jesus seems to be giving a lesson on the nature of the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep and those who try to steal them. Later on, Jesus tells them that He in fact is the “gate” through which the sheep enter and that He is the Good Shepherd (we will hear this in tomorrow’s Gospel reading). Only those who go through the gate belong to the Lord, we are told, and whoever climbs over it are thieves. It is only by going through Jesus are we able to find true and lasting peace, joy, and more importantly, salvation.

There are many voices and “shepherds” out there promising “happiness” or “security” if people follow them. But, we know that whatever happiness or security the worldly shepherds claim to promise are false and are temporary at best. What the shepherds of the world offer are quick fixes and bandaids, treating only the surface without rooting out whatever it is that is causing the pain. We see this in the usage of drugs, alcohol, and other substances, numbing the pain and allowing us to forget the problems we might be facing for a while; but with repeated usage, we see the devastating effects of substance abuse and addiction. What are the things we turn to when problems arise or anxiety sets it? Do we turn to things that offer us only a temporary escape or do we turn to the One who offers to treat the wound? Do we desire simply to hop the fence or do we wish to walk through the gate? When we settle for hopping over the fence we rob ourselves of an encounter with Christ.

When we treat the wound, there is often pain, such as when the antiseptic solution or alcohol wipe burns or stings, so too is there pain when we seek to treat our spiritual wounds. But this pain is the first and most important step of recovery. Jesus never promised His followers an easy life without pain or problems. I mean look at the Lord Himself and the pain He endured for our sake. To follow Christ is to follow the Good Shepherd and to walk through the gate. It might be more demanding, more difficult, and might even be a source of persecution, but do not be discouraged because what we seek is eternal, much more than our bodies and our earthly existence. Yes, we want to be happy in this life and the next, but the shepherds of the world only cares about happiness in this life, leaving our souls at risk. Whose voice do we listen to today? To whose fold do we belong? Let us listen carefully to the voice of the Good Shepherd who calls out to us today, and may we ask for the grace and courage to follow Him today.

An Open Heart

“And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.”

Lk. 24:30-31

First published April 2021.

Is your heart open? What are some things that keep your heart closed off? The Apostles Peter and John encountered a man crippled from birth at the gate of the temple area. When he begged and asked for help, Peter told him that he had neither silver nor gold but that what he did have, he would give to him — his great friendship with Jesus Christ, and at that the man was able to walk. Knowing Christ and friendship with Jesus is worth much more than any amount of money. Do you agree with that?

When two disciples of Jesus were on the way to Emmaus they encountered a man who seemingly did not know what had happened in Jerusalem these past couple of days. They explained to him what had taken place, and that man, who really was Jesus (but they did not know), began to teach them about Scriptures and pointed out all that points to Jesus and what had happened to Him. They invited the man to stay with them. Jesus agreed. They sat at table and broke bread together. This man “took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them,” and at that the disciples’ eyes were opened and they recognized that man to be their teacher, Jesus. What kept these two disciples from seeing Jesus?

Maybe it was doubt that Jesus would rise? Skepticism? Lack of faith? We do not know. But what we do know is what prevents our own eyes and hearts from recognizing Jesus. Do I see Jesus in the Eucharist? Do I see Jesus in my neighbors, friends, colleagues, family members, enemies, and strangers? If I do not, that problem is not them, it’s me. What prevents my eyes from seeing and recognizing Christ? What are the obstacles that keep my heart from faith? What is keeping my heart closed to Jesus, who unceasingly knocks at the door of my heart?

See “Seeing With Burning Hearts” for another reflection I offered on the encounter between Jesus and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.