John 14:21-26

Lectio (Reading)

Read the passage twice and get a sense of what it is saying. Pay attention to what strikes you.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,
“Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name–
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.”

Meditatio (Reflecting)

Slowly read the passage again, pausing on words or phrases that stands out. Take time to consider the meaning. particularly in your life.

Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

Oratio (Responding)

Read the passage again, slowly. Consider how God has spoken to you and respond back to Him. You may want to consider how this passage is asking you to act differently.

This is the paradox of faith right here in one line. As long as you don’t believe, and give your heart and mind to the evil one instead, the beauty, love and truth of the Lord will remain illusive and even seem impossible. The Lord will not force Himself upon you. He is the gentlemen of all gentlemen. But when you open you heart and mind to Him, and love without expectation of anything in return, that is when His full message and His full plan of salvation starts to become clear.

St. Thomas Aquinas, said: “We can’t have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.” This means that God will forever remain mysterious to you, until you first make the choice to move toward Him, and to be open to what He has to tell you. You only need open our heart to Him, and ask for His help, and He will pour all of these graces upon you, and more.

It will not happen all at once, as that is too much for our minds to comprehend, but slowly, one thing leads into another, and the understanding starts to build on top of understanding. This is what happened to me, and continues to happen to me the more I read and study the mysteries of God’s plan. It is a lifelong journey, and it is the most interesting and fulfilling thing I have ever devoted my energy to. But once you give your mind and energy to that journey…, then that grace will then draw you into a love affair more powerful than anything possible in this world. That is when you will find true faith, and that is when you will know what it truely means to be alive.

Contemplatio (Contemplating)

Take time to simply remain in the presence of God.

Resolutio (Resolving)

Make a resolution that will improve your life, your relationships, or your faith. Make it small and attainable, and do it.

Oh lord please continue to pour out your grace on me today, so that I can continue to learn and get closer to your heart.