SOURCE OF ETERNAL LIFE: SACRED HEART OF JESUS

LAZARUS SCENE FROM JESUS OF NAZARETH

"But I know that even now whatever you ask of God, God will give it to you. Because I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God. He who has come into the world to give us eternal life."

"I am the Resurrection and the Life, and those who believe in Me shall never die'"

"He that believes in Me, but he were dead, yet shall he live!"


4TH PROMISE: I WILL BE THEIR SECURITY AND REFUGE DURING LIFE, AND ABOVE ALL, IN DEATH.

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE

"NO ONE CAN COME TO ME UNLESS
IT IS GRANTED HIM BY MY FATHER."

There comes a time in our life when we have to make important choices – choices that may have a repercussion on our state of life, our profession or work at hand, our plans and goals. The most fundamental choice concerns our relationship with Jesus Christ. We are constantly challenged to choose between faithfulness to his teachings and the allurements of the hedonistic world in which we are immersed.

This is a choice that demands both wisdom and generosity. Wisdom leads us to stand by Jesus. Generosity enables us to pay the price for choosing to follow Jesus. May today’s readings and Eucharist in which we participate lead us to make our own Peter’s humble statement: “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?”

Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”

As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

GOD'S GREAT LOVE FOR US IN JESUS CHRIST

"FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT
HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON,
SO THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM
MIGHT NOT PERISH
BUT MIGHT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE."

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.” For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

As we proceed in our Lenten pilgrimage and approach the dramatic days of the Holy Week, on this last Sunday of March, we are invited to focus on the essence of it all: God’s merciful love for all human beings.

His love for us is eternal. It is patient and wise, kind and strong, resourceful and constant. It is best exemplified in Jesus Christ, the God-Man who willingly laid down His life that every human being might have life, life to the full.

This divine life is ours whenever we open our hearts to Him in faith and let Him fill us up with the light of His presence and grace. Let us humbly return to our Father who in His compassion and great love for us, certainly assured of His warm reception as we implore with faith, hope and love God’s mercy on all mankind.

Euchalette, 22 March 2009
WORD AND LIFE PUBLICATIONS
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