9-Mar-16

Gospel Jn 5:17-30
Jesus answered the Jews:
“My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.”
For this reason they tried all the more to kill him,
because he not only broke the sabbath
but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own,
but only what he sees the Father doing;
for what he does, the Son will do also.
For the Father loves the Son
and shows him everything that he himself does,
and he will show him greater works than these,
so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,
so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.
Nor does the Father judge anyone,
but he has given all judgment to the Son,
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
Whoever does not honor the Son
does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word
and believes in the one who sent me
has eternal life and will not come to condemnation,
but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself,
so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself.
And he gave him power to exercise judgment,
because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this,
because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs
will hear his voice and will come out,
those who have done good deeds
to the resurrection of life,
but those who have done wicked deeds
to the resurrection of condemnation.
“I cannot do anything on my own;
I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,
because I do not seek my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.”
Reflection:
"Jesus answered the Jews:
“My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.”
For this reason they tried all the more to kill him,
because he not only broke the sabbath
but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.
Not only did Jesus claim that God was his Father, but he also taught his disciples that God was their Father and the Father of all mankind.
In answer to his disciple's request that he teach them to pray,he said,
"Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name......" Matt 6:9)
In the very next line, Jesus teaches them to seek in prayer exactly as He seeks: "Your kingdom come, your will be be done on earth as it is in Heaven." (Matt 6:10)
Jesus told those who were trying to kill him, “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.”
As well meaning as my prayers may be, they must always be subject to the will of God. So, every prayer I offer is accompanied by the words, "May my prayer be granted O'Lord, but only if it is in keeping with your will."
God is the One who sees and knows all things. He knows what is best for me and for those for whom I pray.

He who thinks, speaks and acts with God as his witness, will never feel ashamed of doing the right thing." Mahatma Gandhi