Fifth Sunday of Easter

Year A

Readings: Acts 6:1-7; 1 Peter: 2:4-9; John 14:1-12

I am the way, the truth and the life

Jesus’ hope filled words today prepare his disciples for his upcoming ascension. The whole experience of the resurrection and the appearance of Jesus to his disciples might have been quite overwhelming. The disciples must be perplexed, as we hear Thomas and Philip ask questions to Jesus, about what is going to happen next. It must have been a wonderful, at the same time, terrifying encounter with Jesus, because the appearance of the risen Lord was different than what they knew of Jesus before his crucifixion.  

Today, we too are in a fairly similar situation, where the world is grappling under the fear of Novel Coronavirus pandemic. We are confused as to how to respond to this crisis. The world, which we were so familiar with, is appearing different. The way we interacted with each other, the closeness we experienced, the community gatherings which nourished us, the way we greeted each other, the experience of human touch are no more feasible in the present environment. We are called to physical distancing, called to be mindful of the surfaces we touch, warned about touching our own face (!), a ‘new normal’ is being imposed upon us. All this is terrifying and perplexing at the same time.

‘Do not let your hearts be troubled,’ says Jesus, ‘trust in God still and trust in me.’ How apt these words are today for us, as they were for the disciples of Jesus! Let us not allow our hearts to be troubled. The challenges will continue, the restrictions on our movement, unfortunately, will not, completely, ease soon. The physical distancing is the norm of the day and our gatherings will still be limited. How will I live and cherish this moment then? It is by trust, trusting in God ‘still,’ for Jesus is our way, our truth and our life.

Today we are celebrating Mother’s Day. It is a special day to acknowledge our mothers and those who play the role of mother in our life. Let us thank God for them. They have nourished our life, have brought us up and given direction in our life’s journey. Let us pray that they may be protected and kept safe in these challenging times. We pray for those women, who do not have a privilege of being a mother. May God look kindly upon them. Let us also pray for those mothers who are in sorrow because of their children’s behaviour. May God console them and take care of them.

‘I am the way, the truth, and the life,’ says the Lord, ‘no one can come to the Father except through me.’ Let us today go to the Father through the Son. Let us open our hearts and minds to the presence of the Lord. As we move forward in these challenging times, may our faith in God, through Jesus, keep us strong. Let us believe and trust in the words of Jesus and may he keep us strong to face these challenges.