regan.ocd – Page 2 – SPRINGS OF LIVING WATER

SATURDAY, FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER

Acts 13:44-52 Ps 98:1-4 Jn 14:7-14

LET US ABIDE IN HIM

The Gospel passage of today presents the paradox in the life of the apostles: they physically walked with God incarnate yet still struggled to comprehend His divine nature. The words of the Lord – “I am in the Father and the Father is in me” – reveal the mystery we are invited to share. Unlike the disciples, we encounter Christ not in flesh but through faith, sacraments, and communion with His Body, the Church. This spiritual vision demands purer eyes that see beyond bread to recognize the Eucharistic Lord, beyond the ink of the written word of Scripture to hear the Living Word, beyond daily trials to perceive Divine Providence at work.

Our modern challenge mirrors the confusion of the apostles. We possess two millennia of theological development, countless devotional aids, and instant access to the sacred texts – yet like Philip, we still plead, “Show us the Father.” Why? Because knowing Christ intellectually differs radically from abiding in Him existentially. The saints demonstrate this distinction: St Francis of Assisi didn’t just study about poverty – he personified it; St Teresa of Avila didn’t merely analyse prayer – her life was prayer. Their knowledge emerged from loving obedience, as Jesus taught: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to make our home with them”

This Easter season, our “Alleluia” must transcend liturgy. The new life in the resurrection demands the proclamation to the world of the salvation that Christ brings by His triumphant victory over death. Yet before addressing distant corners of the earth, we must evangelize the hidden corners of our hearts. Intellectual knowledge about Jesus is easily shared; surrendering our entire selves to Him is harder. Transformation begins when we move from knowing about Christ to abiding in Him. Let this be our prayer: Lord, strip away my assumptions. Reveal Yourself to me anew; not through others’ experiences, but through Your living Word and sacramental presence. Make my heart Your dwelling place.

Response: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

I am the way the truth and the life John 14:6 Bible verse wall art canvas - 16 x 24

FRIDAY, FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER

Acts 13: 26-33 Ps 2: 6-11 Jn 14: 1-6

WAY, TRUTH, LIFE

In a world that craves constantly for novelty and relative ‘truths,’ Jesus reminds us that He alone is the way to the Father, the ultimate truth that gives meaning to our existence, and the life that leads us to eternity.

To walk in the ‘Way’ of Christ is to follow Him. The first reading recounts how Jesus was condemned and put to death, yet raised to life by the power of God. His entire journey beautified by his obedience, suffering and its ultimately glory, reveals the way every Christian is called to tread. Like Jesus, we are called to take up our crosses, seeing them as stepping stones toward our own transformation in Christ. The Christian way is not about avoiding suffering but embracing it as a participation in Christ’s redemptive work.

Jesus is also the ‘Truth’ – the truth that suffering, when united with Him, is salvific. The world teaches us to reduce pain and maximize pleasure; yet Christ teaches the meaning behind suffering. His Passion was not in vain; it earned salvation for humanity. This is the truth that we must grasp: suffering, endured with faith, purifies, redeems, and ultimately leads to glory. Without discipline, there is no victory; without the cross, there is no resurrection.

Finally, Jesus is the ‘Life.’ A Christian’s life is not merely about life here on earth. It is a call to commune eternally with God. To live in Christ is to begin that eternal life here and now. Every Christian is called to live with this perspective, knowing that beyond the sufferings of this world lies the fullness of life in God’s presence.

Will we embrace Jesus as our Way, our Truth, and our Life? The road may be narrow, but it leads to heavenly glory – that is our faith. Let us not be afraid to walk along Christ the Way, to trust in Christ the Truth, and to hope in Christ the Life.

Response: You are my son. It is I who have begotten you this day.

Author: regan.ocd

17th MAY 2025

16th MAY 2025