Browsing Reflections

Fr. Jo's Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Easter A (Mother’s Day), May 10, 2020

Happy Mother’s Day to all our moms. We’re grateful for all your love and care!

          Since the news media became purveyors of propaganda, I stopped watching them and just read as much news as I need. Currently I juggle from the EWTN to the soccer channel. I also watch the National Geographic and the History Channel. One of the episodes I watched recently on the History Channel was “Modern Marvels,” depicting the building of the Hoover Dam. I was amazed to learn that nearly 85 years after its construction, the concrete in the dam is still cooling. It was also intriguing to watch the episode on the construction of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Flying into St. Louis, you can’t miss seeing the arch and wondering how it came about. The engineers who built the arch reported that they constructed the arch from ground up on both sides simultaneously; with the two giant “legs” reaching hundreds of feet in the sky. As the two “legs” curved closer to each other, it was as if they were yearning to be connected. Then came the piece that connected the two: that one piece put the entire structure in harmony, fitting perfectly and unifying the whole just as the designers envisioned. The engineers reported that it was more a work of faith than of technical skill. They gave the name “cornerstone” to that final piece, and it was from it that the state of Missouri gained its name, “Keystone State,” gateway to the west. Quite true, the cornerstone isn’t just one at the base but the stone that holds the two “legs” together.

          The second reading today tells us that Jesus is this stone which joins the divine and the human, the bridge between heaven and earth, two sides yearning to be connected. Hence, St. Peter charges us to keep our gaze on Christ the Living Stone, so we may be built into a spiritual powerhouse. Psalm 118 describes Him as “the stone rejected by the builders that has become the cornerstone. “Jesus does not just give us a glimpse of heaven, He also gives us a glimpse into our very selves.” Observe the priest as he mixes water and wine together before consecration. He prays silently: “By the mystery of water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.”

          So, when Jesus tells Thomas in today’s Gospel that He is the way to the Father, He is not speaking merely of a smooth highway like the Indian Nation Turnpike used to be. He indicated somewhere else that the road would be more like many rough McAlester streets and as winding as the mountain trails of Colorado, which require consummate attention to navigate. It’s hard to fall asleep driving on such trails. People easily fall asleep on the Easy Street. The truth to which Jesus refers Himself is not the valid demonstrations of science. It is the truth that doesn’t need continuous validation because it or He doesn’t change. The life which Jesus is transcends the smooth, polished, unruffled harbor that can be bought and paid for by rich celebrities. He is life that does not end in death but endures unto eternity. Jesus is the path to true life; He is the truth that reveals to us what is most real about God and ourselves; He is the life that affords an unbelievable degree of fullness and richness and meaning. Do not be afraid to yield your life to Him. Like a mother who cares deeply for her child, He’ll enfold you with His love.

 

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