In Aeternum | Eternal life | EN | IN | ES

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand - John 10:28

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Believe and you'll be saved

22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we all know that when Jesus lived on earth, there were so many people who rejected Him. They didn't wholeheartedly accept His teachings although Jesus had done so many miraculous things right before their eyes! Jesus even showed His great compassion and love to them. Nevertheless, they were spiritually blind, they saw all the great things Jesus had done but couldn't understand them. They incessantly looked for ways to find fault in Him. 

Sadly though, they were the Jews, who were actually God's chosen people! Jesus came to His chosen people but they were against Him instead of welcoming Him with open arms. They didn't believe in His teachings and worse than that, they didn't believe Him! They were expecting signs from Him to prove that He is the promised Messiah (John 10:24).

But Jesus clearly pointed out to them that only His sheep recognized His voice (John 10: 26). His sheep hear His voice and therefore, believe in Him without any doubt. Furthermore, in this passage Jesus convinced His sheep that they will always be safe in His hands, He will give eternal life to those who believe in Him (John 10:28). What a fixed assurance we have in Jesus! 

From today's reflection we are reminded of two important things, they are: first, as believers in Jesus we have to put our trust in Jesus, believe in Him and His words undoubtedly. Don't be like the Jews who rejected Jesus and His teachings although Jesus had been with them for quite a long time but they still didn't believe in Him.

Second, we may rejoice in the Lord because we know for sure that we are forever safe in God's protective hands because Jesus is the good Shepherd and we are His sheep. 

Simply put, let us believe in Jesus wholeheartedly and He will forever be with us, protect us against any harm or evil because we are His beloved sheep. Amen 

Reflection on John 10 : 22-42 by Linda

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Deus Abraham | God of Abraham

"I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living." - Mark 12: 26-27

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I begin this reflection with a letter of SJ Cristobal Fones's song "Tu modo" (In English "Your way") Cristobal Fones is a Jesuit priest. "The way you treat others, I let myself be questioned by your tenderness. Your way of loving moves us to love.  Your treatment is like crystalline water that cleanses and accompanies walking. Jesus, teach me your way of making the other feel more human, that your steps are my steps, my way of proceeding."

In this passage (Mark 12:18-17), I find the conviction of Jesus about his defense of the truth, of brotherhood and universal character of the faith. 

Two phrases are the most important for me in the answer of Jesus to the Sadducees question about the resurrection: "..have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

In a tenderly way with such love, Jesus says: God is the God of everyone.  The Love is the Love of everyone. Sometimes we do some judgments over our brothers and sisters. Even about what God should think about others according to our human criteria and concerns. But God does not think in the same way like our human limitations. God is a God of everyone and His Pure Love is an Universal Love.

Sometime we take in a position like the Sadducees and we ask questions to God because we don't understand "the way" to proceed to God. When we need to know how to proceed about anything, the answer always will be The Love. 

It is a call to respect the diversity in our church and to promote the inclusion, because all are called to live in the Kingdom of God. All are sinners in many ways. We all have been the black sheep in one moment of our lives. Is great to be a black sheep, a lost sheep, the coin of little value to human eyes, because God embraces, shelters and loves His sons and daughters in a very special way, regardless of their condition. For the sinner He even throws a celebration. We need to respect each others and love each others.

Again, "God is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob". The God of everyone.  Let's not pigeonhole God's criteria in mundane judgments. Let's not see reality at ground level of our prejudices, beyond the mundane is the transcendent. Let us not act or think like whitewashed sepulchral.

Finally, the last words of Jesus's answer: "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living". God always make the things new, God always renews, reinvents. We should always learn to reinvent ourselves, give new meaning to each experience of our lives, good or bad, happy or sad, easy or difficult. Look to the eternal, celebrate and honor life in the light of the Word of Our Love. 

Reflection on Mark 12:18-27  by Carolina Jimenez