SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA, VIRGIN AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH (MEMORIAL)

What happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world? 

Don’t you sometimes wish that Jesus would manifest himself in unmistakable terms, showing his reality, his power, and his purposes beyond a shadow of a doubt? In today’s Gospel reading, that seems to be what’s on the mind of “Judas, not the Iscariot” (John 14:22). If Jesus really did come to establish God’s kingdom on earth, why wasn’t this the right time to make some grand gesture to convince the whole world who he was?

The answer is that Jesus wants to reveal his love to each person individually. Relationship is the key to revelation. That’s why, in this brief dialogue, he uses the word “love” no fewer than seven times. He explains to Judas, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (John 14:23). It’s more than knowing the fact that Jesus loved you enough to die for you. It’s experiencing that love as you gaze at a crucifix and see how much he suffered or as you treasure his presence after you receive him in the Eucharist. That kind of personal encounter changes everything!

In a similar way, there is a vast difference between knowing about a person and getting to know him. You don’t get to know someone only by learning his age, his address, or where he works. Ultimately, it’s love that opens the way to the most important and intimate kind of knowledge. Just think about a couple who have been married for many years. Their love has given them a much deeper understanding of each other than when they were first married.

This is the kind of relationship that Jesus offers each of us. He is inviting us to come to know him and experience his love. He wants more than grand gestures; he wants to dwell in us, to bring us into friendship with him, and to teach us to abide in his love.

“Jesus, thank you for loving me. Lord, reveal yourself to me more and more!”

Acts 14:5-18
Psalm 115:1-4, 15-16
John 14:21-26