Saturday, 4th week of Easter
DAILY GOSPEL COMMENTARY:
“WHOEVER HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER.” (Jn 14:7-14).
READING I
Acts 13:44–52
On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.”
The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and glorified the word of the Lord. All who were destined for eternal life came to believe, and the word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region. The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Or: Alleluia.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Or: Alleluia.
The Lord has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Or: Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Or: Alleluia.
ALLELUIA
If you stay in my word, you will indeed be my disciples, and you will know the truth, says the Lord
Gospel of Saturday, 4th week of Easter.
Jn Jn 14:7-14
Jesus said to his disciples: “If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to Jesus, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
GOSPEL COMMENTARY from the Navarre Bible, Commentary to the Gospel of St. John (with permission)
vv. 8-11
- The Apostles still find our Lord’s words very mysterious, because they cannot understand the oneness of Father and Son. Hence Philip’s persistence.
- Then Jesus “upbraids the Apostle for not yet knowing him, even though his works are proper to God — walking on the water, controlling the wind, forgiving sins, raising the dead. This is why he reproves him: for not recognizing his divine condition through his human nature” (St Augustine, De Trinizate, Book 7).
- Obviously the sight of the Father which Jesus Christ refers to in this passage is a vision through faith, for no one has ever seen God as he is (cf. Jn 1:18; 6:46).
- All manifestations of God, or “theophanies”, have been through some medium; they are only a reflexion of God’s greatness.
- The highest expression which we have of God our Father is in Christ Jesus, the Son of God sent among men. “He did this by the total fact of his presence and self-manifestation — by words and works, signs and miracles, but above all by his death and glorious resurrection from the dead, and finally by sending the Spirit of truth. He revealed that God was with us, to deliver us from the darkness of sin and death, and to raise us up to eternal life” (Vatican II, Dei Verbum, 4).
12-14
- Before leaving this world, the Lord promises his Apostles to make them sharers in his power so that God’s salvation may be manifested through them.
- These “works” are the miracles they will work in the name of Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 3:1-10; 5:15-16; etc), and especially the conversion of people to the Christian faith and their sanctification by preaching and the ministry of the Sacraments.
- They can be considered greater works than Jesus’ own insofar as, by the Apostles’ ministry, the Gospel was not only preached in Palestine but was spread to the ends of the earth; but this extraordinary power of apostolic preaching proceeds from Jesus Christ, who has ascended to the Father: after undergoing the humiliation of the Cross Jesus has been glorified and from heaven he manifests his power by acting through his Apostles.
- The Apostles’ power, therefore, derives from Christ glorified.
- Christ our Lord says as much: “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it”. “It is not that he who believes in me will be greater than me, but only that I shall then do greater works than now; greater, by him who believes in me, than I now do by myself without him” (St Augustine, In Ioann. Evang., 72, 1).
- Jesus Christ is our intercessor in heaven; therefore, he promises us that everything we ask for in his name, he will do.
- Asking in his name (cf. 15:7, 16; 16:23-24) means appealing to the power of the risen Christ, believing that he is all-powerful and merciful because he is true God; and it also means asking for what is conducive to our salvation, for Jesus is our Saviour.
- Thus, by “whatever you ask” we must understand what is for the good of the asker. When our Lord does not give what we ask for, the reason is that it would not make for our salvation. In this way we can see that he is our Saviour both when he refuses us what we ask and when he grants it.
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