Promises! Promises! Promises!

In the Gospel of John 10.27-30 Jesus makes promises to us that are 

life giving, true and tell of the richness and the depth of his love for us.

Jesus says:

I give them eternal life.

No one will snatch them out of my hand.

My sheep hear my voice.

These three promises show to us Jesus the true and good Shepherd, who knows his flock and tends to them in all their situations and journey.These three verses from the Gospel of John pack a punch. They speak of the intimacy in which we are embraced in Christ, they speak of his deep love for us, and they speak of the gift of being part of the flock; the Body of Christ. Such rich promises indeed. These three very clear promises are light onto our path.

My sheep hear my voice…

When we pray, when we can’t pray,

When we give thanks, when we struggle to see blessings,

When in anguish, in joy, in doubt, in hope…

His voice is there.

I give them eternal life…

No matter the struggles,

No matter the journey,

Our day, our life and our future is in Him…

His fullness of life is eternally ours.

No one will snatch them out of my hand…

Even when it feels like we have been,

Even when the comfort of Christ seems distant, 

He is with us always, another promise he made...

We are held in the palm of his hand.

This is how intimate Christ loves us.

This is our deeply personal relationship with Him.

This is the great promise he makes with us.

My Spiritual Director has the above powerful and wonderful image of the Good Shepherd. 

It is a photo of statue at high school in Ontario. I was completely moved by it. This powerful image drew me in and showed me a new face of our Good Shepherd that is full of promises that he keeps. It is one that continues to cross my mind and invites me to walk with him.

The look of love and hope on the face of Jesus says that he knows us and it gives me the feeling that he does indeed hear my voice, but also said to me that I can hear his.

The sheep around his arms shows the intimacy in which he loves us, protects us and keeps us from being snatched. It reminded me that even when I stray from the flock, or feel like he is not keeping his promises that his love and mercy are stronger and greater than what I think and see.

The way he seems to walk with a confidence, with a deep joy, with great strength, with eyes fixed on God, fixed on love, fixed on knowing the depth of the promises, saying eternal life is ours.

Amazing how three little lines and a simple image can help us connect with our Savior and his promises and love.

In this Year of Mercy may we continue to know that in God’s great love Jesus hears us and we too hear his voice, he promises us eternal life and walks with us not allowing us to be snatched away from the mercy, love and goodness of his loving Father.

Risen Good Shepherd,

You are our life, redemption and joy

today, tomorrow and forever.

Amen.

Come and Have Breakfast

I’m going to put it out there and say that one of my favorite Resurrection stories is 

John 21.1-19. All the Resurrection stories are pretty awesome for so many different reasons; Mary encountering Jesus reminds us of hope, the Emmaus walk reminds us of witness, Thomas reminds us of trust and faith, Jesus appearing to his disciples in the upper room reminds us of peace, and John 21.1-19 reminds us that Jesus loves Sunday Brunch (and a whole lot more!), it reminds us of invitation, of openness, of discipleship, of what it means to be people of the Resurrection!

One of my most favorite lines from Jesus is found in this gospel. Jesus says, “Come and have breakfast.” Not just because I love Sunday brunch and being gathered at table for meals with family and friends, but because Jesus offers us a very simple invitation. For real, Jesus invites us to dine with him! I love that! Not only does he invite us to the Banquet of Life at the Table of the Eucharist but he reminds us to go from that table nourished and break bread with our families, neighbours, friends and brothers and sisters who are struggling to survive.

Dining with Jesus is a great gift, it is life-giving, transforming, strengthen, nourishment, inspiring and most importantly challenging, as it calls us not just to eat and be filled but to be filled so we can be his followers in our broken world, help others to the table and generously show his love and mercy to all.

Jesus’ line, “Come and have breakfast” reminds me that he is in the simple things of our everyday. He is present in the little things, the everyday occurrences, and the realities that are our lives. From grabbing breakfast on a rushed weekday morning, to grabbing a coffee with a friend, to enjoying a movie as a family, to serving the hungry at the soup kitchen, from making a pot of soup and sharing it with neighbour, to smiling at a stranger on the bus. It is in the ordinary simple things that we encounter Jesus and he extends a simple question to us…

Jesus asks each one of us, “Do you love me?”

I believe we all respond, “Yes!”

The challenge comes when he says “Follow Me!”

How do we follow him? Joyfully? Regretfully? Burdened? Frustrated? Gladly? Excitedly? Redeemed? Worthy? 

How will we follow him this week?

Will we be present for a hurting member of the Body of Christ?

Will we make a meal for someone who could use some bodily nourishment?

Will we give to the poor, the hungry, and the thirsty, who seek to be feed?

Will we set aside some time for prayer to be nourished by the Word of God, so we can respond “I love you and will follow you Jesus”?

Will we sit down as a family (who ever that may be) and enjoy a meal together?

Will we live our lives in the generosity that is Easter, that is gathering at table, that is Jesus?

Your invitation is most welcome dear Jesus,

I thank you for the examples of simple generosity

and breaking bread I have encounter in my life,

I pray that I may respond and follow you,

for you are my nourishment and my all.

I love to dine with you, for the feast is always

what is needed for the journey.

Amen!

Here is to a week with a great Sunday brunch, coffee dates and long suppers, 

where Jesus truly is a guest at our tables!

My Lord and My God

As we continue in our Easter journey we are offered many great gospels to ponder on. This past Sunday is no exception, the story of Doubting Tomas is a favorite for many believers as it offers a reality check for our own believing. However I also think that Thomas teaches us about pride and letting go of our egos; as our journey must be about embracing Christ more and letting go of our own ways of wanting to see Him. Thomas teaches us about being a witness, about embracing the gift of the Risen Lord in our lives. He teaches us about being bold and about embracing a gospel way of life. Think about the actions of Thomas, from asking for a sign to declaring his belief, these are indeed bold ways. Thomas teaches us to see with new eyes, to embrace the journey that at times can be unknown or at other times full of doubt but to always keep our focus on Christ. 

As John 20.31 says, ‘These are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.’ When we keep focused on Christ and root our journey in believing in Christ we can, like Thomas, declare more and more boldly, ‘My Lord and My God!’

My Lord and My God,

It is you who are my way,

It is you who conquers my fears,

My Lord and My God,

You are the light to fill my day,

You are the strength when I cry tears.

My Lord and My God,

Help me declare 'you are my life',

Help me to be more like you,

My Lord and My God,

You are greater than any strife,

You are love, you are joy, you are peace too.

My Lord and My God,

I encounter you in the Eucharistic Feast,

I encounter you in my journey path,

My Lord and My God,

You are all around me; north, south, west and east,

You are my life because of my baptismal bath.

My Lord and My God,

These words echo strong and true,

From my heart, they are how I say ‘I Love You’…

My Lord and My God!