Knowledge of the Truth
Fourth Easter Sunday
“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”Ps. 23
We know everything partially and often only superficially. That is why we can talk about the same thing many times without sounding repetitive or tedious, because we can go deeper into the knowledge of something, reaching other levels of understanding, such as removing veils from our eyes and seeing more clearly.
The prayer of meditation with Jesus is what leads us to enter into deeper levels of knowledge of each truth of faith, as we graduate our sight with the Lord and see clearer each day. It is the work of assimilation of truth that every Christian must go through in order to become a true disciple of Christ.
Being a disciple is not only in knowledge but above all in the experience of the word, but this becomes possible and more feasible from the knowledge of the Word.
“Sanctify them in the truth, your word is the truth.”John 17,17
“My words are Spirit and life,”John 6:63
“Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from God.”Mt 4:4
“I have another food that you don’t know… my food is to do my Father’s will and do his work.”John 4:34
“If you keep my word, you will truly be my disciples, you will know the truth,…”John 8:31
“My sheep hear my voice… The sheep follow him, because they know his voice. But they will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”John 10:4ff
Thus deepening in the word we nourish the soul, strengthen it and enable it with the Spirit to see like Him, to want what he wants and to reject what he rejects. We are among those who listen to their good shepherd and follow him, not to go after other voices.
This spiritual nutrition comes not only by listening and meditating but above all by fulfilling that word, it is then when the vitamin comes to assimilate with all its richness.
This is how one becomes sons in the Son, in whom God is well pleased.
“Those led by the Spirit are the children of God.”Romans 8:14
“To those who received him, he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name.”John 1:12
This knowledge gives us eternal life (John 17,3) and therefore is like the hidden treasure whose value is greater than anything one could have, as Jesus teaches in the parable comparing the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13,44). That is why Jesus also said:
“What good would it do one to gain the whole world if he loses his soul?”Mark 8:36
Without eternal Life, we are the poorest and most worthy of compassion.
St. Paul recognized this many times:
“Whatever I had for gain, I count for rubbish compared to the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord…”Philippians 3:7ff
Readings for the Week
Monday: Acts 11:1-18; Ps 42:2-3; 43:3, 4; Jn 10:11-18 or, for the memorial, Gn 1:26 — 2:3 or Col 3:14-15, 17, 23-24; Ps 90:2-4, 12-14, 16; Mt 13:54-58
Tuesday: Acts 11:19-26; Ps 87:1b-7; Jn 10:22 -30
Wednesday: 1 Cor 15:1-8; Ps 19:2-5; Jn 14:6 -14
Thursday: Acts 13:13-25; Ps 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27; Jn 13:16-20
Friday: Acts 13:26-33; Ps 2:6-11ab; Jn 14:1-6
Saturday: Acts 13:44-52; Ps 98:1-4; Jn 14:7- 14
Sunday: Acts 6:1-7; Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19; 1 Pt 2:4-9; Jn 14:1-12