Commentary on the Gospel of

Fr. Roland Chidi, cmf AND Victoria Sanchez, School Teacher in Madrid

John 3:31-36 Believe in the Son and have eternal life

  • Jesus, from above, bears witness to what he has seen & heard. 

Chapter three of the Gospel according to St. John opens with the encounter between our Lord Jesus Christ and Nicodemus, a discussion between a Jewish religious leader and the Lord of all there is. What a shock for a public figure like Nicodemus to hear of being born again of water and the Spirit? Shocking though, it remains the fact because it proceeds from an eyewitness account – the Jesus account!   

St. John from the outset tells us that Jesus, the Word of God is at the origin of all there is, for ‘in the beginning was the Word and this Word that was with God and was God was made flesh, hence came to live among us!’ The obvious reasoning is that this same Word is acquainted with all there is in the heavens from where he comes to us. And the definition of ‘the witness’ is one who has seen with one’s own eyes and testifies to what has been seen. This is the unique mission of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth, as He leads us back to where He had been from the beginning. 

We are therefore challenged, St. John tells us; challenged to accept the revealed truth for ‘He who receives Jesus’ testimony sets his seal to this, namely, that God is true.’ We are taken back to the fundamental of our faith deposit: Jesus Christ is God. As God the truth flows from His lips. How do you deal with the truth, especially when it challenges your existential beliefs and attachments? 

Our Lord urges us to believe the truth that He reveals for believing in Him one has eternal life. Lord, give us your grace to imbibe your Word and remain with You for ever, amen. 

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We rejoice these days with the joy of Easter and the presence of the Risen Lord.The risen Lord cannot see us with fear, he cannot see us sad or worried, because he is always with us, by our side.

Today we go to the Upper Room, where the disciples are gathered "in fear"; they thought that Jesus was a ghost, but he wants them to see him as a person. Look at my hands, look at my feet" and he says to them: "Peace be with you".

Do you have anything to eat? And they offer him a roasted fish, which he ate.

Jesus, whenever he appears in our life, shares and gives us his body, he is in every Eucharist. He is in the Eucharist and in the community, where we can see Him and meet Him.

 Today we have to repeat this prayer:

"Stay with us, Lord, so that we may be able to bear witness to your resurrection, to your presence in the world, in the community, in my family and in my work.

Lord Jesus: May you be the centre of my life, and may I proclaim with joy and hope that you never abandon us. We trust you when you say "Do not be afraid" because I am always with you.

HAPPY SUNDAY!


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