Like Father, Like Son
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
John 8:51-59- Jesus said to the Jews: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” So the Jews said to him, “Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
This is one of the times in Jesus’ ministry when He clearly declares that He is God. Jesus is God. We are very familiar with what Jesus does while on earth, but perhaps we are a little less familiar with who He is. Each week at Mass we say the Nicene Creed—the summary of beliefs of the Catholic Faith. We should understand it well. God is Three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Second Person, God the Son, takes on flesh and becomes man—Jesus.
Let’s look deeper into the Creed at the section beginning with “I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ…” How is Jesus the “Son” of God the Father? The Son of God is not a son in the human sense. It is not true that at one point He didn’t exist, and then at another point He came into being. He is always proceeding from the Father, eternally. The Father is always “begetting” Him, eternally. The Son is always coming forth from the Father. He is not “made” or created by Him. The Father and the Son are of the same substance—consubstantial. The Son is as limitlessly and perfectly infinite as His Father. Like His Father, the Son is fully and infinitely God. He is God from God.
It is He whom we receive each week at Mass—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. So pay attention to the Creed, and to the Eucharist.
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above. (Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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