Only What He Sees
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
John 5:17-30- Jesus answered the Jews: “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” For this reason they tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.
Jesus answered and said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself. And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation. “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“…for what he [the Father] does, the Son will do also.”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
God is pure spirit and therefore has no body. Mankind cannot smell, taste, touch, hear, or see Him. But one of the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity became man as well. The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity (called the Son or the Word) took on flesh. This is Jesus. In Jesus, mankind has smelled, tasted, touched, heard, and seen God. In Jesus we see how loving, gentle, serious, intentional, patient, slow-to-anger, and self-giving God is. We see what he does and doesn’t do. We see how He acts and reacts. We see what He likes and dislikes.
Jesus is the face of God. He reveals the Father perfectly. If we want to understand God, we can—in Jesus. If we want to know God, we can—in Jesus. If we want to receive God, we can—in Jesus. We need to become very familiar with the Person of Jesus, as well as with His life and His actions. Spiritual reading (especially reading Scripture and the Catechism or other solid Catholic literature) can help us become more familiar with Jesus. Are we seeking out any of these aids?
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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