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Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
John 5:31-47 Jesus said to the Jews: “If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life. I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“But you do not want to come to me to have life.”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
Jesus accuses the Jews here of not wanting to come to Him to have life. Life is what Jesus is offering them—abundant, eternal life. Certainly Jesus’ listeners want to access this kind of life, but they don’t want to access it through Jesus. They want the goal—abundant, eternal life—without taking the way to the goal —Jesus. So many people are like this today. They want a deep, rich, fulfilling life, but they don’t want to accept the true path to get there.
This is what Jesus means when He says later in John, “I am the way…and the life” (John 14:6). Just as we won’t likely end up in Hawaii if we buy a ticket to Cleveland, so we will not find abundant life if we don’t seek it in Jesus. We have to stop fiddling around and wasting our time with awards, popularity, success, money, winning…these things are nice, but never life-giving. There is only one way to be fulfilled. Jesus is the way. Are we deeply fulfilled?
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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