We are in the midst of the Easter season, but the gospel setting today takes us back to the Last Supper. Far from experiencing the joy we associate with Easter, the apostles are distraught. Jesus has been telling them that he is about to leave them. He even told them that one of them would betray him and that Peter would deny knowing him. All their hopes for a new Israel are being dashed. Always the master of pep talks, Jesus tells them not to let their hearts be troubled. He urges them to go on believing in God. “You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” He then assures them that he is going to prepare a place for them.
Thomas understandably challenges Jesus. “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Imagine setting out on a journey with no destination in mind. Only when we have a destination can we begin to plot our journey and make use of maps and directions. A journey into the unknown sounds more like a huge gamble that offers us a slim chance of arriving at a desirable destination.
For many people, life can be defined as a huge gamble; they venture from day to day without a final destination in mind. We travel down many roads, coming to intersections and having to decide, “Do I stay on this path or do I turn here?” As we travel, we find many attractive roads that can easily turn out to be dead ends; exciting highways that can lead us into trouble. We change directions repeatedly, but have we any clue where we are ultimately heading?
Unperturbed by Thomas’ question, Jesus utters one of his best known phrases, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Note what the Master did not say. He did not say, “I am a Way, a form of Truth, and a way of Life.” He would not support the pick and choose style of Catholicism that is so popular, which I call cafeteria Catholicism. I am speaking of a smorgasbord Gospel. “I’ll take the Eucharist but not the Beatitudes.” If you’re a cafeteria Catholic, you have started your own religion by redefining the Catholic faith to suit your fancy. You aren’t alone. Many others have done the same thing. They selectively pick and choose what they want to believe as the way to get to our final destination, heaven.
They veer off the Catholic path at some point, attracted by some stance that is contrary to the tenets or moral principles of our faith, but will their new path lead them to heaven? Thomas a Kempis cautioned in the 15th century, “Without the Way, there is no going. Without the Truth, there is no knowing. Without the Life, there is no living.”
Always the teacher, Jesus then told Thomas, “No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know the Father.” That was a bit too much for one of the apostles. Philip said, “Master, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Despite all that Jesus had demonstrated and said in his public ministry, Philip had not yet grasped that Jesus and the Father are one. Jesus then asked a question we must all ponder. “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?”
Not every baptized Catholic has believed that, which is why our history is laced with numerous heresies that have rejected this divine relationship between the Father and the Son. Recall what Jesus then said. “…. Whoever believes in me will do the works I do.” If you are wondering what that might be, begin with the corporal works of mercy.
Face it, there are many times when we are tempted to take a different path that the one Jesus is showing us. Instead we make choices that can be self-destructive. When we venture off course, we tend to look for self-gratification; we don’t consider the impact of our actions upon ourselves or others; instead, we reason that we have the right to this action; as a result, sooner or later we hurt ourselves and others whom we love; consequently, we lose respect for ourselves.
I have done this more than once and if you are being honest, you have too. We call that sin, which happens whenever we ignore the way that Jesus endeavors to show us. I have started with thinking that something is OK for me, even if it isn’t necessarily proper. Maybe it’s a bit of a lie, a nasty remark or something much worse, like malicious gossip or an angry outburst. When I have seen the results of my actions, I feel pretty low. One thing worse than being called a fool is knowing that the statement is true.
As Christians we live in the hope of someday living in God’s dwelling place. Until we arrive, keep in mind that Jesus is preparing us to dwell there, which is why he said that those who believe in him will do the works he does and even greater ones.
For people of authentic faith, it is not enough to just admire Jesus and to respect his teachings and nod approvingly when his Gospel is read. Faith compels us to embrace the spirit of Jesus’ gospel and to make the purpose of his life the purpose of our live as parents, as spouses, as neighbors, as citizens, glorifying God by what we say and do.
Allow the way that Christ has shown us in the teachings of our Catholic faith to always be the path of your journey through life; allow his truth to become your vision of seeing our lives and our world. When we do, we allow the life of his resurrection to become the meaning and purpose of our lives in this time and place, prompting us to stay on the path that leads to the place Christ is preparing for us.