by Return to Me: 2020 Lenten Reflections by Holy Cross University
Gospel Reading: Wis 2:1a, 12-22; Ps 34; John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
During the Easter season we celebrate both Jesus’ divinity and Jesus’ humanity. In today’s reading, Jesus displays a human emotion that all can relate to: fear. John writes that Jesus indeed had fears; he did not wish to travel to Judea because he knew people were trying to kill him. Despite a trust in God and a knowledge of His own divinity, human fear still existed in Jesus. Our faith is indeed one response to fear. Faith allows us to see hope and goodness despite practical realities. Too often in our lives, we let our fears dictate how we act and do not let our faith be open and on display. It is at this moment that Jesus has had enough — He listens to others questioning His divinity and finds the faith to speak out: “I did not come on my own...” None of us are alone. In our darkest moments, God is always among us in our family, our friends and strangers, in the company we are blessed to keep. “I know him because I am from him.” The faith to know where we are from and where we are going should be enough, but we all have doubts at times. We all have fear, including Jesus. But each day, we are indeed in good company.
Let us never forget that company that God gave to us so unconditionally. And let us continually strive to return to those in fear the same company of faith.