Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter
The Way, The Truth, The Life
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
In the synagogue, Paul proclaims the risen Christ. That Christ is risen is not merely an important event of the past: it is, as Paul says, “a message of salvation meant for you. We have come here to tell you the Good News.” It is meant for us today.
What is our task and the mission of all Christians in the world today? To proclaim the Good News that Christ is risen and alive among us. To do what Christ did. To be Christ to one another and to the world. For we are God’s priestly and missionary people. We do not stand alone in this task. For the living Christ is with us today as our way, our truth and our life.
Opening Prayer
Lord, our God,
your Son Jesus Christ, is to us
the way that leads to you and to one another,
the truth that is Good News of love and hope,
the life which he sacrificed to give it to us.
Help us to show the way to him
and to go his way to one another,
to speak the truth that is encouraging and credible,
to give life by sharing happiness,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
First Reading
Brothers, children of Abraham’s family, and you who also fear God, this message of salvation has been sent to you.
It is a fact that the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus. Yet, in condemning him, they fulfilled the words of the prophets read every Sabbath, but not understood.
Even though they found no charge against him worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed.
After they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days afterward, he showed himself to those who had come with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They have now become his witnesses before the people.
We, ourselves, announce to you this good news:
All that God promised our ancestors, he has fulfilled for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm: ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you.’
Responsorial Psalm
R. (7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus, the Way to the Father
“Do not let your hearts be troubled! You have faith in God; have faith also in me!
In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places; otherwise, I would not have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you.
After I have gone and prepared a place for you, I shall come again and take you to me, so that where I am, you also may be.
And you know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him:
“LORD, we don’t know where you are going; how can we know the way?”
Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.
Prayers of the Faithful
Let us pray to our Father in heaven that Christ, who is our way, truth and life, may still be among us today and that we may become the way to him. We say: Stay with us, Lord.
– For the pope, bishops, priests, and all who have a ministry of service in the Church, that the truth may become visible in them because of the way they serve, we pray:
– For public officials, that they may prepare for the people the way to justice, peace and unity, we pray:
– For the hungry and the lonely, for the poor and the little people, that we may restore their dignity and their hope in life, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord, our God,
your Son Jesus, showed us
that he is the way, the truth and the life
by giving himself for us all on the cross
and giving himself to us now.
May we learn from him
to give to one another
our time, our compassion, our service
and above all to give ourselves,
together with Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
he who sees Jesus, sees you.
May the people around us
see the Father in heaven and the Son
when we become to one another
the way to hope, justice and love,
the truth that uplifts and reassures,
the life that is not afraid
of committing ourselves
even when the cost is high.
May you, thus, become to all with and through Christ
the way, the truth and the life for ever.
Blessing
Christ is the way, the truth, the life to us and to everyone. If he is indeed, living among us, then we ought to be to one another and to the whole world the way, the truth and the life. May God bless us for this mission, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
The passage from today's Gospel is taken from the first of three farewell speeches Jesus delivered at the Last Supper. They are called so because, in them, Jesus seems to dictate his will before his death. We use this text in the Easter season for a very simple reason: a Will acquires its meaning only after the death of the person who dictated it. Easter is the most suitable time to understand and meditate on them.
The Farewell Discourse of the Gospel of John in some way, followed the pattern set by the Book of Deuteronomy, a book compiled centuries after the death of Moses, and written as though spoken by Moses; its true purpose was to interpret the message of Moses for the author’s contemporaries. The Farewell Discourse in the Gospel was the evangelist's attempt to summarise, for his contemporaries, the significance of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus spoke of God as his Father – not only his Father but through and in him, also of the disciples. In speaking of places to stay, Jesus was not thinking of place but of something more general where God could be encountered as “at home.” The threatening death of Jesus would open up possibilities for the disciples to have a deeper appreciation of the world of Jesus, and of the Father. I will take you with me, so that you may be where I am.
Imagine in a family of newly wedded couples, when one of the spouses has to leave the home for a distant land for work. His or her promise would be, let me go and make arrangements there, and then I will take you to the place so that we can be together… The Bible has numerous times expressed the relationship between God and his people as one of the spousal relationships.
John the evangelist constructed this Discourse to assist the believers of his community to have a deeper appreciation of the relationship with Jesus and the Father. They had lived sixty years of life without the physical presence of Jesus. John reminds them that the way to the Father was the way with which they were already familiar: the way of believing, of entrusting themselves to Jesus’ love, and, of being transformed by his love.
The misunderstanding put on the lips of Thomas provided the opportunity for the author to clarify and develop the theological theme. “I am the way, and the truth and the life ...
Yesterday we celebrated the feast of St. Catherine of Siena. Let us wind up today’s reflection with a quotation from this Doctor of the Church. St. Catherine Says: “The Way to Heaven is Heaven because He said, He is the Way”
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John 14:1-6
Let your hearts not be troubled
Today’s Gospel is like a farewell speech because Jesus seems to be dictating his final will before his death. A will only acquires validity after the death of the person who dictated it. Easter is the most suitable time to understand and meditate on Jesus’s will. The Farewell Discourse in the Gospel was John's attempt to summarise for his community the significance of Jesus's life, death, and resurrection.
Pope Francis points out that “in this passage, the Lord consoles his saddened disciples and reassures them with promises to return soon to take them to the world of Jesus and of the Father. I will take you with me so that you may be where I am.
Imagine being in a family of newly wedded couples when one of the spouses has to leave home for a distant land for work. Their promise would be, "Let me go and make arrangements there, and then I will take you to the place so we can be together." The Bible has numerous times expressed the relationship between God and his people as one of a spousal relationship.
The Christian community of Evangelist John had already lived sixty years without Jesus physically present with them. John reminds them of Jesus' promise that God’s consolation is available through believing, trusting, and surrendering to Jesus's love.
It's difficult to find comfort in the Lord, particularly during tough times when our prayers seem unanswered, and we resist allowing Him to approach us with His kindness, nearness, and gentleness. We should persevere in hoping for God's comfort.
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John 14: 1-6
Jesus Consoles Us, Always
During the Easter Season, we are reminded of the ongoing presence of Jesus in our lives, even though He has ascended to the Father. The Gospel passage from today, part of the Farewell Discourse at the Last Supper, captures the essence of Jesus’ final words to His disciples. In this moment, He is preparing them for His departure, offering consolation, love, and reassurance before His death. Just as a final Will only takes effect after death, so too do these words take on their deepest meaning in light of the Resurrection. Easter is the time to reflect on these teachings and understand their significance for us today.
The Farewell Discourse in John’s Gospel follows a pattern similar to the speeches given by Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy. John writes to help his community understand the meaning of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and to remind them of the closeness of God despite the absence of Jesus’ physical presence. For those early Christians, who had lived decades without the visible presence of Jesus, this discourse was an encouragement to continue in faith.
Our Late Pope Francis beautifully pointed out that Jesus' words in this passage are a deep consolation: “I am here, with you.” He promises to return to take them to be with Him forever, just as a spouse reassures their partner when separated by distance. John writes to remind us that the way to experience God’s consolation is through faith, trust, and surrender to His love.
Though it is difficult to accept God’s comfort in times of struggle, we are called to remain hopeful. During this Easter Season, may we open our hearts to God’s tender consolation, trusting that He is always with us, guiding us through every trial with His love.