Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Christ Our Light -- Eternal Life
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
“I came not to judge the world but to save the world,” says Jesus to us today. What he came to bring us is life, life without end, eternal life. He comes as light in our world. If we believe in him, we come to see in his light where we lack love that moves the world, where our sense of justice is only half-hearted. In his light, we learn to see how we can serve one another and become rich and mature as human beings. Then we too become small lights that bring a bit of light and warmth in our cold world.
Opening Prayer
Lord, our God,
through your Son, Jesus Christ
you assure us that he came
not to condemn us but to bring us life,
a life worth living,
a life that is rich and refreshing us and our world
with love and a spirit of service.
Let Jesus stay with us
as the light in which we see
all that is good and worth living for
and let us share in his life that has no end.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
First Reading
Meanwhile, the word of God was spreading and growing.
Barnabas and Saul completed their mission and returned to Jerusalem, bringing along John, also called Mark.
Mission of Paul and Barnabas
There were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, including Barnabas, Symeon, known as Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod, and Saul.
On one occasion, while they were celebrating the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them:
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have called them.”
So, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
These then, sent by the Holy Spirit, went down to the port of Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus.
Upon their arrival in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogue; John was with them as an assistant.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Openness to Salvation
Then Jesus cried out:
“Whoever believes in me, believes not only in me, but in him who sent me.
And whoever sees me, sees him who sent me.
I have come into the world as light so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him; for I have come, not to condemn the world, but to save the world.
The one who rejects me and does not accept my words already has a judge: the very words I have spoken will condemn him on the last day,
for I have not spoken on my own; the Father, who sent me, has instructed me what to say and how to speak.
I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father instructed me.”
Prayers of the Faithful
– That young churches may also be willing to send missionaries to people who do not yet enjoy the light of Christ, we pray:
– That people who live with uncertainty and in the darkness of fear and suffering may see the light of Christ bring them relief and strength, we pray:
– That all of us in this community may be at least pale reflections of the light of Christ, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Eternal Father,
we have not to wait for the end
of our pilgrimage on earth
to enjoy the happiness of eternal life.
As we will eat the body of Jesus
and drink his blood of strength,
make the life of Jesus grow in us
and blossom forth into eternal life.
Fulfill in us this promise
given us by Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God, Father of all,
the zeal of your missionaries
won many people for the young Church.
May the Word proclaimed to us
never leave us indifferent,
but help us to grow in the knowledge
and even more in the love of your Son,
and of you, our living God
and Father, forever and ever.
Blessing
Blessed are we that we do not live in the dark. We may still have questions, we do not understand everything about our faith, but we know the person of Christ and we believe in him. May his light shine brightly on us, and may Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Today we come to the end of what is called the “Book of Signs” (chaps 1-12) of John’s gospel. Through these signs – seven of them – Jesus clearly indicated who he is and what his mission is.
Today’s passage is a summary of all that has been said in the previous chapters. The text says that Jesus “cried out” - giving extra emphasis to what he is proclaiming. They would be words addressed to no one in particular and reflecting no particular context. Effectively, they summed up the essence of Jesus’ teaching. Their intended audience was the members of the community of believers of the author of the Gospel.
Very often, the narrative had spoken of the mission of Jesus as to reveal - the Father to the world. Jesus was the Word of God, the revelation of the mysterious God, in human form – he is the only reliable way by which God could be truly known. To believe in Jesus was to believe in the Father. It implies that there is also a personal commitment to Jesus and to his mission.
As the revelation of the mystery of God, Jesus enabled people to see in him, the divine love of God. He was the light, both illuminating the mystery of God and at the same time destroying the competitive and violent selfishness of the world, which John the evangelist described as the dark: the destructive energies of those who love themselves more than anything else.
As he has said before, Jesus is a light taking away the darkness with which we are surrounded. He has come to bring salvation, to bring wholeness to the world, and not to condemn it. Yet, the ‘word’ of Jesus is a challenge. It offers us a way of living and relating with God, with others, and with ourselves. If we choose another way we have only ourselves to blame when our lives go downhill. But Jesus is always there to lift us up. Indeed, salvation is a two-way process. God offers it to us but does not force it on us.
The God who created you without your consent but cannot save you without your consent. Therefore, once again the imperative is to listen to the Word and live by his Word.
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John 12: 44-50
God’s silence isn’t defeat
In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks of the importance of embracing the light of faith. He declares, "Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me." The text says that Jesus “cried out” - giving extra emphasis to what he is proclaiming. They would be words addressed to no one in particular and reflecting no particular context. Effectively, they summed up the essence of Jesus’ teaching. The intended audience of the Gospel was the author's community of believers.
Yet, Jesus's “crying out” is also an expression of his desperate call for attention to a non-believing and opposing audience, decrying their silence. We witness this silence throughout Jesus's life and mission—he was criticised, mocked, and challenged. He hangs on the cross, seemingly abandoned even by God.
Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). His mission was to enlighten
humanity—to reveal truth, freedom, and the path to God. Yet, tragically, His light was often rejected. People clung to darkness, blinded by familiarity and fear.
We, too, experience darkness—personal struggles, financial or relational crises, unanswered questions. But remember the darkness surrounding us is not permanent. Every dark night is a prelude to the dawn of a new day—a prelude to resurrection. Our faith invites us to trust, even when we can’t see the way forward. We walk from darkness into God’s eternal light.
Let us embrace the light of Christ. May our belief dispel the darkness within and around us. As we journey, let us remember: God’s silence isn’t defeat; it’s the canvas on which resurrection paints its masterpiece.