John 14:1-12

Acts 6:1-7

Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19

1 Peter 2:4-9

John 14:1-12

Jesus said to his disciples:

“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.

If there were not,

would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come back again and take you to myself,

so that where I am you also may be.

Where I am going you know the way.”

Thomas said to him,

“Master, we do not know where you are going;

how can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you know me, then you will also know my Father.

From now on you do know him and have seen him."

Philip said to him,

“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time

and you still do not know me, Philip?

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

How can you say, ‘show us the Father’?

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.

The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,

or else, believe because of the works themselves.

Amen, amen, I say to you,

whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,

and will do greater ones than these,

because I am going to the Father.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I long to see your face. I promise to follow the Way of your Son, live according to his Truth, and be filled with the Life of his grace. You sustain me as I walk and lift me back up when I stumble and fall. You are my loving Father, and I thank you and praise you today.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Departing to Prepare a Place for Us: At the Last Supper, Jesus announced his departure to prepare a Temple for the Apostles to live in. In one sense, the Temple – the House of the Father – is the Church. Jesus departs and ascends into heaven, but sends the Holy Spirit to guide the Church he has established. In another sense, the “House of the Father” that Jesus prepares for us is our heavenly home. And Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to guide us and sanctify us as we journey home. Thomas objects in the Gospel that we do not know the way. And Jesus responds that he is the way, and the truth, and the life. Jesus is the way to the Father. He is in the Father, and the Father is in Jesus. The three divine Persons – the Father, the Son, and the Spirit – are distinct, yet one God. And we are called to share in their divine life. We are called to become members of the family of God.

2. A Spiritual House: While the Gospel proclaims that Jesus has prepared a place for us in the House of the Father, the Second Reading proclaims that we are “living stones” and need to let ourselves be built into a “spiritual house.” Jesus is the living stone, rejected by human beings. Although he was rejected by the builders, he has become the cornerstone of the New Temple. Jesus, according to First Peter, continues to be a stumbling block for those who disobey his word. We are called to heed Jesus’ word and be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. When we offer our daily work in faith and love, this is transformed in the Spirit and through the Son into an acceptable praise of the Father.

3. Serving at Table: In the First Reading, we hear about the ordination of the first seven deacons. The deacons not only serve at table and direct the equitable distribution of food to the members of the Church, but they also preach the Word of God. This ministry of charity and the word is continued in the diaconate today.  At the end of the Second Reading, Luke notes the conversion of a large number of priests: “This conversion of a large number of priests to become followers of Jesus is a fulfillment of God’s promises in the Old Testament. The priests came from the tribe of Levi, and this tribe was special to God because of their zeal for him. God had made special promises to this tribe that they would always serve him as priests (see Jeremiah 33:17-21). So this large gathering of Levite priests into the restored kingdom of Israel is a sign that God is keeping his promises. They do not lose their priesthood when they receive Jesus. Instead, they become part of the ‘royal priesthood,’ as St. Peter says (1 Peter 2:9). So the tribe of Levi enters the New Covenant and gains a share in the new priesthood” (Bergsma, New Testament Basics for Catholics, 144).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the perfect example of how to live as a docile and holy child of God. I share in your divine sonship through my baptism. I want to imitate you today and act in a way pleasing to the Father.

Living the Word of God: Do I truly see myself as a member of God’s family? Do I see the Church as God’s house? Am I praying for my brothers, the deacons of the Church, who are ordained for service?