In today’s Gospel proclamation the Lord Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” We need to ponder deeply on this proclamation as it is vital for our spiritual growth and our grow- ing relationship with the Risen Lord. The Lord’s way was proclaimed by him, mainly during his message at the Last Supper. He said, “Love one another as I love you.”John 13:34, 15:12. He also
says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”John 15:13

The New Testament regularly tells us about God’s love for us. There are many qualities in this love, the main being; it is unending, unfailing, unlimited, and unmerited. Freely as we receive this gift from God, the Holy Spirit gives us the power to freely give it to others. Then we will become a living sermon. As St. Francis of Assisi has said, “Preach all the time, but use words only if necessary.” What that means is that our lives must be a living message that Christ is alive and living in us.

The New Testament also tells us that our care for others is God’s measure of our greatness. For us to be happy or joyful, we need to make others joyful. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we need to care and share with others. Help them when they hurt us, bless them when they curse us and pray for them when they persecute us. (Luke 6)
Mainly we need to keep on forgiving others, not just seven times seven, but even seventy times seven as the Lord told St. Peter () When the Lord Jesus stood before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, the Lord told him, “I have come to bear witness to the truth”. The Governor then asked him, “What is truth?” The Lord did not answer. But many Catholic Bible scholars suggest that he told Pi- late to wait till the next day, which was the day of his crucifixion. On Calvary’s Cross, the Lord gave himself totally for us so that we could have eternal life. That is also the abundant life he was refering to.

Prayer: Abba Father, you have told us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Trinity. May we be vessels of love and service to others. Amen.