Reflection for April 4 Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Gospel: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Jesus moved about within Galilee; he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him. But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near. But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret. 

Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, “Is he not the one they are trying to kill? And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ? But we know where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.” 

So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come. 

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Reflection: 

How courageous are you in your desire to spread your faith? 

In today’s Gospel, even though there was a threat to His life, Jesus still secretly went to Judea to attend the Feast of the Tabernacles. He courageously spoke in the temple area, risking His life. Where does His courage come from? It originates from His deep passion for His mission and His oneness with God. 

Let us also aspire to have the same passion and oneness with God so that we, too, may have the courage to express how He has made a big difference in our lives. With this courage, we will be able to face and overcome whatever problems and trials that may come our way. 

A good way to start is by setting aside regular time for God—through daily readings of His words in the Bible, through our presence at Holy Mass, and through our prayers. 

If we practice these acts of worship and devotion, we will surely develop a deep friendship and oneness with Jesus. As a result, we will have the courage to live His teachings, share them, and even preach them. 

A faithful follower should live and preach the teachings of Jesus. If he or she cannot preach—since not everyone has the gift of preaching—then he or she must live His teachings. For this is one of the many marks of a faithful follower of Jesus. 

What kind of follower are you? Are you a follower in name only, or a follower in both name and deed? – Marino J. Dasmarinas