Sunday 03 April 2011

Background

One of the hallmarks of John's Gospel is the care taken to showJesus words and actions as being inextricably linked. It is inJohn's gospel that we find the healing of the blind man (John9:6) follows immediately after Jesus' statement, "I am thelight of the world" (John9:5); Here too we see Jesus' statement "I am the bread of life"(John 6:35) comes after the feeding of the 5,000(John 6:1-14). Throughout John's Gospel we arealso repeatedly told of situations in which Jesus travels in secret(John 7:10), times when he escaped effortlesslyfrom angry crowds (John 8:58) and occasions when he leavesunnoticed while others debate the significance of his actions (John9:11-12). This image of an elusive Jesus mirrors perfectly thefact that Jesus hearers in John's Gospel are constantly strugglingto come to terms with his remarkable words and actions.

In today's reading we find Jesus actions and words linked onceagain. As Jesus hangs on the cross in the ultimate act of selflesslove, he calls his friend and his mother to look to each other'sneeds before their own and provide the love and care that each willneed in their time of grief.

Jesus' words may seem untypically clear on this occasion yet theyare as challenging as his claim to be "the way, and the truth, andthe life" (John 14:6) or "the gate for the sheep" (John10:7). Jesus' meaning on this occasion may seem to be simplebut in thinking of others in a time of unspeakable pain, hedemonstrates the extraordinary uncompromising and demanding depthof love we are called to show to one another.

To Ponder

On Mothering Sunday and every day, how willingare we to love our friends and families with the kind of utterlyselfless love Christ showed for us?

Christ speaks to his mother as she watches himface unspeakable pain. How can Christ's example of love and hopehelp us face times of challenge and difficulty within ourfamilies?

On Mothering Sunday and at other times of familybased celebration, how can the Church show compassion towards thosefor whom family life has been traumatic or tragic?