“Whoever has seen me,” Jesus declared, “has seen the Father.” Talking about the mystery of his relationship with the Father, a central theme in the Gospel of John, the Son explained that he came to reveal the Father, to do the Father’s works, and to give his disciples the ability to perform similar-even greater-works. Jesus himself established a basic foundation during his Last Supper discourse. Today’s readings help us appreciate this since they provide insights into the nature and purpose of the Church. However, since Jesus did found the Church-described by Saint Paul as the body of Christ (cf., 1 Cor 12:27 Eph 5:23 Col 1:24)-it behooves us to be both “into Jesus” and “into the Church.” There were several reasons for his attitude, including the faulty belief that since the Church is only an external institution (as he apparently perceived “the Church”), it can have little to do with inner, spiritual transformation. I once conversed with a young non-Catholic man who summed up this approach by saying, matter-of-factly: “I’m into Jesus, not the Church.” Perhaps you, like me, know people who express belief in Jesus, but have no interest in the Church.
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May 2023
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