"I AM."

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Jn 8:21-30

In the first, reading, the God who punishes is the same God who saves.

In the gospel, Jesus utters, "I Am." This statement is the language of God; meaning Jesus is placing himself at par with the Father and faith in him is also faith in God. 

In our case, we easily turn to God in need.  But many realize that the problem by which we ask God to redeem us is our own doing arising from our hard-headedness?

Yes, we may try to correct it on our own. But what if the sin reaches societal proportions?   Let me point out an example.

Before, what is predominant is theocentrism, or the centrality of God in decisions of human life.  Today, we turn to anthropocentrism, or the belief only in human intellect and capacity.  One can even be an atheist to live in this world.  If it were God himself, how far would he allow all these things to happen?

But at the same time, the God who punishes is the same God that saves.  By establishing Jesus, his Son, as coequal to him as he says, "I AM", every redemptive action of Jesus becomes the same salvific action of the Father to us.  This we shall see more during the Holy Week.  Jesus is the God who saves.

A final note: inasmuch as we respect the beliefs of everyone, still we are calling on Catholics and Christians to make a definitive stand for God. We call it faith.  It's time for faith to manifest itself in our thoughts and actions, view of life and being.