You have faith in God; have faith also in me

26 APRIL (Jn 14,1-6)

What today Jesus is asking his disciples, is the universal law of faith. Faith must always be twofold, never one, always in two persons, never in one. It must be faith in the sent and in the sender. Not two separate and distinct faiths: one in the sent and the other in the sender, but one faith, the same that is in the sender must be in the sent. If this unity is absent, there is no true mission of salvation.

This truth is manifested us already from the first mission in history. The first missionary was Moses. This unity of faith was fulfilled in him. The one of the children of Israel was faith in God and faith in Moses, one faith, not two. This unity must be so high, as to be considered as one source of faith, not two. The subjects are two; however, the faith is one. This is what the Book of Exodus reveals us.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord swept the sea with a strong east wind throughout the night and so turned it into dry land. When the water was thus divided, the Israelites marched into the midst of the sea on dry land, with the water like a wall to their right and to their left. The Egyptians followed in pursuit; all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and charioteers went after them right into the midst of the sea. In the night watch just before dawn the Lord cast through the column of the fiery cloud upon the Egyptian force a glance that threw it into a panic; and he so clogged their chariot wheels that they could hardly drive. With that the Egyptians sounded the retreat before Israel, because the Lord was fighting for them against the Egyptians. Then the Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and their charioteers.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth. The Egyptians were fleeing head on toward the sea, when the Lord hurled them into its midst. As the water flowed back, it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh’s whole army which had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not a single one of them escaped. But the Israelites had marched on dry land through the midst of the sea, with the water like a wall to their right and to their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel on that day from the power of the Egyptians. When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore and beheld the great power that the Lord had shown against the Egyptians, they feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant Moses. (Ex 14,21-31).

Jesus asks his apostles to have a double faith: in Him and in His Father, in Him and in God. One faith, not two. Jesus Christ is the true Word of the Father. The Father speaks through Him. To his Word must be accorded the same faith that is accorded to the Word of God. Having faith in Jesus also means that he is today the true Word of the Father. All the others must be interpreted, updated, read, understood, starting from his Word. This is the only hermeneutics rule according to which to read what Jesus is saying to his Apostles. God is speaking to them through Him.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where (I) am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

This same principle of the double source of faith is valid for Jesus and his disciples. Every disciple of Jesus must always be able to say: Have faith in Jesus and have faith in me. His word must be the Word of Jesus in the same way that the Word of Jesus is the Word of God, of his Father. When this unity is built, then the word of the disciple will be rich in works of salvation and conversion.

As the Word of Jesus is the Word of the Father in the Holy Spirit of truth and Jesus dwelt in the Holy Spirit; so it must be for every one of his disciples. This must dwell in the Spirit of truth so that his word is truth and therefore always worthy of true faith. If the disciple lives outside of the Spirit of truth, none of his words might be said to be truth and to none might faith be accorded. Without faith there is failure, because only the word worthy of faith is credible and life can be built only on it.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints give us a word worthy of faith.