That you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God

8 JUNE (Jn 20,19-33)

John writes the Gospel, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, with only one intention: testifying that Jesus is not a Messiah of pure flesh, pure humanity and pure immanence even if he is alimented and governed with all wisdom, knowledge and omnipotence of the Father. He is not a mere man. He is true man, but not only that. He is the Eternal Word of God made flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary. This truth is placed at the beginning of his Gospel as a seal for his whole life: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. John testified to him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'” From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him” (Cf. Jn 1,1-18).  

Everything is understood, everything becomes clear, intelligible, rational and true in this truth. This truth is what makes the difference between Jesus and every other man. All men have been created by Him. But he has not been created. He was generated by God in eternity and from eternity. Jesus is the true substantial son of the Father. Today, this truth is jamming in the minds of many disciples of Jesus. In the heart of many there is a frightening eclipse of Him. A frightening relativism is being created. He is being emptied of what is his true essence: the divinity, eternity, the consubstantial unity of nature with God, his eternal generation and his being the only Son of the Father. It is necessary to react. Jesus must be placed on the candlestick of his eternal, divine, human, historical, meta-historical, salvation, redemption, justification, omnipotence, mercy, charity and vicarious atonement, truth. Nothing must be taken away from him.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (Jesus) said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of (his) disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

The way is from the faith in Jesus’ name. However, His is not a human name. It is an everlasting, divine, transcendent and heavenly name. All the others have a human earthly name, of mere flesh. His is a powerfully different name. It is the only name that saves us.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints give us true faith in Jesus.