That you believe in the one he sent

M0NDAY 27 APRIL (Jn 6,22-29)

Why is it necessary to believe in the Word of Christ, but by believing in Christ, in his Person, sent by God? Because the Father established with an eternal decree that the salvation, life, light, grace, truth, justice, resurrection and bliss of every man is Christ. The Father and the Holy Spirit also give themselves in Christ. Not only Christ is everything, but everything is acquired and lived in Christ, with Christ and for Christ: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.

Our faith is different than any other faith and creed. Word, life, salvation, redemption and their Author are not only one thing, but everything is lived in Him, with Him and for Him: “In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the one who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ. In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory” (Eph 1,3-14). Jesus was not sent like Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah or even like all the other prophets. Jesus is the only Person of his kind in the history of salvation and humanity. He does not tell men a way of salvation. He is the way of salvation. He does not manifest where men’s live is. He is life. This is true of light, truth, justice, mercy and every other gift of grace. Everything is he, everything is in him, everything is lived for him, with him and in him. But also Christian holiness is not outside of him. Our holiness is the conformation of our life to his. The Father is not pleased except in Him. He is pleased with us if we are his children of adoption in Him and if we conform our life to his.

The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat, but only his disciples had left. Other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread when the Lord gave thanks. When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

It is the will of the Father that we believe in Jesus sent by Him. True faith is in the Person of Jesus. But who is He according to fullness of truth. He is the universal, immortal, eternal Mediator between the Father, the entire creation and every man. But this is still too little. As the Son is the life of the Father, so the Father wants Christ to be the life of every man. He wants that with Christ we become one, becoming one light, truth, grace, love and mercy. This is why we must believe not only in the Word of Jesus, but in Jesus and in all that He, by the will of the Father, is for us. By removing Christ, in whom salvation is, we remain without truth, without light and without eternal life.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints arrange that Christ Jesus returns to be the heart of faith.