And he saw and believed

FRIDAY 27 DECEMBER (Jn 20,2-8)

Jesus not only speaks to us about the Father, but also shows him to us through his life. Each of his works is an attestation of this unity of life that exists between him and his Father: “No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him” (Jn 1,18). “Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves” (Jn 14,8-11). Whoever wants that the man to whom he speaks believes in Jesus, he too must show that between him and Jesus there is an intimate union and communion of life. Perfect harmony must reign between faith in Christ and life in Christ. What is said is life. What is life is said. The other sees this harmony, communion, union and correspondence and opens to faith.

Faith being a true and full human act, a true and full human act must be its announcement. The entire man must participate in the announcement of faith. Here is how Giovanni lives the announcement as a true human act: “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life – for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us – what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing this so that our joy may be complete” (1Jn 1,1-4). The Gospel is not just what Jesus said. But also what Jesus did. He did not do it and neither did he say it for his own humanity, but because he handed himself completely over to the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Gospel is the story of Christ who lives and works in the fullness of his human and divine, earthly and heavenly mystery. Even the disciple of Jesus, if he wants man to come or open himself to faith in Christ for him, must present himself with all the power of his being transformed by the love of the Father, by the grace of Christ and by the communion of the Holy Spirit. It is always an essential and perennial way to go through.

So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.

Even in the Apostle John faith is born of vision. In truth he did not see the Risen Christ. He saw the signs left in the tomb by the resurrection of his Master. In the tomb there is a wonderful, angelic and divine order. This order reveals to him that Jesus is truly risen, according to the Word he spoke and also according to the ancient prophecies. The disciple of Jesus announces the resurrection. What must man see to believe in the Word that announces the mystery of Christ the Lord? The order of grace, truth, justice and holiness that reigns in the tomb of sin which is the body of man. Having sin left the body of man, its place has been taken by virtues. They are the ones that reveal that He is truly risen in Christ the Lord. But if sin, vice, transgression and all the works of the flesh dwell in his body, this vision will never lead to faith in Christ. It is clearly evident that Jesus has not risen in him. The signs worked by the coming in his body of the Risen Christ are missing. The Word must always be accompanied by the signs of the virtues, of grace and of every fruit of the Holy Spirit. Faith will always be born if our body is emptied of every vice.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints ensure that our body is full of light, grace and truth.