If you know me, then you will also know my Father

3 MAY (Jn 14,6-14)

Is it right we ask ourselves a question: how do you come to the true knowledge of God? What are the ways for the light of the Lord to shine upon us? The ways of theology, philosophy and of any other human science are insufficient and lacking.

God is known through an empirical science, that is, through the event in history of his greatness, truth, omnipotence, universal lordship, government of nature and prophecy about the future. This path is that of the prophets. The first who applied it in an extraordinary and great way, was Moses before the Pharaoh and all of his people.

After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may celebrate a feast to me in the desert.” Pharaoh answered, “Who is the Lord, that I should heed his plea to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord; even if I did, I would not let Israel go.” They replied, “The God of the Hebrews has sent us word. Let us go a three days’ journey in the desert, that we may offer sacrifice to the Lord, our God; otherwise he will punish us with pestilence or the sword.” The king of Egypt answered them, “What do you mean, Moses and Aaron, by taking the people away from their work? Off to your labor! Look how numerous the people of the land are already,” continued Pharaoh, “and yet you would give them rest from their labor!” That very day Pharaoh gave the taskmasters and foremen of the people this order: “You shall no longer supply the people with straw for their brick making as you have previously done. Let them go and gather straw themselves! Yet you shall levy upon them the same quota of bricks as they have previously made. Do not reduce it. They are lazy; that is why they are crying, ‘Let us go to offer sacrifice to our God.’ Increase the work for the men, so that they keep their mind on it and pay no attention to lying words.”

So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and told them, “Thus says Pharaoh: I will not provide you with straw. Go and gather the straw yourselves, wherever you can find it. Yet there must not be the slightest reduction in your work.” The Israelite foremen knew they were in a sorry plight, having been told not to reduce the daily amount of bricks. When, therefore, they left Pharaoh and came upon Moses and Aaron, who were waiting to meet them, they said to them, “The Lord look upon you and judge! You have brought us into bad odor with Pharaoh and his servants and have put a sword in their hands to slay us.” Moses again had recourse to the Lord and said, “Lord, why do you treat this people so badly? And why did you send me on such a mission? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has maltreated this people of yours, and you have done nothing to rescue them” (Cf. Ex 5,1-23).

The Lord manifests Himself to Pharaoh conducting a series of miracles through which he expressed his absolute rule over all creation. Everything obeys the Lord, even death. No man has power over death. The Lord governs it. On the model of Moses, but in a way infinitely greater and more universal, Jesus reveals the Father through all his works. Jesus has the absolute rule over the entire creation. But he is also the giver of eternal life that the Father puts entirely in his hands for the salvation of all men. Seeing Jesus is seeing God, without any difference.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 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. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.

This is the same way is valid for every disciple of Jesus. He must not walk through the roads of science and doctrine. They are all ineffective. Instead he must start down the road of the manifestation of God with the power of words, deeds and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints form us at the school of Jesus.