Has anyone seen Jesus?

Today's Scripture Selections

For some reason, as I read today's Gospel, it seemed as though Jesus was being a little cryptic with His disciples, but then I re-read it and He was actually being pretty straight forward - it was the disciples who were being a little obtuse.

Jesus says this: "If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him." He is reiterating what He has said elsewhere: He and the Father are one. He is also reinforcing His identity: He is the face of God for all humanity. The Father knew that humanity would always struggle to be in relationship with Him because man could not behold Him face to face. Why? Because the Father has no face. This - is the identify of Jesus - He is the face of God for all of humanity, so that we might come to know the love that God has for us in a personal way.

You might think to yourself: 'well that's great for the relatively limited number of people that got to meet Him face to face, but what about the rest of us?' Interestingly, our experience of Him is even greater: He wants to live IN US. Why? So that we can be HIS FACE to the rest of humanity. We can see in today's Gospel that Jesus is passing down His power and authority to those who believe in Him. This belief cannot be lip service, or reciting a Creed, or saying a rosary, or even just showing up at Mass. It has to be accompanied by a physical life that lives in that belief. It is NEVER just a spiritual thing. If it were, Jesus would not have had to become man and walk among us. So we, as believers in Him, must 'reflect' His image to the world.

When we do this, with His very body inside of us, and His Spirit swirling about in our very lungs, we will "do the works that [Jesus] do[es], and will do greater ones than these," What are His works that we will do? Serve others, bring about healing, bring about forgiveness, reconcile people with the Father. If we are focused on living out these tasks, then, like Paul and Barnabas, when people experience us, they will "Glorif[y] the word of the Lord"

If those around us have not seen Jesus, then we better get to work.