Jesus reacts to those who don't believe in him, still trying to win their belief and warn them of coming judgment.
What can we learn about Jesus' relation to the Father? He is "begotten, not made" from the Father, "True God from True God, Light from light". Jesus is the Word spoken by the Father. Jesus is the Stream sent forth from the Fountain that is the Father. Therefore our faith in Jesus passes onto God the Father who sent Him. And as Jesus is sent by the Father, so we are sent by Christ: "'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'" (Jn 20:21-22).
"Light from light." Jesus is light, as the Father is light. A Church father writes, "[Jesus] calls Himself the light, because he delivers from error, and disperses the darkness of the understanding." And John's prologue gives another angle: "What came to be through [the Word, the Son] 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" (Jn 1:3-4). Think of the Easter Vigil when we celebrate Christ as our light with the Pascal candle, passing the flame to each other as we whisper "receive the light of Christ!" The light of Christ is life, and when we remain in Him we catch flame with his life and shine for all the world!
Jesus shows in this reading that he is both merciful and just: "in you justice and mercy shall embrace" it says in the mass. He is merciful in that he did not come to condemn the world but to save it, and he continues trying to save those who are stubbornly turning a deaf ear to his words. And He is just in that He is the Word which will judge us at the end of time, after God's period of forbearance has passed.
Lord, reveal to us the Mystery of the Father. Receive us, teach us, and give us the Holy Spirit so that we may be sent as ambassadors of Your presence in the world and be worthy of our name, "Christians." Come, be our light, and conquer the dark areas of our life and understanding with your saving power and truth. Catch us on fire with the light of your life! Be merciful to us, and lead us forward to progress in righteousness. Meet our desires for love and for justice as only You can.
Mary, mother of divine grace, grant us the grace of always remaining in the love of Christ. Direct our eyes swiftly and steadily to his Light, to his Person, and help us to remain enkindled with his light in our hearts at all times. Send your grace to disperse the confusions of our understanding, and the Holy Spirit to lead us to all truth! Lead us to Jesus so that we may know the Father, too, and have met our needs for love and justice.
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