Jesus ascends to Heaven, but assures: I will be with you!
José Ricardo F. Bezerra “At that time, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” (Mt 28:16-20) Introduction Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. In some places it is celebrated on ...
Veni Creator

Jesus Promises the Spirit: “I will not leave you orphans”
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them ...

Jesus Reveals the Father: Whoever Has Seen Me Has Seen the Father
The Gospel of John 14:1-12, proclaimed on this Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year A, is set within Jesus’ long farewell discourse at the Last Supper (Jn 13–17). The apostles have just heard the announcement of Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial, and their hearts are troubled. It is in this context that Jesus pronounces the words of consolation that open this Sunday’s Gospel: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me” (Jn 14:1). The verse that synthesizes today’s meditation, however, is Philip’s request and Jesus’ answer: “Show us the Father, and that will be enough for us” — “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:8-9). It is one of ...

The Road to Emmaus: The Lord Makes Our Hearts Burn and Stays with Us!
The Gospel of Luke (Lk 24:13–35) proclaimed on the 3rd Sunday of Easter narrates one of the most beautiful and pedagogical passages in all of Scripture: Jesus’ encounter with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. It is the story of a “descent”—physical and spiritual—that becomes a glorious “ascent” back into faith. Jesus draws near to our desolation in order, through the Word and the Bread, to restore to us the joy of the Resurrection. To help you pray with this Word, we highlight the five central points of our reflection in the podcast: https://youtu.be/SNlwXAozEIs (with subtitles available in various languages). Jesus: The Pilgrim and the “Good Samaritan” In the text, Jesus takes on several facets: He is the concrete ...

The Encounter with the Samaritan Woman: The Living Water and the Gift of God
On this Third Sunday of Lent, we leave the desert and the mountain to sit with Jesus beside Jacob’s well, in Sychar, in Samaria. The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman (Jn 4:5–42) is one of the richest and most profound passages of the Gospels, revealing once again how God takes the initiative to come and meet us, even in our sin, dryness, and weariness. Jesus, tired from the journey, reveals Himself as the One who thirsts to give us Himself, the Gift of God and the Living Water. To help you pray with this Gospel, we present below the five points we reflected on in the podcast (https://youtu.be/3FuBzAzJdmM), which you may watch to deepen your prayer with the ...