03/05/2023

Thomas is remembered as "Doubting Thomas". We know of Philip mainly as the teacher and spiritual father of the Royal Treasurer of Ethiopia and the natural father of daughters mentioned in the Acts as "prophets". In today's Gospel he is reprimanded for being unaware of the reality of what he has been witnessing during the last three years.

He has been together with the Way Itself, both learning and witnessing the Truth of the New Life that is Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the Resurrection. The Resurrection is looking into his eyes with disbelief. How can so many spiritual gifts have been given to him and yet he does not  know that The Father and Jesus are One.

Jesus hides nothing from us. He has revealed the totality of God's gift to us. Our first parents got it wrong and for thousands of years afterwards no matter what gifts God lavished on the chosen people they always proved their unfaithfulness. Today there are no "Chosen People". Each individual human soul in our World living now here with us, or "being "in the other Spiritual World, waiting in Time or Timelesness for the Parouisia at which there will be the Judgement opening our beings to "God the All in All". What we will become then has not been revealed to us.

Philip is reprimanded. How much more must I reprimand myself not because of my faulty understanding. No one except Father Son and Holy Spirit can truly know, love and serve for that is the being of God. But for wasting my being and freedom by not trying to know love and serve with totality of mind, body and soul.

Dear Lord I want nothing more than to worship and serve you in this world. Let me avoid sin for it defiles all my good intentions and refuses the grace of your forgiveness. May Mary's and all the saints' pleas for grace for all sinners bring all of us to the forgiveness that was won for us by Jesus our saviour.