01/05/2026

It must have been difficult for the first century Chosen People and those who had joined with them to become "God fearers", worshippers of IAMIAM, to face up to and absorb the real-time events with which IAMIAM perfected his revelations that had first been made solely to the descendants of Abraham but were now to be broadcast to all the nations of the world.

In Jerusalem and Galilee, most of the leaders, priests, lawyers and scholars although they had witnessed many "signs" were so frustrated by the incomparable wonder of this uneducated wandering rabbi, who could not be bested in argument but did not boast of his powers, that they had to kill him for his very being revealed their weaknesses.

Their excuse to justify the death sentence to their rulers, the Romans that, "He would be King" is transformed by Jesus into the warning which subsequent centuries have largely ignored 

                                                        "My kingdom is not of this world".

There was no internet in the first century but in the Empire the roads enabled reports of events in far off places to travel incredibly quickly. The Synagogue in Psidian Antioch heard the news from Jerusalem almost as quickly as did the Galileans so they were not hearing the story of the crucifixion of Our Lord, out of the blue, for the first time.

It must have been, however, exceedingly difficult for them to hear that Paul now knew Jesus to be the Son of God. and also knew that they had all been called to become  likewise "children of the Most High".

In today's Gospel reading "that time" is the "Last Supper" when John and the other Apostles became gifted by FATHERSONHOLYSPIRIT with the spiritual knowledge and right intentions to become able to confect the Blessed Sacrament in the New Liturgy that would  replace Temple Worship in the era of our New Testament.

Without any trepidation, bluff St Thomas speaks directly to Jesus:

‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ 

and Jesus answers in an equally direct manner 

 ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’

Even though institutional Churches have very often scandalised to the extent that we have to doubt the presence of Jesus within them, we know that he will be with us until the end of time for even if "The Church" fails, he, in his dying breath, assured us of his forever presence in the New Holy Family which is the "Church of Love" the safe haven for our souls during our lifetimes when we are beset by the "things of this world" .

                                     "Woman behold your son. Son behold your mother."