FRIENDS and SERVANTS of the WORD
MARCH 23, 2023 Fourth THURSDAY of Lent
WORD of the DAY
Jesus said to the Jews: “If
I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true. But there is another who
testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is
true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not
accept human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a
burning and shining lamp,
and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony
greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these
works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover,
the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his
voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because
you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures, because
you think you have eternal life through them;
even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life.
“I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the
love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet
if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe,
when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes
from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the
one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you
had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But
if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” (John 5: 31-47)
“How shall I live this Word? 
Jesus’ discourse continues in chapter 5 of John. In this passage, Jesus speaks of those who testify in His favor. The first witness is John the Baptist, the one who began to shed light on the identity of Jesus. However, even if John’s testimony is very important, Jesus does not depend on him. He has a witness for Him that is greater than John’s testimony, namely, the works that the Father does through Him. Testimony from others or to others is the transmission of the truth which is enriched step by step. If the testimony is true and is dictated by love, it produces freedom and life. If the testimony is false, it produces slavery and death of the heart. So it is precisely on the testimony, or rather, on the quality of the testimony that human existence, our existence, is at stake.
This passage places each and every one before their own responsibilities. In all that we are and do we can bear witness to the Truth which is Jesus. It is not enough to open the Bible; it is necessary to open the heart. Sometimes we listen to things as long as it is convenient for us: when it comes to committing ourselves, to act on what we have heard, we draw back. “And you just for a moment wanted to rejoice in His light.” (Jn 5:35) It is not enough to read the Word greedily; it is necessary to internalize it, let oneself be shaped by its power and beauty and bear witness to it in everyday life. We need to learn to listen to what God wants to tell us through our brothers and sisters.
Today, in my contemplative pause, I set aside a time to ask myself and question myself: what does my way of acting say about me? Does it bear witness to the Truth?
The Voice of Pope Francis Angelus November 16, 2014
Any environment, even the most distant and impracticable, can become a place where talents can bear fruit. There are no situations or places precluded from Christian presence and witness. The testimony that Jesus asks of us is not closed, it is open, it depends on us.
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E-mail: srmterzo@gmail.com Website: www.sanbiagio.org info@sanbiagio.org Blog: livingscripture.wordpress.com Comment by Sr. Vilma Colombo, FMA
