Although Jesus had performed so many signs before the people, they did not believe him.
John 12:37
The Gospel of John illuminates our minds today about how the lack of faith kept the Pharisees alienated from the truths of eternal life in Christ, The Messiah.
There were some among the Pharisees who did believe in Christ as Messiah, however they were too concerned with public opinion and being cast out of the synogogue, so they could not find the courage to speak out about their faith.
Let us be conscious of the light of Christ saturating our lives even when our own faith is tested by life’s difficult times such as the death of a loved one, or a paralyzing illness. Tough situations often cause us to experience doubts about God’s presence in our daily lives and sometimes sour our faith.
St. Therese, the Little Flower wrote about her own doubts while she was assailed by illness. Her human problems at times caused her to experience dark moments where she questioned the existence of Heaven. She once wrote to a Prioress: “You know well that God has deigned me to pass through many types of trials. I have suffered very much…” But although the Little Flower endured hard times in her spiritual life and on her journey to becoming, she continued her piety and acts of faith. She moved towards God despite all her troubles.
So during Holy Week keep the image of moving forward towards faith and God foremost in your minds, and pray that the Lord increase our faith day by day, no matter what sufferings we face.
Amen+
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