May 17 2024 4 mins
Saturday 7th week of Easter "Jn 21:20-25"
This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. This is the end of the Gospel of St John, who saw all these things and many more. This witness couldn't write everything. So Jesus sent the Holy Spirit and founded the Church. The meaning is clear: Sacred Scripture isn't everything; we need also what the Spirit has said through the apostles (Tradition) and their successors (the Church's teaching, that we call 'Magisterium'). In this way, the Holy Spirit can still reveal the meaning of Scripture to us. Sacred Scripture is like a letter from Jesus to everyone, and He made sure that everyone could receive it and understand it: Everyone! from any race, language or background. That's the mission of the Church, governed by the Holy Spirit watching over Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium. How beautiful Our Mother the Church is, and how much we should love her and behave as her good children! Love her for being the immaculate Bride of Christ, for having been born from His opened Side, for having begotten us as children, nourished us, brought us forgiveness and for teaching us to love God. But not everyone can see her beauty. It is like the stained glass windows of an old cathedral. Seen from the outside, you just perceive strips of dark dusty glass joined with black lead. However, seen from the inside, with the sun's rays passing through them, you contemplate a spectacle of colours and figures that fill you with awe. The same happens with the Church: seen from the outside, with a worldly vision, as an 'institution' or an 'organization', you don't see anything but darkness and miseries. But from the inside, with the eyes of faith and the light of grace, you see a wondrous edifice, a perfectly assembled body, the beautiful Spouse that Jesus Christ loves. "What joy to be able to say with all the fervour of my soul: I love my Mother the holy Church!" (St Josemaría). Mary, Mother of the Church, teach me to love her as the Bride of Christ.
This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. This is the end of the Gospel of St John, who saw all these things and many more. This witness couldn't write everything. So Jesus sent the Holy Spirit and founded the Church. The meaning is clear: Sacred Scripture isn't everything; we need also what the Spirit has said through the apostles (Tradition) and their successors (the Church's teaching, that we call 'Magisterium'). In this way, the Holy Spirit can still reveal the meaning of Scripture to us. Sacred Scripture is like a letter from Jesus to everyone, and He made sure that everyone could receive it and understand it: Everyone! from any race, language or background. That's the mission of the Church, governed by the Holy Spirit watching over Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium. How beautiful Our Mother the Church is, and how much we should love her and behave as her good children! Love her for being the immaculate Bride of Christ, for having been born from His opened Side, for having begotten us as children, nourished us, brought us forgiveness and for teaching us to love God. But not everyone can see her beauty. It is like the stained glass windows of an old cathedral. Seen from the outside, you just perceive strips of dark dusty glass joined with black lead. However, seen from the inside, with the sun's rays passing through them, you contemplate a spectacle of colours and figures that fill you with awe. The same happens with the Church: seen from the outside, with a worldly vision, as an 'institution' or an 'organization', you don't see anything but darkness and miseries. But from the inside, with the eyes of faith and the light of grace, you see a wondrous edifice, a perfectly assembled body, the beautiful Spouse that Jesus Christ loves. "What joy to be able to say with all the fervour of my soul: I love my Mother the holy Church!" (St Josemaría). Mary, Mother of the Church, teach me to love her as the Bride of Christ.