Gospel reflection for the 5th Sunday of Easter.

May 14th. – Jesus the Way, the Truth and the Life

We live a time of twenty four hour news on our televisions. We are surrounded and even bombarded by countless magazines and newspapers every day. There is more news and information available to us through the internet that we can manage or cope with. The news and its headlines change from day to day. Yesterday’s news is not news! Celebrities come and go day by day.

However, in all this, Jesus remains constant. The letter to the Hebrews reminds us of this with these words, ‘Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and as he will be forever’. In a world in which we are surrounded by fast changing news and even ‘fake news’ Jesus is our Way, our Truth and our Life, every day and for all our days.

The media and advertisements tell us that unless we have the latest phone, the fastest car and the most expensive clothes, that we won’t be happy, content or fulfilled. This is ‘fake news’ and it not the good news Jesus offers us. Our unique sacred dignity does not come from what we buy and own. Our deepest and truest sense of self-worth comes from being created and loved by God. It doesn’t matter who we are or where we are from; we are loved just as we are. As the second reading this Sunday clearly tells us, ‘we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated people, a people set apart; we are called out of darkness brought and into the light of God’. This is good news, not fake news!

Jesus is not a celebrity. He is not here today and gone tomorrow. He does not offer us quick, easy or instant solutions to life’s daily problems. But he does promise to be with us walking by our side every step of the way.

When we are lost, Jesus is our Way. When we are confused, Jesus is our Truth. When we are experiencing darkness, Jesus is our Life.

As we continue our journey through Easter, may we realise and appreciate deeply that we are a chosen race, royal priesthood and a consecrated nation.

• Michael Moore OMI