I am not the most observational person in the world. I recall riding my motorcycle with some friends on some country roads near my home. It is not unusual for me to pass by deer in the fields alongside the road and not see them until either I pass by or they run right in front of me. One episode like that resulted in my getting up close and personal with one of these “fur missiles”. But it was on this particular ride that clearly demonstrated my straight ahead focus. At least that is what I like to call it. On this occasion I got to my destination and one of the guys said to me, “wow. Got pretty close to that sheep back there”. Now, it is understandable to not see a deer…but a sheep?! How many people do you know almost ride into a sheep and don’t know it?!
I was at the Troy Veterinary Clinic a few weeks ago and was running around panicked because I could not find my note book with all my case notations. Exasperated I asked the crew if they had seen it. One reluctantly responded with, “you mean the one there in your hand?” Just tonight Elise came home and I asked her for some examples of my observational blindness for me to use in this reflection. While getting her thoughts together I ask her where the plastic top is so that I could seal the can of cranberry sauce. She said in the drawer with all the measuring spoons. My response? “I already looked in there several times” Of course, she checked it out and found the item in a millisecond.
When telling my Cursillo Brothers about having a mental block about this week’s reflection, Bob reminded me of the story where my Father was remodeling the bathroom when I was 8 or 10 years old and had the toilet pulled up and in the middle of the bathroom. He could not believe it when he found me actually using the disconnected throne. I think I may have mentioned this incident in a past reflection but I thought that it was worth mentioning again to get the point across of my laser focus on what is only directly in my line of sight and, more importantly, what is in my own direct interest.
It is with this background that I read today’s Gospel. A few of the Apostles seem to have had my propensity for missing the obvious. First it is Thomas of doubting Thomas fame. Before him not believing that the other 10 had seen the risen Christ, he famously misunderstood Jesus’ intent when He told His followers that they could not follow Him where He was going. Thomas, apparently wanting Jesus to provide GPS coordinates, replied wondering how they could know where He is going since they do not know the way.
And Phillip. Phillip, Phillip, Phillip. He asks Jesus:
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.* From now on you do know him and have seen him. ”Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father,* and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus, in another apparent head slapping moment responds to Phillip with:
“Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
I thought I was bad in not seeing a wooly road warrior trying to take me out on my motorcycle, but these guys!? Come on. They have spent almost every waking hour over the previous three years watching Jesus perform miracle after miracle. And hearing Him directly telling them that He was sent by the Father and that He and the Father were one and the same. And STILL, they ask Him to show them the Father and where He is going.
And it is in this passage that we hear Jesus state very clearly who He is and what we need to do in order to achieve eternal life:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Now I cannot say whether God has exceptions. Whether there will be those who do not accept Jesus as the Christ and will still be saved. I mean He did make an exception for the whole Baptism requirement for entry into heaven when He told the good thief that he would be with Him this day in paradise. And in Revelations we hear about the 144,000 from every tribe of Israel who will be standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion and having the name of God written on their foreheads.
But for those of us who God has given us the grace to know His Son as the Son of God, I think we are called to abide by Jesus’ words that we cannot go to The Father without going through the Son. I believe this goes back to the only sin that Jesus told us will never be forgiven. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit. In other words, turning our backs on the promises Jesus revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. Right up to the end.
As it has been said, God does not send us to Hell. We book the trip on Expedia all by ourselves. I think of Billy Joel’s song, “Only the Good Die Young”. In it he has the line, “And they say there’s a heaven for those who will wait. Some say it’s better, but I say it ain’t. I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. The sinners are much more fun” (Of course, we can’t really turn to Mr. Joel for clarity on Catholic teachings. In the same song he confuses the sacrament of Communion with Conformation, as he talks about getting a nice white dress and a party on your Confirmation).
So, Jesus tells us over and over in the Scriptures that he is God. Unequivocally. Are we paying attention? Do we miss the tabernacle while looking for the holy water? Do we walk past the Confessional while searching for coffee and donuts. Or maybe walk into the sanctuary and ask,, “when did they put that big Crucifix up front?” We must all learn to stop and smell the roses of our faith with the nose that God put right in the middle of our faces.
