The single most important word for Catholics is not a theological word like Trinity or a historical word like Pope or a philosophical word like transubstantiation. The single most important word for Catholics: A-N-D, and. Faith and reason, human and divine, three and one, justice and mercy, Bible and tradition, body and soul, spirit and flesh, spiritual and religious, time and eternity, heaven and earth. The Church gets in trouble when it loses the “and.” For example, if we just focus on Jesus’ nature as divine, as the Son of God, we lose the grounding in the human which keeps our spirituality connected with the nitty and the gritty of life. If we just concentrate on Jesus’ nature as human we miss that our lives are meant for more than this world but have an eternal destiny. Keeping that “and” is necessary, but it can be a challenge since it means we are often pulled in two directions at once. To illustrate, compare the first and second reading today. In the epistle St. Peter says that the Church is a “spiritual house, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” The followers of Jesus are called into his wonderful life. We’re blessed beyond belief. However, when we look at the first reading we find that the reality of Church does not always embody that ideal. In the book of Acts we read that from the very beginning racism and divisions existed in among believers. The Greek speakers were being discriminated against. You can imagine the first century equivalent of “we’ve got to secure our borders to keep the foreigner speakers out” or “they should all learn to speak Hebrew.” Instead of the heavenly ideal expressed in the epistle we have the messiness of all too human faults and failings. Who are we as Church? We’re created for the best AND we can act like we’re the worst. As we hear in the first reading the Church must structure itself to reflect the “and,” to care for both sides of our nature.
We hear in St. John’s Gospel, chapter 14, Jesus using “and” to describe his mission: “I am the way AND the truth AND the life.” Let’s unpack those words to see how we must hold onto the “and” in that phrase in order to follow Jesus. “I am the way.” Thomas’ frustrated statement, “we do not know where you are going,” shows that he imagines that following Jesus means attaining some goal, reaching some destination. We can think the same way. We’re really Christians once we are holy, once our prayer life is fulfilling, once we live in perfect charity. In telling his that he is the Way, Jesus wants us to understand that it the getting there, not the being there that matters. Jesus companions us on our up and down journey as we move in fits and starts toward a life in God. Obviously, if you on the way you are taking steps. Sometimes eager steps, sometimes reluctant steps. Sometimes steps springing with energy, sometimes steps full of pain. The point is to keep moving. We might stumble along the way, we might get weary on the way, we might feel we’re not making any progress. The road is long with many a winding turn that leads us to who knows where, as the song goes. But the blessed assurance of Jesus is that if we are faithful to the journey, despite the occasional misstep, he will be with us even if we’re blind to his presence like the disciples on the road to Emmaus. The Christian life means keeping on keeping on since Jesus is the Way.
AND he is the truth. That is to say that there is a true way, a right way, a correct way on which we travel. On the journey of life we must find the path. As Thomas Aquinas once observed, limping along in the right direction will get you where you are going faster than racing in the wrong direction. The truth of Jesus is found in how he lived out his mission from the Father. He brought healing, compassion, forgiveness, peace to those he encountered in life. He so identified with those who were in need – the hungry, the sick, the imprisoned – that he said “whatsoever you do to them, you do to me.” The truth of Jesus is that when the face of God turns toward us, it requires reaching out and touching those who are hurting. Jesus proves when we see love in action we find the truth.
AND, he is the life. This is an echo of another saying of Jesus, “I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” This talk of being on the way and of finding the true path can make it seem as if following Jesus is a chore, an onerous burden to take on. “Oh, okay. I’ll do it.” But the contrary it true – being a Christian is about abundant life. There is a special providence that today is Mothers’ Day in the US because it helps us understand what Jesus means by life. A mother is, of course, the ones who bring forth new life into the world. But this is not a mere matter of biology, a physical process. Mothers don’t just produce life and then walk away. No, they nurture life, they promote life, they encourage life. Their care and devotion over the years matter more than providing a womb for nine months. Caring for their child, feeding their child, nursing their child, teaching their child are what makes life happen. So when Jesus says, “I am the life” he is saying it in a maternal way. I am the one who makes you glad to be alive. That is why he begins this sermon by saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Faith in Jesus ensures that no matter how things seem to be going our human life made for love and joy.
I am the way. We join with Jesus as we journey through life with daily fidelity. AND I am the truth. We follow the true path Jesus lays out for us, a path of mercy. AND I am the life. We have the blessed assurance that love is stronger than death. Jesus AND us. Life AND love. Now AND forever. AMEN.
