Jesus tells the crowd to believe in the light
Bible Accent: Studying the Bible
Saint for Today: St. Braulio
Puzzle
Jesus tells the crowd to believe in the light
Although the Passover feast was a Jewish tradition, some Greek travelers had come to worship during the celebration as well. They also had a specific request they hoped would be granted. They found Philip, who was one of the apostles chosen by Jesus, and they said to him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”
Philip went and found Andrew, his brother, who was also an apostle. Andrew went with Philip directly to Jesus, who as usual was surrounded by many people who had come to hear him teach.
Jesus told his two apostles, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. … Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.”
Jesus became more serious and said, “I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.” Then Jesus declared, “Father, glorify your name.”
As soon as Jesus said this, a loud voice spoke from the sky. “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” The crowd heard this, but they did not agree on what had actually happened. Some said, “An angel has spoken to him,” but others dismissed it as thunder.
Jesus addressed the crowd. “This voice did not come for my sake but for yours. Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”
The people wanted to know what Jesus was talking about. “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. Then how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” Jesus answered, “The light will be among you only a little while. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of the light.”
READ MORE ABOUT IT:
John 12
Q&A
1. What did Philip do when the men asked to see Jesus?
2. What did the voice from the sky say?
Bible Accent: Studying the Bible
Readings from the Bible are a very important part of Mass. In many churches, a lay minister will read from the Old Testament and the New Testament, and a priest or deacon will read the Gospel. The priests often base their homilies on one of the readings. Religious-education classes are designed to help us understand church history, teachings and doctrines, all of which are rooted in the Scriptures. There are many books available that help us to study the Bible, such as concordances, Bible atlases and almanacs, and, of course, our religious-education textbooks. Many editions of the Bible include study guides that provide background information about the different books of the Bible, social customs of the time and biographies of some of the writers. The more we know about the Bible, the better we can understand how God wants us to live.
Saint for Today: St. Braulio
Braulio (590-651) was born into a family of nobility, and he proved himself to be an excellent student at a college in Seville, Spain, that had been founded by St. Isidore. Isidore, who was teaching at the college, considered Braulio a friend rather than just a student. Braulio was ordained a priest and was promoted to Bishop of Saragossa after the death of his brother, who had previously held that position. Even in this new post, Braulio continued to work with Isidore, and together they tried to restore order to the church and re-establish ecclesiastical discipline, meaning the ways in which church doctrine is followed. Braulio was invited to participate in the fourth, fifth and sixth Councils of Toledo. He also always allowed time for prayer and devotion in his daily life. He earned the love of his congregation because of his compassion and work for the poor. We honor him on March 26.
Puzzle
