Homily for 14 Apr 2016

14 Apr 2016

Even after all these centuries, we still wonder: Who is this Jesus, the Son of God?  He remains something of an enigma, a puzzle, a mystery.  And, in that, we’re similar maybe to the Ethiopian eunuch who wonders about the Prophet Isaiah, and who Isaiah is referring to.

Now, from the same Prophet, we hear these lines around Christmas time: “For a child has been born for us . . . and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Father Forever, Prince of Peace.”  But those words, “Father Forever,” are something of a mystery.  We don’t think of Jesus as “Father Forever;” instead, maybe as “Son Forever.”

But Isaiah seems to say otherwise.  And Jesus himself makes too tight of a connection between himself and the Father for us to ignore.  The Father is who draws people to Jesus.  And, as Jesus tells us, he and the Father are “one.”  We read these things in Scripture, and we still wonder: Who is this Jesus, the Son of God? 

Is he only the Son, or is he so wound up with the Father that he is also “Father Forever?”  When we look at the Crucifix, or see an image of Jesus, do we see not only him, but also the Father?  If we don’t, perhaps we should try. 

After all, Jesus is less interested in being the “Bread of Life” for his own sake, and is more interested in closing the gap between us and the Father.  Who is this Jesus we encounter in Scripture?  Well, among other things, he’s the Bridge . . . to the Father.  We eat his Flesh and drink his Blood to get on the Bridge, so that we can get over to the Father.

Just when we thought Jesus was enough, we see that he points us even further . . . to God the Father.  Through the Eucharist, he opens the way to the Heart of eternal life.  We may not know everything about Jesus.  But we know he always has something more to show us.