May 10

Today’s Readings: ACTS 6:1-7 PS 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19 1PT 2:4-9 JN 14:1-12

Today’s Gospel ends with some crazy words. These words are so inflammatory that if they weren’t said by Jesus Christ, they’d hardly be believable.

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Hold up. I believe in Jesus. You believe in Jesus. How are we going to do greater works than Jesus?

I’m not smart enough to answer this question, but I know someone who is.

St. Thomas Aquinas is a Doctor of the Universal Church. There are more than 10,000 canonized saints, but only 36 are recognized as Doctors of the Faith. All this to say, his words carry a deep understanding of the Faith. Here is what he had to say regarding these words of Christ:

“What is remarkable is that he adds, “and greater works than these will he do” (John 14:12)… Christ is speaking of this result or work when he says that believers “will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will do” (John 14:12), for the justification of the wicked is a greater work that the creation of heaven and earth. For the justification of the wicked, considered in itself, continues forever… But the heavens and the earth will pass away…” (Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Gospel of John, 1900, vol. 3, p. 66; quoting Augustine, In. Jo. Evan. 72.3; cf. CCC 1994).

David is the Director of Faith Formation at Our Lady of Joy. If you have comments or questions, send your emails to dlins@oloj.org.

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