John 5: 33-36 – Advent Week 3, Friday (Audio Bible, Spoken Word)
33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
36 ¶ But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
Jesus pays tribute to John as a great prophet, bringing the truth of God to the people, as a burning and a shining light. There is perhaps a veiled rebuke as Jesus reminds the people that they flocked to him for a period, as if theirs was a fickle and fleeting regard. Nonetheless, Jesus speaks of John now to help the people, because John witnessed Christ and that witness could help people to believe and so be saved.
According to Jewish custom, it was not enough for a man to testify in his own cause – he needed the witness of others. While Jesus has no need in himself for another man’s testimony, still John was there to proclaim Jesus Christ for the sake of Jews.
John was a great prophet, and yet there is a greater witness: the miracles Jesus performs are signs that the Kingdom of God is present, that God’s active presence within the world has been renewed and changed in character through the works of Jesus. God is with us. This is truth.
See also: John 5: 31-47 – Lent Week Four, Thursday [link pending]
The Jews – often in the Gospel of John a generic term for those who reject Christ, or those who are so muddled, contentious and sectarian among themselves that they threaten the continuity of themselves in the Law – do not reject Jesus for any good reason. They do so rather because they cling to what precious little they have, within their prison walls, and so they deliberately blind themselves to the universal, and universalizing, truth which Christ brings. Jesus knows this. Nevertheless, through justice, he must give to the Jews this additional opportunity to listen to his teaching and recognize the truth of who he is. We may imagine that Jesus is truly desperate for the people of God to put aside their differences and truly be with God.
Jesus, God the Son, humbles himself now by saying that he will not now ask to be recognized by his own testament. Nonetheless, he wishes to save the people and, in order to achieve this, have them recognize the truth of his being and of his preaching.
Jesus cites, therefore, the witness of John the Baptist, of his own miracles, of his Father, and of the prophets of the Old Testament of the Bible.
Jesus celebrates the life of John the Baptist. His doing so points additionally to some of the failings of the Jews, who may not have been true and constant in their regard for the teachings offered to them. ‘He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.’ There is the suggestion of a passing regard, whereas in truth John the Baptist prepared the way for the people to welcome Christ.
We recall the fate of John the Baptist, as of other prophets.
Jesus tells the Jews to search the scriptures. He implies both that through doing so they will discover the truth about who he is and also that they have been blind to the scriptures for too long, reading and re-reading and re-reading them, while failing all the while to grasp the truth of God. Their persistence in their false way of reading will not bring any benefit; rather the converse, as they will grievously discover in AD 70.
Jesus is here, on earth, in the name of the Father. He is God the Son. He wants people to know this because this is important. Jesus must feel great frustration, and this also because the Jewish people not only do not recognize him for who he is but also do not seem to have read the scriptures properly. ‘For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me.’
John’s Gospel tells us that it is through the whole course of the Bible, not the New Testament alone, that Christ’s message is proclaimed. In this passage of the Bible, we are taught a part of what has been missing from our reading of the Bible. The people have not responded to the Old Testament Bible teaching of the Law with love; they have not welcomed God into their hearts and souls; belief has gone missing amid a mass of confused detail.
Now God has seen this and cares so much that he has sent his Son to remedy the situation. Some will listen, some will not. The sacrifice of Christ will, though, be the central redeeming fact of all time.
‘He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.’
‘Ignorance has been taken away, difficulties have been made easier, and the sacred blood of Christ has extinguished the flaming sword which blocked the way to life. The darkness of the former night has given way to the true light.’ Pope St Leo the Great
‘6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.’ (1 John 5: 6-12)
Padre Pio, also known as Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, was an Italian Capuchin friar who lived from 1887 to 1968. He is renowned for his piety, his stigmata, and his gift of healing, and has become a beloved figure in the Christian world. Born into a devout Catholic family in Pietrelcina, Italy, Padre Pio felt a calling to the priesthood from a young age. He entered the Capuchin order in 1903 and was ordained a priest in 1910. He spent much of his life as a humble friar, dedicated to prayer, the sacraments, and the service of others. Padre Pio’s most famous spiritual gift was the stigmata, the visible wounds of Christ that he bore on his hands, feet, and side. He experienced this phenomenon for over 50 years, from 1918 until his death in 1968. While some were skeptical of his wounds, many believed them to be a sign of his profound union with Christ and his participation in the suffering of the crucified Christ. In addition to his stigmata, Padre Pio was also known for his gift of healing. Many people came to him seeking physical, emotional, and spiritual healing, and he prayed over them, sometimes prescribing special devotions or treatments. While some were healed miraculously, others did not experience a physical cure, but nonetheless found comfort and peace through his intercession. Padre Pio’s life was marked by his devotion to God and his love for others. He spent long hours in prayer, often in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and had a deep appreciation for the power of the Eucharist. He also had a special love for the Virgin Mary, whom he called his ‘Heavenly Mother’, and encouraged others to pray the Rosary. Today, Padre Pio is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church, and his influence has spread far beyond Italy. He is remembered for his holiness, his humility, and his profound union with Christ, as well as for his compassion and concern for the sick and suffering. Christians of all denominations continue to look to him as a model of faith and devotion to God. Prayer To Saint Padre Pio | A Prayer For Healing Saint Padre Pio is renowned for his gift of healing, which he used to help countless people throughout his life. He believed in the power of prayer and the importance of placing our trust in God, even in the face of illness and suffering. In James 5:16, we are reminded that ‘the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective’. Padre Pio’s life was a testament to the truth of this verse, as he interceded for those who came to him seeking physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. One of the most striking examples of Padre Pio’s healing ministry was the case of Gemma Di Giorgi, a young girl who had been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Her parents brought her to Padre Pio, who prayed over her and blessed her with the sign of the cross. To the amazement of her doctors, Gemma’s condition began to improve, and she was eventually healed completely. In addition to physical healing, Padre Pio also believed in the importance of emotional and spiritual healing. He often spoke of the need for repentance and conversion, and encouraged his followers to turn to God with contrite hearts. In Luke 5:31-32, Jesus tells the Pharisees, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ Padre Pio understood that true healing involves not only the body, but also the soul. For those who are in need of healing, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, Saint Padre Pio can serve as a powerful intercessor. He believed in the importance of prayer and the power of God’s grace to heal even the most difficult of cases. Through his intercession, we can ask God for the strength and courage to face our illnesses and our struggles, knowing that we are never alone and that God’s healing love is always with us. So let us pray: ‘Saint Padre Pio, you who had a deep faith in God and a profound love for your fellow human beings, we turn to you in our time of need. We ask for your intercession on behalf of all those who are sick and suffering, that they may be healed in body, mind, and spirit. We ask that you pray for us, that we may have the strength and courage to face our illnesses and our struggles with faith and hope, knowing that God is with us always. We trust in God’s love and mercy, and in the power of prayer to bring healing and wholeness to all who seek it. Saint Padre Pio, pray for us, and lead us to the healing grace of God. Amen.’ Prayer To Saint Padre Pio | A Prayer For Peace Saint Padre Pio was a man of peace, who lived his life in the service of God and his fellow human beings. He believed that peace was not merely the absence of conflict, but a state of inner harmony that could only be achieved through a deep and abiding relationship with God. In John 14:27, Jesus tells his disciples, ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’ Padre Pio understood the importance of this peace, and dedicated his life to helping others find it. One of the ways that Padre Pio fostered peace was through his ministry of reconciliation. He encouraged those who came to him to confess their sins and seek God’s forgiveness, knowing that this was the first step towards inner peace. In Matthew 5:9, Jesus says, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.’ Padre Pio believed that this was not just a call to be a mediator in conflicts between […]
Saint Gregory’s theology is deeply shaped by the Eastern Christian doctrine of theosis, or divinisation. For Gregory, salvation is not merely juridical or moral but ontological: to be saved is to become by grace what Christ is by nature. When Gregory writes that Christians must examine their thoughts, words, and deeds to see whether they are ‘directed toward Christ’, he is describing a dynamic process of transformation. This process, which begins in baptism and continues throughout life, involves increasing conformity to the divine image. In this sense, Christian perfection is not a static achievement but an unending ascent towards God, as expressed in his Life of Moses [ … ]
In his discourse, Saint Athanasius explores how divine Wisdom—identified with the eternal Word, the Son—imprints itself within creation. Saint Athanasius’s argument responds to Arian claims that the Son was a created being. For Athanasius, the phrase ‘The Lord created me in his works’ cannot mean that the eternal Wisdom itself was made; rather, it refers to the reflection or imprint of Wisdom in the created order [ … ]
