Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter
There was only one thing I really hated about college--the pressure of making seemingly life-altering decisions. I changed my major 3 (maybe 4) times and each time it felt like I was holding my whole future in my hands and determining the trajectory of my life. At the time, it felt like a lot of pressure and I clearly remember wishing that someone would just make the decisions for me and tell me what to do. I felt like I did not know where I was going or how to get there. Now, as I journey with students at the University of Dayton who are discerning their own vocations, it is much easier to see that no matter which path one takes, Jesus is with us. It is less about what I do and more about how I do it.
As Thomas and the disciples express concern in today’s Gospel about where to go and how to get there, Jesus shares that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus has shown us that we are not on this journey alone. He is Emmanuel--God with us. Our faith compels us to make a choice. Jesus is not just a messenger; a holy historical figure; a nice guy with an admirable way of living. Either Jesus truly is the Way, the Truth, and the Life--the pathway to the Father--or he is a madman who made outlandish and blasphemous claims who should fade into history as just another blip on the radar, not to be admired at all. If we truly believe the former, our faith calls us to radical discipleship; Jesus belongs at the center of every aspect of our lives--each decision, each relationship, each encounter. Have faith! He tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled”; we can take comfort as we navigate both major life decisions and the smaller decisions we make on a daily basis.
With Jesus as our way, truth, and life, we must strive to embody the values that he, the Word Incarnate, models for us. Even if we do not know exactly where we are going or how to get there, we can take one step at a time and center our actions and decisions on love, compassion, forgiveness, restorative justice, and prayer. As we recognize Jesus here on earth, in those around us and in all of creation, we serve as witnesses, not only in our words, but in our very lives.
Peace,
LeeAnn Meyer