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Aletan spiritual journey with discerning hearts from ashes to glory.
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Day 37 Before Abraham was, I am, a reading from the Holy Gospel according to John, chapter
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8 verses 51 through 59.
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Jesus said to the Jews, I tell you solemnly, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see
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The Jews said, now we know that you are possessed.
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Abraham is dead and the prophets are dead.
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And yet you say, if anyone keeps my word, he will never know the taste of death.
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Are you greater than our father, Abraham, who is dead?
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The prophets are dead too.
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Who are you claiming to be?
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Jesus answered, if I were to seek my own glory, that would be no glory at all.
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My glory is conferred by the Father, by the one of whom you say, he is our God, although
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you do not know him.
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But I know him, and if I were to say, I do not know him, I should be a liar as you
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But I do know him, and I keep his word.
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Your Father Abraham rejoiced to think that he would see my day.
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He saw it and was glad.
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The Jews then said, you are not 50 yet and you have seen Abraham.
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Jesus replied, I tell you solemnly before Abraham ever was, I am.
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At this they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and left the temple.
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This gospel reaches a dramatic and profound turning point.
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Jesus reveals not only his mission, but his identity.
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Before Abraham was, I am.
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It is a name that echoes the voice of God from the burning bush, a claim that leaves no
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Jesus is not merely a prophet or a teacher.
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He is the eternal one, the word made flesh.
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But what does this mean for us, especially in these final days of land?
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It means that in Christ we are not following a distant ideal.
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We are being invited into a communion with the living God.
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Len is not just about moral effort, it's about relationship.
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To keep his word, as Jesus says, is to remain in that relationship.
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Faithful, trusting, open.
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And yet we know how hard that can be.
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There are days we feel distant.
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Times when questions cloud our faith.
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Moments when silence feels louder than the presence of God.
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Like those in today's gospel, we can be tempted to react with skepticism or resistance,
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especially when Jesus asks for deeper surrender.
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But Len teaches us to stay in the conversation, to ask, not with cynicism, but with longing.
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Who are you claiming to be?
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And to listen for his answer?
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Jesus does not force belief.
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He reveals, patiently and truthfully, again and again.
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St. Trees of Calcutta once said.
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When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you.
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When you look at the sacred host, you understand how much Jesus loves you now.
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And from a vagress ponticus, one of the great voices of early Christian wisdom.
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If you are a theologian, you will pray truly.
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And if you pray truly, you are a theologian.
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To stay close to Jesus, we need prayer.
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God is an obligation, but as an encounter.
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We need silence to listen, scripture to anchor us, and people who can walk with us when
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the path feels unclear.
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God has not left us alone.
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And Jesus, the great I am, does not abandon his own.
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Jesus said to the Jews, I tell you solemnly, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see
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The Jews said, now we know that you are possessed.
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Abraham is dead and the prophets are dead.
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And yet you say, if anyone keeps my word, he will never know the taste of death.
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Are you greater than our father, Abraham, who is dead?
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The prophets are dead too.
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Who are you claiming to be?
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If I were to seek my own glory, that would be no glory at all.
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My glory is conferred by the Father, by the one of whom you say, he is our God, although
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you do not know him.
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But I know him, and if I were to say, I do not know him, I should be a liar as you are.
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But I do know him, and I keep his word.
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Your father, Abraham, rejoiced to think that he would see my day.
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He saw it and was glad.
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The Jews then said, you are not 50 yet, and you have seen Abraham.
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Jesus replied, I tell you solemnly before Abraham ever was, I am.
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At this they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and left the temple.
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What does Jesus' identity as I am mean for your life today?
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Are there places of resistance or fear in your heart where Christ is inviting deeper trust?
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How can prayer help you remain in relationship with the living God today?
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Jesus you are the eternal Word, the living God who calls us to communion.
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Help us to keep your Word not only with our lips, but with our lives.
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Teach us to stay with you in prayer even when we do not understand.
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Open our hearts to the mystery of who you are, and let that truth lead us into deeper
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love, deeper freedom, and deeper faith.
