Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled

I often find myself doing spiritual inventory to assess “where” I am in my faith life, how far I’ve come, how far do I still need to go, and what areas still need growth. Sometimes these self inventories make my head spin and they exhaust me, and then I read today’s gospel and a literal sigh of relief comes over me, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” Is it really this simple? I believe it is. I’m the one that wants it to be complicated. I’m the one that puts all kinds of pressure and mandates on myself, again with my striving addiction. What I’ve learned about Jesus in my recent season of grace is that he is so extremely gentle and so vastly nurturing. When I read any of the gospel accounts, stories, encounters, healings, conversations, and teaching with this gentle nurturing tone of Jesus, my heart immediately “un-troubles”. Jesus breathes peace and blessed assurance all over the place and for me I hear that in a soft and tender voice. A lot of times I would hear the words of Jesus in the gospels with whatever tone my own life was tending toward at the time and so I missed this gentle-hearted, warm loving, sweet and intimate voice of the Beloved. He wants us to find peace and rest in a relationship with him because this is exactly how the Father loves us. 

I love the image of Jesus preparing a place for me. I try to imagine what the place looks like and how Jesus would choose to “decorate” it to reflect my heart. I’m sure it would be a lovely beachy cottage with lots of driftwood art everywhere, and one or two or three “It Is Well With My Soul” signs up on the wall, not too big, but not too small, and dozens of pictures of all the people that have taught me about faith, perseverance, joy, love, and mercy. I know that he would have fresh flowers waiting for me and a plumeria for my hair. Jesus would be so delighted to see my reaction to the preparations he has made for me. Each day I spend one on one time with him, gives him more thought as to how he can welcome me better into the place he is preparing. He wants it to be perfect and lovely and just right. To make it so, he just needs more and more face time with me. He doesn’t want to force it, but he loves when I crawl into our sacred space with everything that I am. When I receive the great gift of being able to visualize and to know that Jesus loves me in this very personal and intimate way, my heart melts and the troubles of my self-inventory vanish. I am loved deeply. 

Thomas is the one in today’s gospel that speaks up for all of us that want to do it right, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” This question gives Jesus the opportunity to respond with exactly what we need to know (hear it with a gentle/tender/whispered/peaceful tone), “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Let Jesus melt your heart today. Imagine the perfect place that he is preparing for you. Spend some extra time in his presence today. Remember you are deeply loved. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 ACTS 13:26-33

When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue:
"My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent. 
The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him,
and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets
that are read sabbath after sabbath. 
For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence,
they asked Pilate to have him put to death,
and when they had accomplished all that was written about him,
they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb. 
But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he appeared to those
who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. 
These are now his witnesses before the people.
We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you
that what God promised our fathers
he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus,
as it is written in the second psalm,
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you."

Responsorial Psalm PS 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11AB

R.(7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain."
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
The LORD said to me, "You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you."
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R.  Alleluia.
"Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish."
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia JN 14:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 14:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. 
You have faith in God; have faith also in me. 
In my Father's house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way." 
Thomas said to him, 
"Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?" 
Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. 
No one comes to the Father except through me."