7 May 2016 - the Father himself

[ Today's Readings ]

Jesus, tell us clearly about the Father. 

For the Father himself loves you

Jesus, you want us to know that the Father loves us. You want us to know that because we believe in you (that you came from God) he loves us with the same love with which he loves you. And there is a reason you want us to know this.

Until now you have not asked anything in my name;
ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

We need to have confidence in the Father's love. We need to be able to rely on it for the things we need. We need to trust the Father completely so that our joy may be complete.

We sometimes have trouble with the idea that you leave us to return to the Father. But it isn't a problem for you to go back to the Father if this is the Father to whom you return. It means that when the clouds take you from our site it isn't that the love you have for us is diminished. After all, you go to the Father who himself loves us. In fact, you go to make that love even more abundantly available to us by sending the Holy Spirit.

We do well if we speak and teach accurately about you Jesus. But you want us to know more than the baptism of John. You want to explain the way more precisely to us so that we can receive the full power of the Holy Spirit.  He is the source of our complete joy. He allows us to give great assistance to those who believe and to vigorously defend the gospel.

All you peoples, clap your hands;
shout to God with cries of gladness.
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.