1. I am the gate (10:7, 9) 2. I am the good shepherd (10:11, 14) 3. I am the true vine (15:1-5) 4. I am the bread of life (6:35, 48) 5. I am the light of the world (8:12; 9:5) 6. I am the resurrection and the life (11:25) 7. I am the way, the truth, and the life (14:6)I explained that each of these seven statements reflects a way in which Christ is present in our lives and how He fulfills the deepest longing in our hearts. Last week we looked at why Jesus saying “I Am” is so significant. “I Am” is the name of God as revealed by God himself to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). When Jesus says “I am”, He is saying that He is God. The seven official “I Am” statements are especially significant, but John has Jesus saying some form of “I am” a total of forty-six times!
“A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” (4:23-26)Two chapters before, Jesus had made quite a bold claim, “I am the bread of life.” I’ve written about this before. Jesus makes it very clear what he means when He says that He is the bread of life:
“I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, and they died... I am the living bread come down from heaven so that one may eat of it and not die... Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (See John 6:48-51)It was so clear that afterwards people grumbled about what he said and “from this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:66). They knew what He meant. Jesus is the bread of life. He is living water. This week consider this: What do you hunger for? What do you thirst for? Jesus is the God who takes away our hunger and our thirst. Jesus himself is the very food and drink that we need. Jesus is the bread that gives us life, the bread and water that forever take away our hunger and thirst. Jesus fulfills our longing to be fed physically and spiritually. He fulfills this for us every time we open the Scriptures and receive the Eucharist. Jesus, the Bread of Life, wants us to be nourished and fed. He also calls us to feed others as well. This second week of Lent, let’s go and do as He has done. And come back next week so we can look at each one of these seven "I Am" statements in more detail.
At the Manresa Spiritual Renewal Centre in Pickering, ON, retreatants of all ages can encounter a God of surprises.
In June, 2024, the domed roof and interior of St. Anne's Anglican Church in Toronto tragically burned down. However, the parish community continues to stand strong and serve its neighbourhood.
Pope Francis invites us to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, that the ecclesial community might welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel a call to serve Christ’s mission in the priesthood and religious life.
Pope Francis invites us to pray for the right to an education for migrants, refugees and those affected by war; that their right to an education, which is necessary to build a better world, may always be respected.
I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with the CND sisters and enjoy a special lunch of soup, pizza, salad, and dessert. While I was there, I thought it would be a great opportunity to ask the sisters about what they were looking forward to this Christmas.