Who are you? I AM

Life gives us the opportunity to meet new people. Many of them are short, fleeting, quite random meetings. But there are also those that give you the opportunity to make a new acquaintance and even friendship. There are also exceptional meetings when we feel that someone special is standing in front of us. We don't know why yet, but we ask ourselves: Who is this person? And such an encounter can be a starting point for a deeper relationship and mutual enrichment. What is needed, of course, is the conviction that I myself do not know everything; I don't own everything; I can't do everything and I don't understand everything. In such a situation, with such an attitude, every meeting and new relationship has a chance to enrich me.

The Pharisees, blinded by the conviction of their infallibility, self-righteous, neglected Jesus and missed the opportunity to be enriched by His word and the light of God's wisdom. Full of contempt and hostility: "Who are you?" was far from wanting to know Jesus better. A dismissive question ruined the possibility of enriching themselves with this meeting. This ironic question is a drama of prejudiced, proud and hostile people.

Fortunately, Jesus patiently responds and explains. In addition to the Pharisees, there were other listeners. And it was them who were most astonished by Jesus' words. Not another miracle, not an extraordinary sign or a voice from heaven. This time, Jesus apparently does nothing. Speaks. He talks about his Father, about his future. He talks with care and patience about our future, about our commitment to our relationship with Him. He speaks with concern about our salvation. He does not blame the fact that we live in lowliness, overwhelmed by the affairs of the world, but encourages us to lift our hearts to the heights of heaven, to the things of God. It was this patience and concern for man, for his salvation, that made many believe in Him.

Let us thank God for every encounter with him and with others, for every encounter and dialogue that has enriched us, that has developed our sensitivity to goodness, beauty and truth.

Thought from Saint Faustina: Jesus, Friend of a lonely heart, You are my heaven. You are my peace. You are my salvation, You are my serenity in moments of struggle and amidst an ocean of doubts. You are the bright ray that lights up the path of my life. You are everything to a lonely soul. You understand the soul even though it remains silent. You know our weaknesses, and like a good physician, You comfort and heal, sparing us sufferings – expert that You are. (Diary 247)

fr. george