Do you believe in Jesus? Jesus believes in You!

V domingo Pascua B John 14:1-12 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. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father."

Today's word is believe! 5 times in this gospel Jesus repeats the word, believe. "Do you believe in God, do you believe in me?" "Don't you know that I'm one with father?" "Believe me," "Believe my works," and finally, "if who believes in me will do the works that I do, and greater ones than these." So, it's very simple what Jesus wanted from his disciples, that they be believers. What Jesus wants from us is to be believers. The most important requirement for our children who are going to receive Jesus in the Eucharist today for the first time is that they believe. We have to believe in Jesus! You can hear the sadness in Jesus' voice in the gospel when he says to Philip, "I have been with you so long and you do not know me." Or when Thomas says, "We don't know the way." The disciples spent so much time with Jesus, but they didn’t know him, they didn’t believe in Jesus? How could they spend so much time with Jesus and be lost? What Jesus wants from us is that we be believers, that we believe in him. If we believe in him, we will never be lost, we will know the way, the truth and the life. The children who are going to receive communion at this Mass have to believe that Jesus is present in the bread that is shared, they have to believe that Jesus is present in the wine that is poured out. We, this Catholic Christian people, we have to believe in the Eucharist. The children who are going to receive their first communion. They have to believe, they have to believe in the Eucharist, they have to believe in Jesus. I hope they believe in their parents too. They should be able to believe their priests, and their catechists. But you know what? Not only do we have to believe in Jesus, Jesus believes in us as well. Jesus wants to believe in you, too. The children who are going to receive Him at a time in communion Jesus believes in them. But why? Obviously it is important to believe in Jesus. Obviously, you should be able to believe in your parents, your teachers, important adults in your life, but why is it that we should believe in you? Why does Jesus want to believe in you? The last line of the gospel says it all. Jesus believes in us so that we can do Jesus’ works and even greater ones. Jesus says if you believe in me, do the works that I do and even greater ones. Jesus wants to believe in us so that we will continue his work. But we have to believe. The world needs these children who are going to be their first communion. The world needs us, the believing people of God. God's works are so important, and if we're believers we're going to be able to do them. That is why we have the Eucharist, so by eating his flesh and drinking his blood we will have Christ in us. We have the strength to continue the works of Jesus and even greater. Congratulations to the children who are making their first communion. Congratulations to the children because they believe in the Eucharist. Now they will be able to do the works of Jesus and even greater ones. Why? Because Jesus believes in them. Jesus believes in us!