SUNDAY GOSPEL LECTIO DIVINA

In the midst of doing what we can to hear and listen to God, it helps to remember that God listens to us. Even when our requests are outside of his will, I imagine it breaks his heart to tell us no–but he still listens. He listened to Thomas. He fulfilled Thomas’ request for proof. He knew that this answer would resonate through the ages for all those who ever doubt. His answer was for more than Thomas. It served as a truth that the entire world needs to know. When we are within God’s will, our requests—like Thomas’--align beautifully with the needs of others who are within his will. John speaks a great deal about abiding in the Lord, which means living within his will. When we do that, he hears us and we hear him. 

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

Mary came to Peter and John telling them that Jesus’ body was gone. By listening to her and running in haste to see if what she said were true, their faith was affirmed. People tell stories testifying to the works of God in their lives all of the time. These testimonies can often help us believe. Why not listen more closely to the ways God is working in other people’s lives? We can take this Gospel and use it as a lens through which we see other people’s lives. Sometimes God is working in our lives in ways we don’t understand, and other people can misinterpret his actions, just as Mary saw the empty tomb and assumed that someone stole Jesus’ body. God is always working in our lives, even if we don’t understand how at the moment. Sometimes we have to run to the tomb, or pursue the truth of someone’s testimony, to see what’s really going on. I have found that when we listen and search for the truth with a stout and genuine heart, God will always lead us to a deeper understanding of him and his works. 

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

Those who listened to Jesus knew who he was. Those who did not listen had no way of believing. We must listen in order to believe. All the answers to all the questions we have could be right in front of us, but if we have not been listening to what God has to teach us we can easily miss them. We can always make up excuses, but the truth is found by absorbing everything God has to say. In this week’s Gospel, he speaks clearly through great signs and wonders after Jesus’ death. But his answers are just as present in our everyday lives if we just listen. The secret to reading the Word of God well is to see it all still happening all around us; at Mass, with every sunrise, with every life in countless different ways. God gives us the springtime every year to remind us that the story of the Resurrection never stops. There is always renewal happening all around us. This is the hopeful message Jesus died and rose to share with us and it is why we celebrate Easter next week.

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

Sometimes the things the Lord tells us to do seem crazy. Jesus said, “Roll away the stone” and Martha said, “By now there will be a stench.” What Jesus was saying to do probably seemed absurd. He gives strange instructions, and does strange things, many times before performing a miracle. This is to test the faith of those around him. He does nothing arbitrarily. If he tells us to do something, in the same way, none of it is meaningless. Listen to him. He is God the Father’s beloved son. He alone can lead us to the resurrection of new life. 

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.