Today’s Gospel is an invitation to intimacy and also a challenge. As the disciples express their desire to see the Father, Jesus reveals the mystery that he and the Father are one.  To know the heart of Christ is to know the Father; to hear Jesus’ words and witness his works is to encounter the wisdom and love of God made manifest in the world.

St. Teresa of Avila wrote: ‘Christ has no body but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.’ Jesus extends this mystery even further: ‘The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these.’ (John 14:12)

When I read these words, I recognise the gap between a life lived in complete union with Jesus and the life I currently live – but I am not discouraged. My heart is stirred by the fire of the Holy Spirit, inviting me into deeper union, more embodied transformation, and the hope-filled call to live the Good News with every fibre of my being. 

While I still have breath I will run towards this goal. May we run this race together. Amen.

By Christine Da Costa