CONSECRATE THEM IN THE TRUTH

COMMEMORATION OF ALL FAITHFUL DEPARTED

OF THE DOMINICAN FAMILY

FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF SUPERTYPHOON YOLANDA

November 8, 2014

Revelation 21: 1 -5, 6 -7; Ps. 122; John 17: 15 – 21, 24 - 26

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The Gospel reading for today is the last part of the long last supper discourse of Jesus which is something unique and peculiar to John. This time, Jesus asks his Father to “consecrate them to the truth!” Thus, we ask ourselves, Why consecrate us to the truth? Why are we made holy through the truth and not our good works? Why the truth? And if we move to the next chapter, we can read the conversation of Jesus and Pilate. And with Pilate, we ask: What is truth? Jesus in the same Gospel has provided us an answer – “Consecrate them in truth, for your word is truth.” What then is the word? Right at the Prologue of this Gospel we read, “kai o logos sarx egeneto” (and the Word became flesh!) This word, therefore, is not a mere lofty idea or a principle, but a person, Jesus, the Divine Logos who became man.

Truth then is an encounter with Jesus. You are in truth, when you are close to Jesus in a more personal way. It happens when no amount of words can explain such closeness with Him! More than words! And only when this encounter happens, can we be consecrated to truth! We are made holy because the truth is a person who is all holy!

This is then our challenge – that in every aspect of seminary formation, we encounter the truth, who is a person and not a mere idea. May we encounter Jesus, the truth, in the books that we read; in the spiritual exercises which we enter; in the poor whom we meet in our parishes; in the day’s schedule of the seminary; in the unlovable brother that we encounter; and even in this boring homily.

May we have that spirit of our Psalmist today who rejoiced when he heard them say, “Let us go to God’s house!” Because going to the house of the Lord is a moment of encounter with Jesus who can give us that newness of life promised in our first reading today – “ a new Jerusalem, a new holy city, where there is no death.”

As we remember today, all Dominican brothers and sisters who have gone to the next life, we pray for them that they will finally encounter Jesus in heaven and experience such eternal newness of life!

Then Pilate asked, What is truth? However, I would rather ask, Who is the truth for you? Amen!