Fifth Sunday of Easter

Father Daniel Schomaker

Guest

“Ego sum via, veritas, et vita.” These words we hear in the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday in Easter: “I am the way, the truth and the life” should bring great comfort to all of us. When I’m traveling, I have two great fears: One, breaking down in the middle of nowhere, and two, getting lost. I find those of you out there who like the “adventure of getting lost in a new place” odd — and a bit nuts!

Sadly, it is too easy to break down and get lost in this life — and I’m not talking about traveling. I’m speaking of the spiritual life. The burdens of life can sometimes feel overwhelming. The stresses we experience and the anxiety they bring can unfortunately lead to depression and even despair. That is, unless we maintain that spiritual engine. And we do this with Jesus! Jesus has to be everything in our lives. It is the truth that no matter how difficult a day has been, or the stresses we have endured are, or even the sins we have committed, God still loves us. Our lives are valuable and precious. The great deceiver is the one who places doubts of this truth in our minds. We have been intentionally made in love, by love, to be loved and to love! Saint Augustine reminds us that: “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”

It is this love of God, which we encounter in the very person of Jesus Christ who brings about authentic life. Jesus is life — in him and through him — we have all been made. And to live in him, to live in love, brings eternal life — that for which we have been made!!!

But, sin is a reality of being human. It is true, none of us has to sin, but in my experience we all do. We turn inward. We allow the ego to take over, we place all our confidence and effort and trust in ourselves. When this happens (even if its just through “tiny” sins) we get lost, because we have stumbled and veered off the path which is Jesus who leads us on the way to Heaven.

My friends, we don’t walk in darkness, because Jesus is also the light. In himself he dispels the darkness of error and of death; and illuminates the path of the righteous.

Jesus is the WAY and the TRUTH and the LIFE. We don’t have to find him, we have to allow ourselves to be found. He is always there to guide and to teach and to experience abundance of life!

Father Daniel Schomaker is pastor, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Ft. Mitchell and director, Office of Worship and Liturgy for the Diocese of Covington, Ky.