My dear friends, we Filipinos place a lot of value on our history, our families, and our roots. It gives us a sense of identity. But today’s...
My dear friends, we Filipinos place a lot of value on our history, our families, and our roots. It gives us a sense of identity. But today’s readings warn us about what happens when we cling to the past so tightly that we miss what God is doing right in front of us. We can summarize this struggle with three words: Tradition, Truth, and Trust.
First, we see the Pharisees clinging to Tradition. In the Gospel, they are furious with Jesus. They keep saying, "Are you greater than our father Abraham?" They were incredibly proud of their religious pedigree. They had the right lineage, they knew the laws, and they felt secure in their Tradition. But their religion had become a museum. They were so focused on the Abraham of the past that they were completely blind to the God standing right in front of them.
Sometimes, we act like those Pharisees. We rely on our Catholic Tradition like a badge of honor. We say, "I was baptized, I go to Mass on Sundays, my family has always been Catholic." But if our faith is just a set of inherited habits without a real relationship with the Lord, it is an empty tradition.
Then, Jesus reveals the Truth. He looks at them and says something that completely shatters their worldview: "Before Abraham came to be, I AM." He uses the sacred name of God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. Jesus is declaring that He is not just another prophet; He is the eternal God. He is the Truth. Abraham rejoiced because he looked forward in faith to the coming of Christ. The Truth is that all of our traditions, our devotions, and our rituals must point directly to Jesus. If they don't, they are useless.
Finally, we are called to Trust. When Jesus revealed His true identity, the Pharisees picked up stones to throw at Him. They chose violence over vulnerability. They refused to trust. But in our first reading, Abraham fell face down before God. He listened, he obeyed, and he entered into a covenant. That is Trust.
As we approach Holy Week, the Lord is asking us: Are you hiding behind your Traditions, or are you living in the Truth? Let us put down our stones of stubbornness, fall on our faces like Abraham, and place our complete Trust in Jesus, the great I AM. Amen.
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