Tell us plainly: Reflection for Tuesday, May 13, 2025

We see in the first reading that the plain preaching of the early Church followers of Jesus is resulting in lots of Gentiles believing in Jesus. Barnabas and Paul gather together about this wonderful occurrence. In the gospel, Jesus is told to, “Tell us plainly”. But they do not want to listen. Readings for Today.

Tell us plainly

“How long are you going to keep us in suspense?  If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” There are certainly times when we repeat questions, beliefs and opinions because we do not like the answer. Perhaps by asking the question over and over again we will get the answer we seek.

Repeating the same things over and over again is prevalent on social media. People do not like what it said I think, and so they assume that by repeating it endlessly things will change. Those who agree will praise us, and those who disagree will argue.

But the truth does not become more the truth the louder it is spoken. Simply repeating it over and over does not make it more likely a person will hear it. Jesus reminds us he is the truth, and it is only in him that the truth gets proclaimed.

And the first reading today reinforces that fact. In some ways, the time after Jesus’ resurrection, after the time of Pentecost, could be seen as a little chaotic. The early followers of Jesus had a lot to sort out. How to face persecution? What to do with the Gentile converts?

The beauty of this time is the overwhelming number of people who have turned to Jesus, have sought to follow him, have become Christians. So much excitement. A saint who went from seeking to destroy the Church to preaching on its behalf. Rather than eliminate the faith, persecution seems to strengthen it.

For it is the case that those who do hear the words of Jesus, and believe them, they are the ones who actually make up those who believe. This is the great benefit that we receive in the Catholic faith.

For it is those who hear the voice of Jesus that become those who follow them. It is the case that once we hear the voice of Jesus, that we are given eternal life. And even if our choice for Jesus does not remain constant, it is Jesus who seeks us out again and again to bring us into his sheepfold.

And when we follow Jesus, we are held firm in the Father’s love. A love that is so much more a love than our feeble attempts to imitate it. The Father’s love is so powerful that it can make us saints. It can make us whole again.

The biggest aid we have in the faith are the works of God. There certainly are all the works we encounter in the Bible, but there are untold numbers of works of God that have occurred since the Bible was written. God is active and alive in the world always.

And Jesus, in another section of John’s gospel, tells us the works of God is about belief. We do the works of God when we have deeper faith in God. Our deep faith enables us to have the reception of deep grace, without which we can do nothing.

And so in a way, all that God asks of us is to believe. When we believe in God, we believe in all God does. We believe in all God reveals. And this belief provides the security of being in the Father’s hand. This belief provides the ability to be healed of our brokenness.

The words of the Evil One are precisely to work against this. The Evil One wants us to believe that God can do little for us. The Evil One wants us to believe that not even God can love us, that nothing can heal our brokenness, that we cannot be saved. We are too far gone.

But Jesus says this. “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. “

And the words of Jesus to each one of us is all we need to hear.

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