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St Nicholas is now in the Care of Fr Christo (Christopher) Roberts until a permanent Priest is selected.
Prayer for the Vacancy of the Parish Please Lord, call to this your church and ours a true shepherd, a minister of Christ; and make us, with the priest, a church joyful in worship and united in witness, working, caring, praising, loving to the glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord
Dear Friends!
Once again, we encounter a gospel text which is considered to be a part of Jesus’ final discourse, He prepares his disciples for his departure. John starts today’s text with the comforting words of Jesus: ‘Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me.’ It is a command to calm the troubled heart.
Let not your heart be troubled: The disciples had reason to be troubled. Jesus had just told them that one of them was a traitor, that all of them would deny Him, and that He would leave them that night. All of this would legitimately trouble the disciples, yet Jesus told them, let not your heart be troubled.
Jesus never wanted us to have life without trouble, but He promised that we could have an untroubled heart even in a troubled life.
This was in some sense a command. “The form of the imperative implies that they should ‘stop being troubled.’
According to one of the twentieth century theologians, Jesus didn’t say, “I’m happy you folks are troubled and filled with doubts. Your doubts are wonderful.” “He takes no delight in the doubt and disquietude of his people. When he saw that, because of what he had said to them, sorrow had filled the hearts of his apostles, he pleaded with them in great love and besought them to be comforted.”
His disciples felt His departure like a torture. And it was then that He consoled them with such simple and glorious speech that all Christendom is the debtor to their agony.
You believe in God, believe also in Me: Instead of giving in to a troubled heart, Jesus told them to firmly put their trust in God and in Jesus Himself. This was a radical call to trust in Jesus just as one would trust in God the Father, and a radical promise that doing so would bring comfort and peace to a troubled heart.
In the process of his dialogue with his disciples, Jesus assures them that he and his Abba are one, no one comes to the Father except through him. and He is the way to the Father. If anyone faithfully asks anything in his name to the Father, Father will grant that prayer so that Father will be glorified through the Son.
Then Jesus emphatically declares that no one comes to the Father except through him. Also, Jesus assures the disciples that he is the way, the truth and life. So friends, as the early disciples and followers followed the ‘Way’, let us earnestly follow the risen Christ – ‘the Way’ throughout our life.
Peace be with you,
Fr Christo