I pray that your Lent experience thus far in 2016 has been a special time to enter into a deeper relationship with Jesus!  If not, the good news is that there is still time and Jesus is lovingly waiting.

I oftentimes feel like the readings I am given to reflect and write on have been especially chosen just for me at a specific time in my life.  Today’s readings are no different.  This past week, I found myself reflecting on whether or not I would have believed Jesus if I had physically been there on that day with Him when He responded to the Jews: “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.”  John 8:58.  Would I have been part of the crowd that picked up a stone to throw at Jesus?  Tears came to my eyes just thinking about it, but in the Jews' defense, I believe they truly felt they were honoring God in their actions.  They were in the temple area and were convinced they had just heard Jesus claiming to be God.  Blasphemy!

I then experienced the overwhelming sense that the throwing of stones wasn’t something that just happened that day at that particular time in history.  It is for all of us today, two thousand years later.  We can choose to pick up stones to throw at Jesus or we can choose to believe what Jesus continues to say to all of us: “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” John 8:58

Jesus, I believe you and am thankful for this gift of faith.  My continued prayer for all of us can be found in today’s readings, the verse before the Gospel: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Psalm 95:8