Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
(John 12: 44-50)
Words are cheap, we say, because they are often mixed, like tainted water supplies, with falsehood. Really true words, on the other hand, are treasures to be heeded and savored. In the gospel Jesus claims that the words he speaks could not be truer because they come from the Father.
This week Pope Benedict XVI is preaching in the United States and at the United Nations. He is to proclaim Jesus Christ as the hope of the world. Different people will hear that message in different ways. For Christians Jesus is, above all, the hope of eternal life. Embracing him, as he urges in this gospel, we receive a share in the glory of his resurrection.
For people of other faiths or of no faith, Jesus is still part of the patrimony of history. His words convey the promise of fuller cooperation among peoples and nations. More than anything else, the pope will reiterate Jesus as saying, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” These words provide the key to human progress. Treating one another as we want to be treated assures personal freedom, provides the basis of justice, and advances the journey to peace.
