From The Bishop

In the Gospel for the 5th Sunday of Easter, Jesus states: “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me?” I believe that the Lord also asks us the same question. How well do we know Jesus? We can know many facts about someone; however, that does not mean we know the person. How does a relationship begin? By spending time together, talking with one another, learning about one another, and by doing things together. This would also apply to our relationship with Jesus. We need to spend time with Him in prayer, listen to Him, receive Him in the Eucharist and do things in His name. We see an example of this in the First Reading. The Twelve chose the first deacons to help them so that they could devote themselves to “prayer and to serving the Word”. They understood that they needed to spend time with the Lord. This is especially true of priests who are called to be ‘another Christ.’ They have to intimately know the one they represent. Jesus tells us that he is “the way, and the truth, and the life.” This profound statement will only remain words if we do not spend the time each day deepening our relationship with the Lord. “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me?”