Nothing and No One Shall Be Lost

In today's Gospel, John 6: 35-40, Jesus says to us:  "Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will  of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave  me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day."


Wow! The promises of the Lord, we know, are true. So when Jesus promises us that everything given to Him by the Father will come to Him, he is promising that you and I will come to Him in faith, in love, in trust!  And not only that!  Jesus will not reject us. Rejection is not in God's nature! His arms are spread wide open to receive us as a parent opens wide his/her arms to receive a child! He receives us with delight and with love!  We may have fallen into one of Satan's snares and gotten hurt. God is waiting with open arms to comfort us, heal us, and reveal His infinite love for us.  Jesus tells us that nothing and no one given to Him by His Father will be lost to Him. In fact, we will be raised with Jesus on the last day of our lives!  The Father and Jesus eagerly await that day for all who believe in Jesus, the Christ, the Savior of the world!

I believe!  Do you?

Given to Jesus out of Love

Jesus says to us in John 6:37, “[e]verything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me.”  That statement is overwhelming! First of all, God the Father, the Creator of the Universe, the Almighty One, All Goodness, Eternal Love and Mercy, chooses me and you. We are His gift to His Son, Jesus, the Savior of the world. Why you or me? What have we done to merit being chosen by the Father and entrusted to His Son Jesus? Nothing! Pure Love at work!  Secondly, because the Father has given us to Jesus, we are able to come to Him.   And, thirdly, no one who comes to Jesus will be rejected by Jesus!  Wow! Coming to Jesus means coming to salvation, eternal salvation. It means coming to the Source of all goodness, all kindness, all compassion, all mercy, all-giving, all serving, to Peace itself.  When we come to Jesus we are  coming to the Source of wholeness, wellness, and fullness of life.  “I have come that you might have life and have it to the full.”  Coming to Jesus means coming to the Person who alone can fill my /your emptiness, calm our fears, make right in you and me what is “wrong,” make strong in you and me that which has been weakened by sin! It is Jesus who lowers pride in us and transforms it into humility, changes “water” in us into “wine” poured out for others, makes whole in us that which is broken.  And, in turn, He uses us to do the same for and with others!

And so, we open today’s liturgy with the prayer: Let my mouth be filled with your praise, that I may sing aloud; my lips…shout for joy, when I sing to you, alleluia. (cf. Psalm 71 (70): 8, 23)