Opening Prayer Series: Fifth Sunday of Eastertide Year A

The Opening Prayer for the fifth Sunday of Easter Year A reads as follows:

Let us pray

(that we may enjoy true freedom)

God our Father,

look upon us with love.

You redeem us and make us your children in Christ.

Give us true freedom, 

and bring us to the inheritance You promised. 

In making this prayer tangible for during the week, the following reflection questions emerged

1. What is true freedom?
2. What are the areas of my life that are trapped by slavery?
3. What steps will I take this week to free myself from this slavery?
4. What does it mean to me for God to look upon me with love?
5. How will God's look of love impact on my life this week?
6. What does it mean to me to be a child of God in Christ?
7. What does it mean to me to be promised my inheritance with God in Heaven?

Today's Gospel from St John gives us all hope that when we die, that God has prepared a place for us. It should fill us with great joy, and indeed we do know the way since Jesus is the way, truth and life.

However, there is a lighter side to what could be considered a theological gospel. The responses of both Thomas and Phillip (and perhaps ourselves at times) seems so practical and human. Thomas wanted his confusion cleared up- 'Lord we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?'

Perfectly normal query for both him and us. For example, we do not know where Jesus is in our lives sometimes, since He may seem absent, so how do we find him again in our prayer life?

Phillip is also practical. He is not concerned on directions like Thomas, rather he wants the lot now.
'Lord let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied'. Perhaps we can be like Phillip and want results now too.We are not interested in waiting or the experience of the journey..

Of course the spiritual journey with Jesus is about believing, hoping and being in relationship with Him.  We cannot have the complete joys of Heaven now, but we can hope for them. We can order our lives so that we are union with Jesus and journey towards our heavenly home. Most importantly, we can journey with Jesus throughout our life and allow Him to be our greatest friend. We may not understand how the Father is in Jesus and He is in the Father, but Jesus asks us to believe.

Let us ask God to strengthen our faith, hope and love in Him this week.