Homily, Wednesday,January 5, 2022, Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop

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Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010522.cfm


In the first reading, St. John writes, “Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God”. 

Do you truly and fully believe that Jesus is God?

Do you know someone who does not believe so?

Many, I am sure.

Similarly in St. John’s time, there were many early Christian communities who questioned the divinity of Jesus. They followed Jesus’ teachings but regarded Him as simply a human person with the special power to perform miracles. They did not believe He is God.

The disbelief stemmed from the humanity of Jesus. He was born from a woman like any other human, he grew from infancy to adulthood in the same way as the rest of humanity. He experienced hunger, pain, emotions and temptations like anyone. But He did not sin.

Jesus was indeed fully human, so how could He also be fully divine? Human logic cannot explain it. Science cannot prove it. Thus, many could not accept it.

God came to save humanity fully, not just physically but spiritually in the soul. So, He chose to enter into the full experience of the human person to show us that we too can lead a holy life, we too can share in His divinity.

St. Athanasius said, “He became what we are, so that we might become what He is.”

And we don’t have to wait till heaven to become what He is, we can already live like Him and experience moments of divinity. How?

In today’s Gospel, we read, “And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray”. Jesus was so often seen by His disciples to be in prayer.

What is prayer? My first communion teacher taught us that “prayer is a beautiful dialogue with God”.

So, when Jesus prayed, He was in full union with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. His prayer time was His divine moments. When we pray deeply, we too are in deep connection with God.

St. Francis de Sales said, “Every one of us needs half an hour of prayer each day, except when we are busy – then we need an hour.”

Are you very busy? Pray more. Connect better. Experience the divine.


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