From: John 12:44-50

The Unbelief of the Jews

[44] And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me,
but in Him who sent Me. [45] And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.
[46] I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in Me may not
remain in darkness. [47] If any one hears My sayings and does not keep them,
I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.
[48] He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings has a judge; the word
that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day. [49] For I have not spoken
on My own authority; the Father who sent Me has Himself given Me command-
ment what to say and what to speak. [50] And I know that His commandment
is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has bidden Me.”

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Commentary:

44-50. With these verses St. John brings to an end his account of our Lord’s pub-
lic ministry. He brings together certain fundamental themes developed in previous
chapters—the need for faith in Christ (verse 44); the Father and the Son are one
yet distinct (cf. 45); Jesus is Light and Life of the world (verses 46, 50); men will
be judged in accordance with whether they accept or reject the Son of God (ver-
ses 47-49). The chapters which follow contain Jesus’ teaching to His Apostles at
the Last Supper, and the accounts of the Passion and Resurrection.

45. Christ, the Word Incarnate, is one with the Father (cf. John 10:30); “He re-
flects the glory of God” (Hebrews 1:3); “He is the image of the invisible God” (Co-
lossians 1:15). In John 14:9 Jesus expresses Himself in almost the same words:
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father”. At the same time as He speaks of
His oneness with the Father, we are clearly shown the distinction of persons —
the Father who sends, and the Son who is sent.

In Christ’s holy human nature His divinity is, as it were, hidden, that divinity which
He possesses with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit (cf. John 14:7-11). In
theology “circumincession” is the word usually used for the fact that, by virtue of
the unity among the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity, “the Father is wholly in
the Son and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Son wholly in the Father and wholly in
the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit wholly in the Father and wholly in the Son” (Coun-
cil of Florence, “Decree Pro Jacobitis, Dz-Sch”, 1331).

47. Christ has come to save the world by offering Himself in sacrifice for our sins
and bringing us supernatural life (cf. John 3:17). But He has also been made
Judge of the living and the dead (cf. Acts 10:42): He passes sentence at the Par-
ticular Judgment which happens immediately after death, and at the end of the
world, at His Second Coming or Parousia, at the universal judgment (cf. John 5:
22; 8:15-16).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Readings at Mass

First reading

Acts 12:24-13:5 ©

The word of God continued to spread and to gain followers. Barnabas and Saul completed their task and came back from Jerusalem, bringing John Mark with them.

In the church at Antioch the following were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. One day while they were offering worship to the Lord and keeping a fast, the Holy Spirit said, ‘I want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have called them.’ So it was that after fasting and prayer they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

So these two, sent on their mission by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus. They landed at Salamis and proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; John acted as their assistant.

Psalm

Psalm 66:2-3,5-6,8 ©

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Alleluia!

O God, be gracious and bless us

and let your face shed its light upon us.

So will your ways be known upon earth

and all nations learn your saving help.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Alleluia!

Let the nations be glad and exult

for you rule the world with justice.

With fairness you rule the peoples,

you guide the nations on earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Alleluia!

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

May God still give us his blessing

till the ends of the earth revere him.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Jn20:29

Alleluia, alleluia!

‘You believe, Thomas, because you can see me.

Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.

Alleluia!

Or	Jn8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

anyone who follows me will have the light of life.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 12:44-50 ©

Jesus declared publicly:

‘Whoever believes in me

believes not in me

but in the one who sent me,

and whoever sees me,

sees the one who sent me.

I, the light, have come into the world,

so that whoever believes in me

need not stay in the dark any more.

If anyone hears my words and does not keep them faithfully,

it is not I who shall condemn him,

since I have come not to condemn the world,

but to save the world.

He who rejects me and refuses my words has his judge already:

the word itself that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day.

For what I have spoken does not come from myself;

no, what I was to say,

what I had to speak,

was commanded by the Father who sent me,

and I know that his commands mean eternal life.

And therefore what the Father has told me

is what I speak.’