Often following the miracles in John’s Gospel, Jesus gives a lengthy teaching. He gets people’s attention through the miracle, and then he teaches them—clarifying his identity and his mission: He is the Son of God, He is here to do His Father’s work. These teachings often deepen the antagonism between Jesus and his persecutors, as we heard today: “For this reason they tried all the more to kill him” The clearer He makes his Divine identity and mission, the more his opponents seemed to hate him for it.
Every week in the Creed, believers renew our belief that Jesus is truly God. At Easter, Catholics will renew their baptismal promises, we will state that Jesus is God.
One of my favorite Catholic apologists, Dr. Peter Kreeft, writes: “The doctrine of Christ's divinity is the central Christian doctrine, for it is like a skeleton key that opens all the others. Christians have not independently reasoned out and tested each of the teachings of Christ received via Bible and Church, but believe them all on his authority. For if Christ is divine, He can be trusted to be infallible in everything He said, even hard things like exalting suffering and poverty, forbidding divorce, giving his Church the authority to teach and forgive sins in his name, warning about hell (very often and very seriously), instituting the scandalous sacrament of eating his flesh—we often forget how many "hard sayings" he taught!”
The doctrine of Christ’s divinity is important for us to reflect upon during Lent. Because Lent is the call to follow Jesus to the Cross. Christ’s divinity is the answer to the question: “Why should I?” Why should I suffer? Why should I repent? Why should I go to the cross with him? Why should I fast? Why should I go through all the effort of changing my ways and striving for virtue? Because Jesus is God. And his promises are infallible.
This is why the early Church fathers fought so assiduously against heresies like Arianism, Adoptionism, Manicheism. They were essentially a rejection of Christ’s central truth: for to paraphrase St. Athanasius, if he wasn’t God, his death on the cross was meaningless, he had no power to save us from our sins.
But he is God, as Our Lord teaches, “The Father and I are one.” And so we follow Him, we believe Him, we abandon our lives to Him, we willingly suffer with Him, that we may be raised with Him as he promised, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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For an increase in faith for the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.
That the Church might be delivered and protected from all spirits of error, heresy, schism, and unbelief.
For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.
That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.
That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.
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