Resisting the Spirit of Truth

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Tuesday of 3rd Week of Easter, Year B, April 20th, 2021
Texts:  Acts 7:51-8:1a; Ps. 31:3-.6-817.21; John 6:30-35

Man has the history of rejecting the spirit of the truth. St. Stephen calls our minds to this in the first reading, he says, "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you." Thomas Pazhayampallil says, "They were stiff-necked because they refused to submit their neck to the sweet and easy yoke of Jesus Christ. When one refuses to submit oneself to the easy and sweet yoke of Jesus Christ and his Church he falls under the heavy yoke of people who manipulate him for their purposes." When we find it difficult to live the values of the gospel or abide by the rules and regulations of the Church, we are not different from the high priest and the members of the Sanhendrin.
They were uncircumcised in ears because they were not ready to hear the truth; their ears were not open to the truth. Hence, it is said, "But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him." This applies to us when we are fond of dodging the truth. Many of the time we also avoid hearing the truth. Immediately the truth is being spoken we turn off, we do not want to hear, we begin to attack the personality of the speaker. Some of us start fiddling with his/her phone, some we immediately, start looking for excuses, etc. In the gospel, the people were giving excuses for not believing in Jesus Christ; they were claiming they needed sign for them to believe in Him. They gave example of manna in the wilderness whereas Jesus Christ had just fed them in the wilderness. However, both manna and the feeding miracle are pointing to the bread of life, whom He is; for He says, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst." This means there is no need of sign, for the reality is present; He Himself is the reality, the God among men. When the sign is already fulfilled, it is absurd to ask for it. That is how it is when we give excuses in the face of the truth.
They were uncircumcised in heart because they were not ready to seek understanding; they were not open to the truth. An uncircumcised heart is not open to the truth but closed. Another word for it is hardened heart. Such heart cannot retain the truth. This teaches us to be opened-hearted. We are opened-hearted when we believe there is more to know and to learn. Jesus Christ teaches us to be opened-hearted when He says, "I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you to bear now. However,  when the spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth" (John 16:12). Let us be opened-hearted and learn to accept the truth, even when it is bitter and irrespective of whose mouth or place it is found.

Lord our God, we thank you for always revealing to us the truth, help us to recognise that there is always more to know and to learn. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke