The question is often asked: Does absolute truth exist? Some would claim that it does not. They state that truth is whatever a person
makes it to be. Relativism is the only
truth promoted by many if not most of our institutions for higher, or in their
case, lower learning. Sadly this includes many of our Catholic colleges and
universities.
Absolute truth does exist. But where can it be found? Truth can be found in Jesus Christ. Often at the beginning of Mass, I like to
say, “Yours is the truth that gives meaning to the very concept, Truth.” In
today’s Gospel we hear Jesus saying to Pilate, “For this I was born and for
this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to
the truth listens to my voice." Jesus was proclaiming that the spiritual
is infinitely more valuable than the physical, that the Kingdom of God was
infinitely superior to anything man could create, and that those who were
committed to God would recognize the voice of truth. Jesus is our King not just in a figurative
sense, something we say but don’t really mean,
but in the very reality that the Truth of God with all its ramification
is the only truth that can be found in the world. Nothing in the world matters other than that
which comes from God and that which leads to him. We are committed to the
Truth. We are committed to Jesus Christ.
His is the Truth that gives meaning to the very concept, Truth.
Earlier in the Gospel of John, the Gospel of this
Sunday’s reading, Jesus said, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my
disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John
8:31-32) Set us free from what? Set us
free from a life of deceit, where people routinely lie to others and even more
frequently lie to themselves. For
example, a person has serious moral problems.
You can fill in the blank about whatever these problem may be. He
routinely lies to others by creating the persona of a moral person. He also
lies to himself saying that he is not all that bad. He is very much a slave to his own
immorality. But then, through the grace
of God, the person commits to Christ. He is no longer satisfied with claiming to be
a Christian but is determined to live as
a Christian. Now he faces up to his life, puts the truth before all else, and
is finally freed from his immorality. The truth of Christ has set him free.
It is easy for me and for you to decry the lies of
other people, or of our society. It is
far harder to recognize the times that we are the liars. But, again by the Grace of God, when we do
come to the realization that there are many times that we are living a lie, we
can find freedom in Jesus Christ. When we have the courage to live as He called
us to live, we can be people of integrity, people of the Truth.
Jesus Christ is our King. He frees us from lies. He gives us his truth. The Church year
concludes by summarizing Jesus’ life on earth in one simple statement: “For
this I was born and for this I came into the world: to testify to the
truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth
listens to my voice.”
May we have the courage to live the Truth of Christ,
our King •
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario