No matter how old we are – we are always “My child” to Him

Read the Homily

The disciples ask Jesus, “Where are you staying?” Jesus invited them to come and see. They are about to discover that Jesus stays at the bosom of the Father because that is where He is from. We know this because the Gospel begins by telling us that Jesus comes from the bosom of the Father.

The disciples take up the invitation and follow Him. The passage then reports that it is 4:00 in the afternoon. Why is this detail in the Gospel? What happens at 4:00 in the afternoon? Later, Jesus dies at 3:00 in the afternoon so by 4:00 He has returned to the bosom of the Father. We know this because Jesus tells the disciples during the Last Supper discourse that He is going to the Father. Let us talk about what it means to be at the bosom.

Everyone who reclines at table in the ancient world gets a bosom buddy. Whenever you are in the reclined position and put your head back, it will rest on the chest of the person behind you. While your head is leaning up against your bosom buddy, you will notice that your ear is only a few inches from your buddy’s mouth. Because of this, you will be able to hear everything, especially whispered secrets. Jesus’ ear is so close to the Father that He hears everything. Jesus knows what the Father says, what He is thinking, and what He feels. When Jesus is sent to us, Jesus tells us everything about the Father, what He says, what He thinks, and what He feels. The only reason why we can have such privileged information is because we are God’s children.

One day, my father stood on a flat rock in front of the Cape Cod Cannel and made a cast into the fast current. He caught a fish, and then another, and another. He discovered a crater or a depression at the bottom where fish gather to get out of the fast current to rest: a resting hole. As the fish are resting, food passes over head in the current. It is sort of like sitting on your couch during a football game and having snack food pass by you on a conveyer belt. “Oh, lobster tails,” and all the fish have to do is grab it as it goes by. Well my father found this hole. One day my father took an outdoorsman with him and showed him the rock and what happens when you stand on it and fish. The friend stands on the rock delivers a cast and catches a fish.  The friend was really impressed. “Now, don’t tell anyone about this place,” my father warned him. A week later the friend is standing on the rock fishing. A guy out walking his dog sees him and asked, “How is the fishing?” The friend says “Blab, blab rock, and blab, blab resting hole.” Now he complains, because every time he goes to the canal to fish there is a guy standing on his rock. Now whenever my father finds a great place to fish, he tells only one person: me. Why?  I am family. When Jesus reveals classified secret information, to us, it means we are the Father’s kids.

Dad arrived at the fishing club and noticed that everyone was sad. No one had caught a fish. Dad went out and caught a dozen trout. They ask him what he was using. Dad told them the “white” fly. They all said, “Oh, the ‘white’ fly.” So for one day all the members are happy because they are catching fish. Why are they happy for only one day? The fish are not stupid, they know the white fly is a fake. A few days later dad went back and everyone was sad because the white fly was not working. No one caught a fish. Dad went out, put on a different fly, and caught another dozen. They all asked, “What are you using?” Dad said, “The ‘purple’ fly. “Oh, the ‘purple’ fly.” Again, all the friends are happy…for one day. Naturally, dad can’t use the purple fly anymore. The club members ruined it. Now whenever he goes to the club and he wants to catch a lot of fish he uses, the “secret” fly. There is only one other person beside my father who knows the secret fly and that is I. I am his son. I have privileged information.

When we learn from Christ to eat His Body and drink His Blood, it means we are God’s children. We have privileged information. When we learn that Christ will came back to us and take us to Himself so that where He is we will also be, means that we are God’s children.