GOSPEL OF ST.JOHN

"..... whoever believes in me, streams of life giving water will pour from his heart." (Jn. 7:37)
                                                                                               

Many years ago, a poor farmer lost his farm due to debt. He managed to live by working for other farmer and during that time, he also miraculously saved enough money to buy a little piece of ground. It was a piece of ground that had never been farmed and was full of weeds. But he, being a confident man, a good farmer, felt he could raise crops on any kind of land. 

When he tried to plough, however, he found out why it had never been farmed--- it was filled with rocks. Believing he had made a serious mistake, he was filled with despair.

One day, while walking in the field with a friend, he stooped to pick few stones and handed them to his friend saying, "See, no one can raise crops on these land. It is worthless." The friend looked at the stones very intently and then said, "Do you know what is this stone? It is a precious stone in an unpolished form. You didn't recognize it. This land which you considered worthless may be  worth more than you think."

When the farmer learned to identify the stones and gems, he found that the stony field that he purchased was filled with hidden treasures -- the field was filled with expensive rare stones and gems. 

All he had to do was to learn to recognize, polish and sell them which he did very quickly. Soon the poor farmer became a wealthy man.

The Bible you have in your hand, may at first appear to be a stony field "it's a challenging book but it is filled with rich spiritual treasures of truth, peace, joy, power and new purpose in your life."

Prayer Before Bible Reading: 
Holy Spirit, come with your fire
Holy Spirit, come with your peace, 
Holy Spirit, come with your love, 
Holy Spirit, come with your patience,
Holy Spirit, come with your guidance

Holy Spirit, invisible author of the Holy Bible, teach me how to obtain the grace to believe your teachings. 

Dear Guardian Angel, guard and guide me in Jesus' name I pray. 

Glory to the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen!

Let's turn to the Gospel of John- Apostle of Love

                                               Jesus teaches Nicodemus     (John 3)           

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher, who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him”.

In reply, Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth; no one can see the kingdom of God, unless he is born again’.

“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born. Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but a spirit gives birth to a spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, you must be born again. The wind blows where ever it pleases. You hear its sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the spirit.”

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher” Jesus said. “And do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven except the one who came from heaven - the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the son of man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him, may have eternal life.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world, to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son”. This is the verdict: “Light has come into the world but men loved darkness instead of light because the deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light. For fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

                        John the Baptist testimony about Jesus

After this, Jesus and his disciples went out to the Judean country side, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water and people was constantly coming to be baptized. This was before John was put in prison. An argument developed in between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew. over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan - the one you testified about - well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him”.

To this John replied, "a man can receive only what is given to him from heaven. You yourself can testify that I said, I am not the Christ, but I am sent ahead of him. The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him and is full of joy, when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater, I must become less."

The one who comes from above is above all, the one who is from earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one can accept his testimony. The men who have accepted certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has send speaks the words of God, for God! gives the spirit without limit. The father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.

                                                       Conclusion 

                                          This is the Word of the Lord, 

                                        Thanks be to Lord Jesus Christ.