Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
“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.”
They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father.” But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!”
So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”

John 8: 31-34, 36-42

Here are the complete readings for Wednesday, April 9, 2025.

(“Fiery Furnace” by Toros Roslin)

Compare the reading above from the Gospel of John with the passage from the Fundamental Principles below. Themes of reverence for a founder and that founder’s traditions dominate these passages. This was a source of tension between Jesus and the people from his own faith tradition. Jesus never intended for his people to abandon the memory of Abraham or his teachings. Instead, he challenged them to consider that what Abraham did was radically new in its era, but that the power of God cannot be frozen in time. The Spirit goes where the Spirit will go. Jesus, then and today, asks us to be open to what we are called to do based on who we are called to be. This is kind of commitment is not easy to begin with, but when we are asked to say goodbye to cherished traditions, then the vocation gets even harder, and we must rely on trust in the Cloud of Unknowing even further. Sometimes the only way to preserve a sacred Tradition is to say goodbye to a tradition that no longer serves its purpose. This may cause grief, and that is okay, but can we allow ourselves to be open to the celebration of new traditions that continue our mission begun long ago?

Your Founder’s vision was unique.
He originally intended to form a community of laymen
who as religious brothers
would be sent as missionaries to the world.
As vowed members of the people of God,
sealed in baptism and confirmed by the Holy Spirit,
they would participate
in the Church’s mission of evangelization
through a life of gospel service
lived in solidarity and availability
among the people. Now this understanding of mission
has been expanded to include
the many women and men
who collaborate with the Brothers in
Xaverian education.
It is through your life of gospel witness
lived in community with others
that God desires to manifest
care and compassionate love
to those who are separated and estranged,
not only from their neighbors,
but also from their own uniqueness. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, thank you for the role models and traditions that have shaped our lives for the better. Thank you for the gift of memory, so we can treasure the past and learn in the present. Thank you for the inspiration of people in our own time who are able to envision our sacred mission in a different light. May this light then shine for others who wish to connect and follow you, wherever your Spirit takes us.

Amen