20260326 WHO ARE YOU CLAIMING TO BE?
26 March 2026, Thursday, 5th Week of Lent
First reading | Genesis 17:3-9 |
Abraham, the father of a multitude of nations
Abram bowed to the ground and God said this to him, ‘Here now is my covenant with you: you shall become the father of a multitude of nations. You shall no longer be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I make you father of a multitude of nations. I will make you most fruitful. I will make you into nations, and your issue shall be kings. I will establish my Covenant between myself and you, and your descendants after you, generation after generation, a Covenant in perpetuity, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land you are living in, the whole land of Canaan, to own in perpetuity, and I will be your God.
‘You on your part shall maintain my Covenant, yourself and your descendants after you, generation after generation.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 104(105):4-9 |
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Consider the Lord and his strength;
constantly seek his face.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, the judgements he spoke.
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
O children of Abraham, his servant,
O sons of the Jacob he chose.
He, the Lord, is our God:
his judgements prevail in all the earth.
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
He remembers his covenant for ever,
his promise for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Jn6:63,68 |
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message of eternal life.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Or: | Ps94:8 |
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Gospel | John 8:51-59 |
Your father Abraham saw my Day and was glad
Jesus said to the Jews:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
whoever keeps my word
will never see death.’
The Jews said, ‘Now we know for certain that you are possessed. Abraham is dead, and the prophets are dead, and yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never know the taste of death.” Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? The prophets are dead too. Who are you claiming to be?’ Jesus answered:
‘If I were to seek my own glory
that would be no glory at all;
my glory is conferred by the Father,
by the one of whom you say, “He is our God”
although you do not know him.
But I know him,
and if I were to say: I do not know him,
I should be a liar, as you are liars yourselves.
But I do know him, and I faithfully keep his word.
Your father Abraham rejoiced
to think that he would see my Day;
he saw it and was glad.’
The Jews then said, ‘You are not fifty yet, and you have seen Abraham!’ Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
before Abraham ever was,
I Am.’
At this they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.
WHO ARE YOU CLAIMING TO BE?
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [GN 17:3-9; PS 105:4-9; JN 8:51-59]
“Who are you claiming to be?” This is an important question directed not simply at Jesus, but to us as individuals, as an organisation, as Church, and as a nation. The real problem today is that we do not know who we are; we are even confused over our identity as human beings. What does it mean to be human? Are we purely made of matter or spirit? What does it mean to be male or female? What is marriage to us?
Of course, some also claim to be “gods.” Atheists may say there is no God, but that we are gods ourselves since “God” is merely created in the image of man. New Age adherents suggest there is no external God because we are all part of a universal divinity. So, who are we? What is our true identity?
This was the same question posed to Jesus: “Who are you claiming to be?” Throughout His ministry, Jesus had been acting and teaching. He had healed the sick, delivered the possessed, multiplied bread for the multitude, and even raised the dead to life. He preached the Word of God with authority, unlike the scribes and Pharisees. He ate and drank with sinners and, most significantly, He forgave sins.
So, who was He? This was the question Jesus asked His disciples in Caesarea Philippi. Some thought He was “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets” (Mk 8:28). Only Peter got the answer right, and this was due to divine revelation rather than logical reasoning. Peter confessed, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). Jesus remarked, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven” (Mt 16:17).
Indeed, in the Gospel of John, Jesus alluded to His divine origin. He made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that He came from the Father. He said, “I tell you most solemnly, before Abraham ever was, I Am. Your father Abraham rejoiced to think that he would see my Day; he saw it and was glad.” Jesus was the One Abraham had been waiting for–the realisation of the promise God made to him that he would be the “father of a multitude of nations.” Through Christ, Abraham became the father of faith for many descendants who would come to know God; and by so doing, enter into the one family of God. In Christ, all nations become one.
Jesus also underscored that His identity originated from the Father. No one can give himself glory; only God can, because everything comes from Him. As the Son, all of Jesus’ glory was conferred by the Father alone. He said, “If I were to seek my own glory that would be no glory at all; my glory is conferred by the Father, by the one whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ although you do not know him.”
This is true for all of us: we cannot know who we are without having our reference point in God. We are not indispensable in this world; we are contingent beings. Our existence and our very lives depend on God, who is the source of life and love. To think that we are independent of God is to fool ourselves into believing we are of our own making. Before we existed, God had to bring us into this world–unlike Jesus, who was from all eternity one with the Father. The world can exist without us, but the world cannot exist without God.
Because of His divine origin, Jesus could claim that He knew God personally. He said, “But I know him, and if I were to say: I do not know him, I should be a liar, as you are liars yourselves.” Only Jesus who is from God, can tell us who God is. As the prologue of John’s Gospel states: “The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” (Jn 1:17f) Only Jesus, who originates from God and is one with Him, can reveal the Father to us. That is why Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. (Jn 14:6)
It is not enough, however, for Jesus to simply claim He is one with the Father. The proof of His divine origin is found in His total obedience to the Father. He said, “But I do know him, and I faithfully keep his word.” In the final analysis, it is not merely what Jesus said that determines His identity, but how He lived. He was one with the Father in all things, performing His works and seeking His holy will. As He explained: “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me” (Jn 5:30). “The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished.” (Jn 5:20) Jesus’ very “food” was to complete the work of the Father who sent Him. (Jn 4:34).
In light of these claims, how do we respond to Him? How we accept Jesus determines the claims we make for ourselves. If we truly confess that Jesus is the Son of God–both divine and human–then Jesus is for us the “true man” as well. Jesus is simultaneously the revealer of God our Father and the revealer of our own identity. Like Him, we are called to do the will of God, be in union with Him in love, so that we may serve and love like Him.
When Jesus told the Jews, “Whoever keeps my word will never see death,” He was not speaking of biological death. Rather, He was speaking of a relationship that never dies, here in this life or hereafter. Jesus reveals that the covenant made with Abraham is fulfilled in Him, because in Him, we share a common faith and become true brothers and sisters as children of God.
So, now we need to ask ourselves this question, “Who are we claiming to be?” If we call ourselves Christians, then we must accept all that Jesus has taught us in the Scriptures. The scandal in the world today is that many call themselves Catholic, yet their lifestyles reflect something else entirely. They do not subscribe to the teachings of Holy Scripture and tradition. They go against the teachings of the Magisterium on matters of doctrine and morality, yet still claim to be Catholics.
We are not referring here to those who struggle and fall short of what Christ is calling us to be – we are speaking of those who blatantly disagree with the teachings of Christ, the Bible and His Church. They “pick and choose” from the teachings of Christ and His Church. We cannot authentically call ourselves Catholic unless we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that the Bible is the Sacred Word of God, inerrant in teaching us the truth about God, life, and ourselves. If we do not agree with what it fundamentally means to be Catholic, then who are we claiming to be? Only when we keep His word, believe in all that Jesus had revealed to us, and walk in His footsteps, will we live life to the fullest, both here on earth and in heaven.
Not only as individuals, but also as the Church, we must ask: “Who are we claiming to be?” If the Church is identified with Christ, then we must truly be the Sacrament of Jesus to the world. If we obey the Church, it is because we believe that Christ rules through His appointed successors in the Apostolic College. He has promised that He would never abandon His Church until the end of time. (Mt 28:20) So we can be confident of His guidance, for He also assured us: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Mt 16:18f)
Whether as individuals or as the Church, we must hear the Word of God and keep it if we are to reclaim our identity as God’s children. Like Jesus, we must be true to our identity. Jesus refused to deny His true identity, even in the face of trials and challenges; we, too, must not contradict our claims with a lifestyle opposed to what we believe.
Having the courage to stand up for our identity – not just in words, but in our being – will help restore the confidence of the people in the Church and in us. But we can be consoled that God is faithful: – “He remembers his covenant forever, his promise for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.”
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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