An amazing journey of faith and prayer

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

A reflection on the daily readings, for Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

+ According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is approximately 8.05 billion people. And so, when Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life,” I believe, although there is the way which is Jesus, there are approximately 8.05 billion ways along that Way.

Going way back to the beginnings of the church in the Acts of the Apostles, today’s account shows us yet another amazing journey of faith in the person of Apollos.

Icon of Sts. Epaphroditus, Sosthenes, Apollos, Cephas, and Caesar.

His way to and through the Way — Jesus — was an intricate and in some ways unique way. He was well-schooled in the scriptures, and was an ardent speaker and preacher. Debating with others was his skill, and he loved to do so.

Priscilla and Aquila.

He caught the attention of two of Paul’s friends, Priscilla and Aquila, who “took him aside and explained to him the Way [of God] more accurately.”

Interestingly, he had only known the baptism of John, not yet having experienced full conversion into the new Way of Jesus. Soon, Paul was to arrive in these parts where there were many who had been baptized by John, but did not yet know baptism in the name of Jesus and full conversion through the Holy Spirit.

As Paul begins his third and final missionary journey, many are to come to the new Way — through Jesus, to the Father.

And this is precisely what Jesus explains so plainly in this Last Supper discourse, still continuing in Chapter 16 of John’s Gospel. This is still prior to his coming death on the cross, and his resurrection and ascension — his double-whammy departure from his disciples; he would leave them as he passed into and through death, and he would leave them again as he returned to the Father.

And through these events, he would clearly lead all to the Father through their faith in and through him. And Jesus instructed them to ask anything of the Father.

We still do so today. The entire Mass is a prayer to the Father through Jesus, his Son. And Jesus gives a most intimate and beautiful understanding of why we should pray to the Father —

“On that day you will ask in my name, and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you. For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God.”

And so, when you pray, say —

“Our Father, who are in heaven …”