Today's Gospel (Jn 14:7-14):  Jesus said to his disciples: «If you know me, you will know the Father also; indeed you know him and you have seen him». Philip asked him, «Lord, show us the Father and that is enough». Jesus said to him, «What! I have been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever sees me sees the Father; how can you say: ‘Show us the Father?’ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? All that I say to you, I do not say of my-self. The Father who dwells in me is doing his own work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; at least believe it on the evidence of these works that I do. Truly, I say to you, the one who believes in me will do the same works that I do; and he will even do greater than these, for I am going to the Father. Everything you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. And everything you ask in calling upon my Name, I will do».

Today, 4th Saturday of Easter, the Church invites us to consider how important it is for all Christians better to know Christ more and more. Which tools can we rely upon to do it? Several, and all of them fundamental: well pondered and attentive reading of the Gospel; our personal involvement when praying, by trying hard to make our prayers become a true dialogue of love, not a mere introspective monologue, and the daily renewed effort to discover Christ in our closer fellow men: a relative, a friend, a neighbor perhaps in need of our attention and help, of our advice, of our friendship.

«Lord, show us the Father», asks Philip (Jn 14:8). A good request for us to keep on repeating all this Saturday. —Lord, show me your face. And we may wonder: how is our behavior? Can others see Christ's reflection in me? What little thing could I fight for today? We Christians must determine whatever divine can we find out in our daily chores; God's footstep in whatever surrounds us. In our job, in our social life amongst others, everywhere! Or, when we are sick, too: when we are ill it is a good time for us to identify ourselves with a suffering Christ. As St. Therese of the Child Jesus said, «if we do not decide ourselves to swallow once and for all our death and our lack of health, we shall never do anything».

The Lord of the Gospel assures us: «Everything you ask in my name, I will do» (Jn 14:13). —God is my Father and, as a loving Father, He looks after me: He does not want anything to hurt me. Everything happening —everything that happens to me— is meant for my sanctification. Even though, with our own human eyes we might not understand it. Even though if we can never understand it. That thing —whatever it is— happens because God allows it to happen. Let us trust him just as the Virgin Mary trusted him too.