The Meaning of the Gospel of John - Fr. Chris Alar | 3/18/26
Homilies from the National Shrine · The Marian Fathers
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (media.transistor.fm) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
The Father Is Still at Work
The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031826.cfm
In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes a startling declaration: "My Father is at work until now, so I am at work." To the Jewish authorities, this was blasphemy. They understood exactly what He was claiming — equality with God. Yet this is the heart of the Christian faith: Jesus is not merely a teacher or prophet. He is the Son, united with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Father Chris Alar, MIC, reflects on this profound passage, exploring what it means that God never stopped working. The Father rests on the seventh day of creation, yet He continues to sustain all things, to give life, to guide history. Jesus shares in this divine activity. He gives life to whom He wishes. He exercises judgment. He calls all who hear His voice to pass from death to life.
Eternal life is not merely a future hope. Jesus says whoever believes "has eternal life" in the present tense. It begins now, in the moment we truly hear Christ in Scripture, in prayer, in the quiet of adoration. The Mass unites the earthly realm with the heavenly, offering a foretaste of the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Yet Jesus also speaks of a future resurrection. Those who have done good deeds will rise to life; those who have done wicked deeds, to condemnation. This does not contradict the finished work of the Cross. Christ redeemed us, but we must cooperate with grace through our choices. Our actions matter. Our lives should reflect that we have passed from death to life.
John's Gospel is deep, often soaring above the others like an eagle. Tradition holds that John learned directly from the Blessed Mother, receiving a heavenly perspective on Christ's life and mission. To know the Son, we must know the Holy Spirit. To know the Holy Spirit, we turn to Mary, the Spouse of the Spirit, who embodies all the virtues He produces.
She introduces us to sanctity. The Holy Spirit reveals the Son. The Son redeems us and brings us back to the Father. This is the objective of our lives: to return to God the Father, to know Him, love Him, serve Him, and be happy with Him forever in Heaven.