Reflection Date: May 02, 2026 | Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Daily Readings: Acts 13:44-52; John 14:7-14
Children of God:
In the early centuries of Christianity, a priest named Arius began teaching something controversial about Jesus.
He claimed that the Son of God was not eternal and not equal to the Father, but a created being.
This teaching spread quickly because it sounded logical to many people.
After all, they reasoned, how could the Son be equal to the Father?
However, this idea struck at the very heart of Christian faith.
If Jesus was not truly God, then salvation itself was at risk.
This teaching became known as Arianism, and it was labeled a heresy because it denied the full divinity of Christ.
The Church responded decisively by gathering bishops from across the world in the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.
There, the Church declared that Jesus is “consubstantial” with the Father, meaning fully God and equal in divinity.
This truth was preserved in what we now call the Nicene Creed.
Through this crisis, the Church clarified its teaching and protected the truth about who Jesus truly is.
In the gospel of John, Jesus spoke clearly about His unity with the Father.
When Philip asked to see the Father, Jesus responded that whoever had seen Him had seen the Father.
He explained that He was in the Father and the Father was in Him.
He also invited His disciples to believe, not only because of His words, but because of His works.
What are our inspirations for today?
First, knowing who Jesus truly is shapes how we live our faith.
Philip asked for clarity. He said, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Philip had this sincere desire to understand God more deeply.
Yet it also revealed that he did not fully grasp who Jesus was.
What’s the response of Jesus. He said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”
This statement affirmed His unity with God.
It echoed the truth defended by the early Church against Arianism.
Jesus was not merely a messenger; He was the full revelation of God.
When we misunderstand Jesus, our faith becomes shallow or distorted.
But when we recognize Him as true God and true man, our relationship deepens.
Knowing Him correctly is not just theology; it is the foundation of how we pray, trust, and follow Him.
Second, faith grows when we trust Christ beyond our limited understanding.
Jesus invited His disciples to believe even when they struggled to fully comprehend.
He said, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”
This was an invitation to trust, not just to analyze.
Faith is not about having all questions answered.
It is about choosing to trust the One who reveals Himself.
Even when we do not fully understand, we continue to believe, and believe me, in that “holy tension, our faith will mature and will become stronger.
As we reflect, we ask ourselves: Do I truly know who Jesus is, or do I shape Him according to my own ideas?
Do I allow doubts to weaken my faith, or do I bring them to Christ in trust? Do I recognize the works of God in my life, or do I keep asking for clearer signs?
Children of God:
History reminds us that truth can be challenged, questioned, and even distorted.
Yet the Church stands as a guardian of that truth, guiding us through confusion.
The identity of Jesus is not just a doctrine to memorize but a reality to live.
The world may offer many interpretations, but Christ remains the same.
He continues to invite us into deeper faith, and in Him, we find the fullness of life and truth.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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