Here we are listening to Jesus, just before his arrest and crucifixion. He goes right to the heart of things, sharing with the disciples, not only the union that Jesus has with the Father, but telling them the great news that this life with the Father and with him is for them as well. While Jesus is going to leave them, it is to prepare a place for them in the Father’s house in heaven.
There’s something interesting in the Greek word that Jesus uses about the place being prepared for them. Some translations use the word “mansions” for the name of this special place. What’s cool about that word is that it is related to the Greek word that St. John often uses in his Gospel: menein. The word means “to dwell, to abide, and to remain.” This latter English word comes from the same root.
The place that Jesus is preparing is a heavenly one—not a heaven way out there, but heaven in the heart!
Sundays are dedicated to the Gospels from the Lectionary,
During most of Lent and Easter we read the Gospel of John.
These Firestarters are from a new edition of The Bible Through the Seasons being developed for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook. You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.
The Bible Through the Seasons 