Saturday Before Pentecost: All Souls Saturday; The Holy Hieromartyr Theodotus, Bishop of Ancyra.
Acts 28:1-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; John 21:15-25; John 5:24-30.
Read John 21:15-25
Jesus declares a promise in today’s passage about the transformative power of hearing and believing the Word of Christ. It is not merely future-oriented; the movement from death to life begins now, in the soul that opens itself to Christ’s voice.
To hear Christ’s word is to respond in faith, allowing His truth to take root within us. St. Augustine explains, “He who hears and believes passes already, by faith, from death to life; not by the death of the body, but by the death of unbelief, and the life of righteousness” (Tractates on the Gospel of John, 23.6). Faith is the doorway to divine life, breaking the chains of spiritual death even before physical death comes.
Likewise, St. John Chrysostom teaches, “They who hear the voice of the Son of God with the ears of their heart shall live; for it is the hearing of faith which brings life to the soul” (Homilies on the Gospel of John, 39.2). This inner hearing awakens the soul to the eternal life Christ offers.
Jesus, the life-giving Judge, assures us that those who believe are not condemned but are already participating in the life of God. This is both a present reality and a future hope for all who respond to His call.