Finding Jesus: Living Through Lent With John's Gospel

by Gerald O'Collins

This book contains essays about Jesus. The Jesus of these essays in not the serene figure of some holy pictures. He knocks, questions, challenges, heals, suffers, and urges a choice from everyone he touches.

86 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Born in Australia, Gerald O’Collins received his PhD at Cambridge University in 1968. From 1973 to 2006 he taught at the Gregorian University (Rome), where he was also dean of the theology faculty (1985–91). He is now a research professor in theology at St Mary’s University College in Twickenham.

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

A small, short book with large type that can be read in one sitting, provided the reader is familiar with the episodes in the Fourth Gospel.

Chapter 3 is the most interesting, approaching John’s Gospel through prayer, taking statements made to Jesus as prayers themselves and of course Jesus’ model of prayer to the Father in John 17. O’Collins, SJ offers all the Johannine “I AM” statements as a devotional affirmation of “You are” sayings.

A couple of passing references to the Roman Catholic liturgy, gentle criticism of modern English translations that shy away from mentioning Christ’s atoning blood explicitly, that the Church calendar dropped the Feast of the Precious Blood.

The Foreword admits portions of the book appeared in the Jesuit magazine America and one has the sense while reading that things don’t hang together entirely. I’ll end with this quotation, page 84: “The reader finds there [i.e., Christ’s side pierced with a lance in confirmation of his death] the fulfillment of that mysterious promise: ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water’ (Jn 7:38).”