Monday of the Second Week of Easter, April 13, 2026

Gospel

John 3:1-8

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

He came to Jesus at night and said to him,

"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,

for no one can do these signs that you are doing

unless God is with him."

Jesus answered and said to him,

"Amen, amen, I say to you,

unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."

Nicodemus said to him,

"How can a man once grown old be born again?

Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?"

Jesus answered,

"Amen, amen, I say to you,

unless one is born of water and Spirit

he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

What is born of flesh is flesh

and what is born of spirit is spirit.

Do not be amazed that I told you,

'You must be born from above.'

The wind blows where it wills,

and you can hear the sound it makes,

but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;

so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Reflection

In this Gospel, we encounter Nicodemus in what I found to be a very relatable way. He comes to Jesus with curiosity and honesty, recognizing that something about Him is different, and knowing that the miraculous power He has performed can only come from God. Yet even with this awareness, he struggles to understand. When Jesus speaks about being “born from above,” Nicodemus immediately tries to make sense of it in a literal, human way reasoning, “How can a man once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?”.

It’s easy to relate to his reaction. Like Nicodemus, we often try to reason our way to understanding, relying only on what we can see, explain, or control. We want clear answers, logical explanations, something we can fully grasp. But Jesus’ response shifts the conversation from the natural to the supernatural. His words are poetic, “The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit”. This reminds us that not everything of God can be understood through human reasoning alone.

There is something both mysterious and beautiful in that. The movement of the Holy Spirit Jesus speaks of is real and powerful, yet often unseen and unpredictable. Although we may not always understand where God is leading us, we can still trust that He is present and guiding us.

This Gospel challenges us not to stop at understanding with our minds alone. It calls us to be open to something deeper and to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal what cannot be reasoned out.