Jn 14:1-12 May 3-26 The God You Picture Shapes Your Mental Health—Is Yours Healthy?

In today’s edition there is a lot going on in this Gospel which is typical in John’s Gospel.  The Gospel starts with Jesus trying to reassure his disciples.  He speaks about providing a place for them and returning to come and get them.  It is obvious that Jesus is feeling a connection and is being protective of them.  When people feel they belong—whether in a family, community, or spiritual group—they are more willing to be vulnerable, explore questions of meaning, and let themselves be “seen” by others and by the Divine. 

It is important to examine who is Jesus for you?  Is he relevant to your life?  What is his personality like?  Are you comfortable seeing Jesus as brother, a friend, wise mentor?  I am always fascinated with the answers I get when I ask who is God for you?  Some believe in God but see God as a supreme being, others a creator or judge.  How we perceive God goes a long way on how we relate to our God and our spiritual development.  

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Jn 14:1-12 May 3-26  The God You Picture Shapes Your Mental Health—Is Yours Healthy?

Hello, and a warm welcome to my regular listeners and those joining us for the first time—thank you for being here!

I'm Peter Doherty, a Catholic priest and psychologist passionate about the deep connection between psychology and spirituality. For too long, these fields have viewed each other with suspicion. That's ironic, isn't it? Here's the truth, Healthy psychology strengthens our spirituality, and true spirituality—rooted in solid psychological health—offers profound meaning and resilience in our lives.

In this short podcast, I explore the Gospel reading for the coming week. It's a resource for preachers preparing homilies, as well as anyone teaching or studying Scripture. I encourage my listeners who want more to listen to earlier podcasts.  I draw from psychology articles, Scripture scholarship, and anthropological insights to make the Gospel relatable.

I see the Scriptures as guides for faith and spirituality. Biblical writers viewed history differently from modern historians.  The Bible is more than just another history book; the texts are richly layered— addressing spirituality, identity and faith.  There's always more wisdom to uncover.

If this podcast is meaningful to you, please subscribe! Feel free to ask a question or make a comment—I love the conversation. Sharing the podcast with friends and family who are interested in growing in their faith and spirituality is appreciated.  Please consider writing a review and if you're on YouTube, hit subscribe and let me know where you're tuning in from.  (shout out to?)

In today’s edition there is a lot going on in this Gospel which is typical in John’s Gospel.  The Gospel starts with Jesus trying to reassure his disciples.  He speaks about providing a place for them and returning to come and get them.  It is obvious that Jesus is feeling a connection and is being protective of them.  When people feel they belong—whether in a family, community, or spiritual group—they are more willing to be vulnerable, explore questions of meaning, and let themselves be “seen” by others and by the Divine. 

I am reminded of Genesis 3:8 where it is written about Adam and Eve, "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden." This event occurs immediately after they ate the forbidden fruit, leading to shame and fear.  This moment illustrates the immediate consequence of sin—separation from God—as Adam and Eve attempt to conceal themselves, marking a pivotal shift in their relationship with their Creator.  The more we feel connected to our God the more willing we are to be seen by Him.

This openness to God and creation is a key ingredient for spiritual growth.  Many traditions describe belonging as emerging from a shared “search for God” or for the sacred; this shared orientation creates a space in our hearts where spiritual practices, stories, and rituals can take root and deepen over time. When people internalize the sense that they belong to a spiritual tradition or to a “divine family,” it reshapes their identity such as “child of God,” “ a member of the body of Christ,” “Catholic”, or “Protestant”, which in turn shapes their choices, values, and long‑term spiritual trajectory.

Dr. Brené Brown is an American academic, podcaster, researcher, and storyteller, who's spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. Let me quote what Brené  Brown writes about belonging,  “True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness.  True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.”

While not belonging can invite solitary growth and self discovery, it is also worthy to note that not belonging can lead to a sense of loneliness, depression and a lack of self identity.  Jesus has a brief conversation with his disciples Thomas and Philip when they asked Jesus to show them the way to the Father.  I am surprised Jesus is not more frustrated with them.  For the last three years he has been showing them the way.  Their questions suggest that they still did not fully understand what Jesus was about.

Jesus speaks about his relationship with God the father, the two are as one.  Have you ever wondered about what God is like?  We have many references to God in the Old Testament.  Some of the images of God are gentle while others can be very demanding and almost warlike.  What is God like?  The Old Testament speaks of a God that is heavily committed to laws, rules and commandments.  I am not sure if this notion is a reflection of God will or that of the people.  Jesus on the other hand focusses on love, compassion, mercy.  There is a change.  God appears to be evolving.  I believe it’s humanity that is actually evolving, many seek a faith that is based on connection rather than a set of rules.

Understanding the Trinity is a challenge, fortunately we don’t need to understand this for our spirituality to grow.  It is important to examine who is Jesus for you?  Is he relevant to your life?  What is his personality like?  Are you comfortable seeing Jesus as a brother, a friend, or a wise mentor?  I am always fascinated with the answers I get when I ask who is God for you?  Some believe in God but see God as a supreme being, others a creator or judge.  How we perceive God goes a long way in shaping how we relate to our God and consequently our spiritual development.  There is much interplay between our spiritual and personal psychological development.  Our perception of God is impacted by what we have been taught by our parents, teachers, pastors, religious traditions and significant people in our lives.  The process is not always linear.  There is interaction between what we are exposed to and what our perceptions of God are.  There is also an element of “self-fulfilling prophecy” from what we are taught to what we experience about our God.  I urge my listeners to reflect on who is God for you.  Your image of God will likely change througout your life and that is okay.  I urge you to look at alternative images if your image is critical, vague or distant. 

I suggest you go one step further.  Reflect on how you see your self.   Our understanding of who we are, including your beliefs, values, strengths, and weaknesses—plays a foundational role in spiritual development. It shapes how we perceive our connection to the divine, to others, and to ourselves, thus enabling deeper faith integration and growth. A healthy self-concept fosters vulnerability, reliance on God, and alignment with spiritual payback such as  love and self-control.          

Thank you for joining me!

Next Sunday, May 10, 2026, we will be reflecting on Jn 14:15-21 where Jesus introduces the Spirit of Truth that will reveal the deep union we have with our God.  Jesus talks about obeying God’s Will   as a sign of our love for God.  There is a twist as our desire to follow God is a sign of our relationship with God.  

New episodes release every Sunday for the next week's Gospel. Big thanks to Heather Patel Doherty and Richard Coulombe for their wonderful help.

Questions or comments? Email me at peter.dohertyomi@gmail.com.

May God richly bless you!