In today’s gospel, John states the following: Because of the way he spoke, many followed him. There are many people speaking these days, and messages are coming at us from means and devices that were but a few decades ago the subject of science fiction. Although the medium of the message has changed, the question of whom and what to follow has challenged humanity from the very beginnings of its history. Truth has always been sacrificed on the altar of personal gain, prestige, and power. Thus, one clue to truth is that it should be evident that the benefit of the message is not so much the person who is speaking, rather the person receiving the message. One of he clues to the truthfulness of Christ’s message is the celebration of his passion. As we move closer to the beginning of Holy week, our annual Lenten observation should include an examination of conscience which should look seriously on how we manage or manipulate truth for our own benefit.