MEMORIAL OF SAINT BERNARD - ABBOT AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH - Gospel (John 17:20-26) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one.” (Jn 17:23)

FIRST READING - Judg 9:6-15

"You said, ‘We must have a king to rule over us!’ even though the Lord, your God, is your King."

⁶ Then all the lords of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together and made Abimelech king by the terebinth at the memorial pillar in Shechem.

⁷ When this was reported to Jotham, he went and stood at the top of Mount Gerizim and cried out in a loud voice:

“Hear me, lords of Shechem, and may God hear you!⁸ One day the trees went out to anoint a king over themselves. So they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’⁹ But the olive tree answered them, ‘Must I give up my rich oil, whereby gods and human beings are honored,^[a] and go off to hold sway over the trees?’¹⁰ Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come; you reign over us!’¹¹ But the fig tree answered them, ‘Must I give up my sweetness and my sweet fruit, and go off to hold sway over the trees?’¹² Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come you, reign over us.’¹³ But the vine answered them, ‘Must I give up my wine that cheers gods^[b] and human beings, and go off to hold sway over the trees?’¹⁴ Then all the trees said to the buckthorn, ‘Come; you reign over us!’¹⁵ The buckthorn answered the trees, ‘If you are anointing me in good faith, to make me king over you, come, and take refuge in my shadow. But if not, let fire come from the buckthorn and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Jn 17:20-26

"They are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me."

✠From the Gospel according to John

²⁰ “I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. ²² And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. ²⁴ Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am^[a] they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. ²⁶ I made known to them your name and I will make it known,^[b] that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”

MEMORIAL OF SAINT BERNARD, ABBOT AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH - Gospel (John 17:20-26)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

On today’s memorial of St. Bernard the Abbot, the Word of God recounts the conversation between Jesus and God the Father. After the Last Supper, Jesus went out to a deserted place to pray to God, offering His prayers to God for all the people of the world.

The prayer comes from the love of Jesus Christ for His disciples, as well as for all those who listen to the disciples and believe in the Name of Jesus Christ—the Second Person of God, who came to earth to become a human being. Jesus prays, asking God to unite all as one, just as the Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father, so that all the children may also be in God.

He desires that all people always remain united—closely united as one—in one another, just as God the Father is united as one with God the Son, and in the midst of that unity is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity is never divided in God’s plan of creation and salvation for humanity.

Now, before Jesus Christ was prepared to return to God, while He was still in the world with His disciples, He prayed to God: '"So that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us." "Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me."' This is the boundless love of Jesus Christ for humanity. He desires that all people return to God the Father and become one with Him.

As God the Father loves God the Son, so He loves humanity. He draws humanity into a closed circle—the circle of love between God the Father, God the Son, and humanity. No one in this world possesses a love as great and immense as that which God has for humanity.

Therefore, He desires that people experience God’s love for them by living in close union with Him in their daily lives. He also wants them to experience the love of Jesus Christ, who died and was resurrected to save humanity. When people live in and experience God’s love, they will fear and love God above all else and will share that love with their brothers and sisters.

God always wants people to have a loving relationship with God and with others. He wants people to always have two-way love—not just love for God while forgetting all those around them—because everyone is made in the image of God. Therefore, all who want to be happy with God must live in love with God and with others, reflecting the image of God’s love for God the Son and for humanity.

Today, God invites everyone to:

• Love God above all things and love your neighbor as yourself, for this is the most perfect and noble love.

• Live in unity with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and remain steadfast in His Church.

• His Church is the body of Jesus Christ; there is always only one God. Believe in and worship Him alone.

Thanks be God. Amen.

19:00 August 20, 2025 - Prayer of Divine Mercy - The Way to Heaven