WEDNESDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER - Gospel (John 17:11b-19) THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
- NHA CHUA CHA
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
FIRST READING - Acts 20:28-38
"I commend you to God and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated."
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
28 Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the holy Spirit has appointed you overseers,[a] in which you tend the church of God that he acquired with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. 30 And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth to draw the disciples away after them. 31 So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day, I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated. 33 I have never wanted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You know well that these very hands have served my needs and my companions. 35 In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36 When he had finished speaking he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 They were all weeping loudly as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him, 38 for they were deeply distressed that he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Jn 17:11b-19
"Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are."
✠From the Gospel according to John
11 And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are. 12 When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely. 14 I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. 15 [a]I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. 17 Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. 19 And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.
WEDNESDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER - Gospel (John 17:11b-19)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
Today's Word of God recounts Jesus conversing with God the Father. He prays and speaks with God the Father as if the two were conversing directly.
In His conversation, what did Jesus pray to God the Father?
He prays:
The first petition: He offers all His disciples to God the Father.
He asks God the Father to protect and guard them, and grant that they may be united as one, just as We are.
“We” here refers to God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit—the Three Persons united as one.
Now, Jesus Christ also asks God the Father to bestow grace and the Spirit of the Holy Spirit to unite His disciples, as well as His Church today, that they may be united as one, just as God is.
The Second petition: He offers all His disciples to God the Father.
He asks God the Father to protect His disciples, as well as all His children, from the Evil One and from the controlling power of Satan.
However, Jesus does not ask God the Father to remove the hardships and trials brought about by the world from his disciples. Therefore, life on this earth is a spiritual warfare against the forces of darkness until God comes a second time to bring salvation to humanity. This spiritual warfare also serves to test humanity's loyalty to God the Father. Nevertheless, God always bestows His grace, power, and strength upon His disciples, as well as to all His children, to protect us from the forces of darkness and to resist the power of Satan.
But at the same time, humanity must also respond to God the Father’s calling and teachings by obeying His commandments through the Ten Commandments, summarized in two laws that Jesus himself came to earth to fulfill: to love God the Father above all things and to love your neighbor as yourself.
God bestows the power to protect humanity from the forces of the evil one, but humanity must also respond with obedience and by sacrificing oneself to God the Father. To become conformed to the image of Christ, becoming faithful servants of God the Father, just like Jesus Christ, who is the Teacher of each one of us. Only in this way can we fight against the power of Satan.
God the Father calls upon all disciples to trust and remain faithful to God, for Jesus himself was hated by the world when He obeyed God the Father and brought God the Father's Word to humanity.
Now, all those who live and act according to the Word commanded by God will also be hated by the world, but do not fear the world!
Fear God the Father and obey the Word commanded by God the Father, then you will find happiness with God the Father in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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