June 2 // 7th Sunday of Easter

Reading I: Acts 7:55-60
Responsorial Psalm 97:1-2, 6-7, 9
Reading II: Rev 22:12-14, 16-17, 20
Gospel: Jn 17:20-26

Today’s Gospel continues to give us Jesus’ last words to his followers.  It is the night before he died and his prayer for us is full of love:  He wants his followers to know:

• that he and the Father are one
• that the Father sent Jesus
• that each follower is loved as the Father loves Jesus and
• that each follower is the Fathers’ gift to Jesus.

That is what the Gospel says but we may have some difficulty accepting such grand words about ourselves. We may find it hard to believe that we are any sort of gift from the Father to Jesus.  That’s humility.

We may find it hard to acknowledge that we are loved anything like the father’s love for Jesus.  That too is humility.

Why does Jesus want the world to know all this?

• So that we will be one as the Father and Jesus are one
• so that we may be brought to perfection
• so that we see Jesus’ glory

Again we may struggle with such high fallutin’ (unrealistic?) goals!  These goals are for the St. Teresas and St. Catherines and St. Anthonys.  About perfection we cannot even say, ”Who me?”  We more likely say, “Not possible!”  And as far as being one we realistically say, “All I see right now is division.  Please show us how to be one.”

God’s grace flows along with God’s invitation to be one with humanity and one with God by imitating Jesus.  Our life long purpose is to imitate Jesus.

Deni Mack, DMin
Pastoral Associate