Gospel Reading: Jn 17:1-11a
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began.
“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.”
REFLECTION The hour has come
The priestly prayer of Jesus begins, “Father, the hour has come.” We may rephrase it, “Father, the time has come.” This time is the time for Jesus to be glorified. To glorify Jesus is to give him the highest honor and respect. Jesus does not glorify himself; his Father gives him glory. It is the culmination of all of Jesus’ work on earth. There will be no heroic act greater than his crucifixion.
This final act of salvation is now, not some other time. Jesus asks the Father to glorify him now, to allow him to die now. Jesus gives his motivation: so that he can give eternal life to his followers. Jesus also clarifies the meaning of eternal life: knowing God the Father, as he has known him.
In his prayer, the ball has started rolling. Jesus is more than ready to go. It will not take more than a day to finish everything to pave the way for a new beginning.
The protagonists of the new beginning will be his disciples. They have been entrusted to him by the Father. They have proven to be ready by now, because they know whatever Jesus expects them to know. They are also ready to continue his work, with the guidance of the Spirit.
* * *
SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2016,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.