Daily Readings - Tue May 23 2023
Acts
17Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.18And when they came to him, he said to them:"You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia,19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews;20how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,21testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.22And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there,23except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.24But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.25And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.26Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you,27for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
John
1When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.3And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.4I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.6"I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.7Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.8For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.9I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.10All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.11And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound reflections on mission, unity, and the ultimate purpose of our lives as followers of Christ. The first reading from Acts 20:17-27 presents St. Paul’s heartfelt farewell to the elders of Ephesus. Paul, aware of the trials and sufferings that await him in Jerusalem, humbly reflects on his ministry. He reminds the elders of his unwavering dedication to preaching the Gospel, despite the challenges he faced. Paul’s words are a testament to his selflessness and trust in God’s plan, even when the path ahead seems uncertain. He emphasizes that his life’s work is to complete the mission entrusted to him by the Lord, to testify to the Gospel of God’s grace.
The Gospel reading from John 17:1-11a shifts our focus to Jesus’ prayer to the Father before His Passion. Jesus speaks of glorifying the Father and being glorified in return, not for His own sake but so that He might give eternal life to all those the Father has given Him. Jesus defines eternal life as knowing the one true God and Himself, whom the Father has sent. He prays for His disciples, asking that they may be one, just as He and the Father are one. This prayer is a beautiful expression of the unity and love that exist within the Trinity and are extended to us through Christ.
Both readings remind us that our lives are not our own but are part of a larger plan. Like Paul, we are called to be faithful stewards of the Gospel, trusting in God’s providence even when the road ahead is difficult. Like Jesus, we are called to live in unity and love, reflecting the oneness of the Father and the Son. In our daily lives, this means prioritizing our relationship with God, embracing our mission to share His love with others, and striving to overcome divisions so that we may truly be one in Christ. May we, like Paul, be willing to surrender our lives for the sake of the Gospel, and may we, like Jesus, pray for and work toward the unity of all God’s people.