The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today emphasize that the Spirit of God remains with us whatever difficulties we encounter on our journey.
Prepare to Share
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul speaks to the Ephesian Elders.
* [20:16–35] Apparently aware of difficulties at Ephesus and neighboring areas, Paul calls the presbyters together at Miletus, about thirty miles from Ephesus. He reminds them of his dedication to the gospel (Acts 20:18–21), speaks of what he is about to suffer for the gospel (Acts 20:22–27), and admonishes them to guard the community against false prophets, sure to arise upon his departure (Acts 20:28–31). He concludes by citing a saying of Jesus (Acts 20:35) not recorded in the gospel tradition. Luke presents this farewell to the Ephesian presbyters as Paul’s last will and testament.1
Psalm 68 offers praise and thanksgiving to God.
* [Psalm 68] The Psalm is extremely difficult because the Hebrew text is badly preserved and the ceremony that it describes is uncertain. The translation assumes the Psalm accompanied the early autumn Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth), which included a procession of the tribes (Ps 68:25–28). Israel was being oppressed by a foreign power, perhaps Egypt (Ps 68:31–32)—unless Egypt stands for any oppressor. The Psalm may have been composed from segments of ancient poems, which would explain why the transitions are implied rather than explicitly stated. At any rate, Ps 68:2 is based on Nm 10:35–36, and Ps 68:8–9 are derived from Jgs 5:4–5. The argument develops in nine stanzas (each of three to five poetic lines): 1. confidence that God will destroy Israel’s enemies (Ps 68:2–4); 2. call to praise God as savior (Ps 68:5–7); 3. God’s initial rescue of Israel from Egypt (Ps 68:8), the Sinai encounter (Ps 68:9), and the settlement in Canaan (Ps 68:10–11); 4. the defeat of the Canaanite kings (Ps 68:12–15); 5. the taking of Jerusalem, where Israel’s God will rule the world (Ps 68:16–19); 6. praise for God’s past help and for the future interventions that will be modeled on the ancient exodus-conquest (Ps 68:20–24); 7. procession at the Feast of Tabernacles (Ps 68:25–28); 8. prayer that the defeated enemies bring tribute to the Temple (Ps 68:29–32); 9. invitation for all kingdoms to praise Israel’s God (Ps 68:33–35).2
In the Gospel of John, Jesus prays for His Disciples.
* [17:1–26] Climax of the last discourse(s). Since the sixteenth century, this chapter has been called the “high priestly prayer” of Jesus. He speaks as intercessor, with words addressed directly to the Father and not to the disciples, who supposedly only overhear. Yet the prayer is one of petition, for immediate (Jn 17:6–19) and future (Jn 17:20–21) disciples. Many phrases reminiscent of the Lord’s Prayer occur. Although still in the world (Jn 17:13), Jesus looks on his earthly ministry as a thing of the past (Jn 17:4, 12). Whereas Jesus has up to this time stated that the disciples could follow him (Jn 13:33, 36), now he wishes them to be with him in union with the Father (Jn 17:12–14).3
George Butterfield cautions about what happens to ministers who proclaim the entire plan of God. Tears, trials, plots, imprisonment, and hardships await them.
Do I want to be liked by everybody? Well, I don’t go out of my way to make people hate me. The truth, however, can be hard to receive and the fact is that proclaiming the love of God through Jesus Christ can get you killed or, if not killed, hated, dismissed, canceled. Do I want eternal life? This comes through knowing God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This life is one of joy and peace but it also includes suffering and hardship. This is especially true for anyone who would dare to share their faith. If you want to be liked by everyone, keep your faith to yourself. If you want others to know Jesus, share your faith.4
Don Schwager quotes “Eternity will be ours when faith sees,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"We are distanced from eternity to the extent that we are changeable. But eternal life is promised to us through the truth. Our faith, however, stands as far apart from the clear knowledge of the truth as mortality does from eternity. At the present we put faith in things done in time on our account, and by that faith itself we are cleansed. In this way, when we have come to sight, as truth follows faith, so eternity may follow on mortality. Our faith will become truth, then, when we have attained to that which is promised to us who believe. And that which is promised to us is eternal life. And the Truth - not that which shall come to be according to how our faith shall be, but that truth that always exists because eternity is in it - the Truth then has said, 'And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.' When our faith sees and comes to be truth, then eternity shall possess our now changed mortality." (excerpt from ON THE TRINITY 4.18.24.34)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 20:17-27 asks wouldn’t it be nice to have the same kind of confidence as Paul? To know that you did everything you could and that you tried your hardest to follow God’s will? If this kind of confidence seems unrealistic, recall Paul’s words to the elders in Ephesus. He never claimed to have done everything perfectly, but he went about “proclaiming . . . the entire plan of God” (Acts 20:27). He certainly didn’t have complete success at every turn! But what he did do was pour everything he had into the calling God had given him and leave the results to the Lord.
If you wake up each morning and tell Jesus that you want to pour your heart and soul into following him that day, you can start the day with the same confidence Paul had. And if you try to stay faithful to that intention during the day, you can end the day peacefully. You may not have done everything right, but you will have tried. If you fell into sin, you can repent. And if your best-laid plans were disrupted, you can place them in God’s hands. So let Paul show you today that it is enough to simply try your best to cooperate with God’s grace. “Jesus, help me to walk in your footsteps and have confidence that you will guide me and help me today.”6
Friar Jude Winkler explains the difficulty that had Paul meet the elders of Ephesus in Miletus. Jesus' hour of glory in John’s Gospel is when he surrenders to the will of the Father and loves us to death. Friar Jude understands Jesus is offering a prayer of consecration for all of us to live in Him and the Truth.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, has been deeply moved by the wisdom of Etty Hillesum (1914–1943) for quite some time, and found himself returning to her journals many times over this past year. She died at Auschwitz at the age of 29, but her deepening relationship with God in the last two years of her life led her into great solidarity with those who suffered and to loving God even in her enemies.
By “coming to terms with life” I mean: the reality of death has become a definite part of my life; my life has, so to speak, been extended by death, by my looking death in the eye and accepting it, by accepting destruction as part of life and no longer wasting my energies on fear of death or the refusal to acknowledge its inevitability. It sounds paradoxical: by excluding death from our life we cannot live a full life, and by admitting death into our life we enlarge and enrich [life]. . . . We could fight war and all its excrescences by releasing, each day, the love that is shackled inside us, and giving it a chance to live. . . .7
The Truth revealed on our journey draws us toward sharing love with all people.
References
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