Your Name Revealed

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today exhort us to act on the mission we receive through our relationship with Christ.

Stop and Know Your Name

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents Paul’s Farewell Speech at Miletus.

* [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. (Acts of the Apostles CHAPTER 20 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 68 offers praise for God’s past help and for the future interventions.

* [Psalm 68] The Psalm is extremely difficult because the Hebrew text is badly preserved and the ceremony that it describes is uncertain. 

The settlement in Canaan (Ps 68:10–11) and praise for God’s past help and for the future interventions that will be modeled on the ancient exodus-conquest (Ps 68:20–24); (Psalms, PSALM 68 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, the Last Supper Discourse presents The Prayer of Jesus.

* [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).

* [17:1] The action of looking up to heaven and the address Father are typical of Jesus at prayer; cf. Jn 11:41 and Lk 11:2.

* [17:2] Another possible interpretation is to treat the first line of the verse as parenthetical and the second as an appositive to the clause that ends v. 1: so that your son may glorify you (just as…all people), so that he may give eternal life….

* [17:3] This verse was clearly added in the editing of the gospel as a reflection on the preceding verse; Jesus nowhere else refers to himself as Jesus Christ.

* [17:6] I revealed your name: perhaps the name I AM; cf. Jn 8:24, 28, 58; 13:19. (John, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Jim Caime, SJ, comments that when we go out into the world and stand for what is right, when we try to live the Gospel with honesty and compassion, we may be called many things. We may be misunderstood, criticized, dismissed, or labeled.

No matter what others call us—or perhaps even what we call ourselves on our harder days—we are children of God.

This reflection also comes at an unusual time for me, as it will be my last reflection before beginning a sabbatical. I certainly cannot say, like Jesus, that I have accomplished all that was entrusted to me. I have not always had answers. I have simply tried to walk honestly with you through questions, struggles, joys, and faith.

The answer was never me. The answer has always been Jesus.

Perhaps the question was never whether we had all the answers.

Perhaps it is whether we have remembered who we are. (Caime, n.d.)

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) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 20:17-27 comments that each of us has been called to live as missionary disciples in our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.

Perhaps today you could reflect on how the Lord may be calling you to a life of “proclaiming . . . the entire plan of God” to the people around you. Are there steps you could take to strengthen your witness? Are there ways you could become more attentive to opportunities to share your faith? Sit peacefully with the Holy Spirit and ask him to help you answer these questions. And whatever you do, know that you are never alone. The Spirit is always with you to guide you and empower you.

“Jesus, teach me how to proclaim your good news!” (Meditation on Acts 20:17-27, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that, in Acts, Paul meets the elders at Miletus in a hurry to go to Jerusalem. If he goes to Ephesus, he will be delayed to Jerusalem. He defends his ministry to both Jews and Greeks. He warns them and confirms he preached everything they need to hear. The Last Supper Discourse, in the Gospel of John, comes to a prayer offered to the Father. Jesus gives us the truth of who God is and what he wants of us. The Glory mentioned in John, as the hour of glory, is Christ on the cross. Jesus prays for the people he leaves and not the world, who are those who belong with Satan. Friar Jude notes that Jesus prays for the unity of God and the Father with the believers He leaves behind.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces CAC Dean of Faculty Carmen Acevedo Butcher translated The Cloud of Unknowing, the foundational text for Centering Prayer. Contemplative practice creates space for us to be with God, after which we return to our daily lives and commitments. The anonymous author of The Cloud encourages beginners to enter contemplation with simple instructions.

We need contemplation because, as our globe gets more crowded by the hour, more and more we act like elbow-to-elbow passengers in cheap coach seats on a commuter flight…. Who doesn’t rush through the day? Who never feels the pressure to produce? How often are you in cyberspace? Our new frantic pace is like poison to our holding hands with those we love. That is where contemplation comes in. It reconnects us to ourselves, to God, and to others. It helps us learn to forgive and heal our souls….

For the first sixteen centuries of the Christian church, contemplative prayer was the goal of Christian spirituality, and now in our own time of transition and upheaval, … we are returning to our roots. Contemplative prayer is more relevant than ever before. More and more of us are practicing this ancient form of prayer and finding peace in a world of war, extreme political divide, epidemics, terrorism, technology, overcrowding, noise, inequality, and a Church in need of humility. [3] (Rohr, n.d.)

We are inspired by the Spirit to explore who we are in our relationships with God and the people in our environment as we continue the mission of our Baptismal Anointing as priest, prophet, and leader.

References

Acts of the Apostles CHAPTER 20 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved May 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/20?17 

Caime, J. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved May 19, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-may-19-2026 

John, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/17? 

Meditation on Acts 20:17-27. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved May 19, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/05/19/1571639/ 

Psalms, PSALM 68 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/68 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Lift Your Heart to God. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 19, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/lift-your-heart-to-god/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). This Is Eternal Life - to Know the Father the Only True God. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 19, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

A Cornerstone of Faith and Works

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be open to the path of faith and works in Jesus Way as our mission of “diakonia” in the many dwellings of the Father.

Faith Works and Full Life

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents The Need for Assistants.

* [6:1–7] The Hellenists…the Hebrews: the Hellenists were not necessarily Jews from the diaspora, but were more probably Palestinian Jews who spoke only Greek. The Hebrews were Palestinian Jews who spoke Hebrew or Aramaic and who may also have spoken Greek. Both groups belong to the Jerusalem Jewish Christian community. The conflict between them leads to a restructuring of the community that will better serve the community’s needs. The real purpose of the whole episode, however, is to introduce Stephen as a prominent figure in the community whose long speech and martyrdom will be recounted in Acts 7.

* [6:2–4] The essential function of the Twelve is the “service of the word,” including development of the kerygma by formulation of the teachings of Jesus.

* [6:2] To serve at table: some commentators think that it is not the serving of food that is described here but rather the keeping of the accounts that recorded the distribution of food to the needy members of the community. In any case, after Stephen and the others are chosen, they are never presented carrying out the task for which they were appointed (Acts 6:2–3). Rather, two of their number, Stephen and Philip, are presented as preachers of the Christian message. They, the Hellenist counterpart of the Twelve, are active in the ministry of the word.

* [6:6] They…laid hands on them: the customary Jewish way of designating persons for a task and invoking upon them the divine blessing and power to perform it. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 33 invites the just to Praise God.

* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Reading from the First Letter of Peter presents God’s House and People.

* [2:4–8] Christ is the cornerstone (cf. Is 28:16) that is the foundation of the spiritual edifice of the Christian community (1 Pt 2:5). To unbelievers, Christ is an obstacle and a stumbling block on which they are destined to fall (1 Pt 2:8); cf. Rom 11:11.

* [2:5] Let yourselves be built: the form of the Greek word could also be indicative passive, “you are being built” (cf. 2 Pt 2:9).

* [2:9–10] The prerogatives of ancient Israel mentioned here are now more fully and fittingly applied to the Christian people: “a chosen race” (cf. Is 43:20–21) indicates their divine election (Eph 1:4–6); “a royal priesthood” (cf. Ex 19:6) to serve and worship God in Christ, thus continuing the priestly functions of his life, passion, and resurrection; “a holy nation” (Ex 19:6) reserved for God, a people he claims for his own (cf. Mal 3:17) in virtue of their baptism into his death and resurrection. This transcends all natural and national divisions and unites the people into one community to glorify the one who led them from the darkness of paganism to the light of faith in Christ. From being “no people” deprived of all mercy, they have become the very people of God, the chosen recipients of his mercy (cf. Hos 1:9; 2:23). (1 Peter, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John continues to present the Last Supper Discourses.

* [14:1–31] Jesus’ departure and return. This section is a dialogue marked off by a literary inclusion in Jn 14:1, 27: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

* [14:1] You have faith: could also be imperative: “Have faith.”

* [14:3] Come back again: a rare Johannine reference to the parousia; cf. 1 Jn 2:28.

* [14:4] The way: here, of Jesus himself; also a designation of Christianity in Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22.

* [14:6] The truth: in John, the divinely revealed reality of the Father manifested in the person and works of Jesus. The possession of truth confers knowledge and liberation from sin (Jn 8:32).

* [14:7] An alternative reading, “If you knew me, then you would have known my Father also,” would be a rebuke, as in Jn 8:19.

* [14:8] Show us the Father: Philip is pictured asking for a theophany like Ex 24:9–10; 33:18. (John, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB, n.d.)

Eileen Wirth comments that the passage from Acts reminds us that the early Christians had their flaws and squabbled with each other just like we do.She is actually a little surprised that they didn’t turn serving dinner over to the community’s women.

I also think about the prayer/service conundrum that this passage highlights. Isn’t humble service a form of prayer? I think of saints like Mother Teresa working in the slums of Calcutta and the pre-papal pictures of Pope Leo donning rubber boots to aid flood victims in Peru. Prayer and service seem inexorably linked, rather than being an either/or choice.

But we don’t have to go to India or Peru to find people who linked the two. We all have our own local role models. One of mine is the late John Schlegel S.J., who not only served as president of Creighton but spent many evenings inconspicuously serving dinner to the homeless at Siena-Francis House. I suspect this work inspired him to create the University’s day of service to the homeless that brought hundreds to the campus for health checks, job assistance and other aid. (Wirth, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Father Works Together with the Son,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The Father was not born of the Virgin, and yet this birth of the Son from the Virgin was the work of both Father and Son. The Father did not suffer on the cross, and yet the passion of the Son was the work of both Father and Son. The Father did not rise again from the dead, and yet the resurrection of the Son was the work of both Father and Son. You have the persons quite distinct, and their working inseparable. So let us never say that the Father worked anything without the Son, the Son anything without the Father. Or perhaps you are worried about the miracles Jesus did, in case perhaps he did some that the Father did not do? Then what about 'But the Father abiding in me does his works'?" (excerpt from Sermon 52,14) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 14:1-12 comments that Jesus’ words “Where I am you also may be” (John 14:3) can be reassuring for us as well. He promises to be with each of us always. He dwells in us through Baptism. He comes to us under the appearance of bread and wine in the Eucharist. He is with us through his Holy Spirit. And he is preparing a dwelling place for us, too, in his Father’s house.

This is the good news: Jesus is always present to you—both now and forever in eternity. Whatever trials you may experience, you never have to feel alone or abandoned. You can call on him for his guidance, his wisdom, and his mercy at any moment of the day or night.

So “do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1). The One who died and rose for you will never let you go. Even when you can’t sense his presence, know that he is with you. He is interceding for you with the Father. Even now, he is preparing a dwelling place for you, a place so wonderful that it’s beyond anything you could ever imagine!

“Jesus, I praise you for your constant presence in my life!” (Meditation on John 14:1-12, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Acts presents the episode where the Apostles are told that widows and orphans are being ignored. The word “diakonia” is a Greek noun meaning "service," "ministry," or "relief," and it occurs in the choice of the first seven deacons. The Apostles lay their hands on them to ordain them to govern through the action of the Holy Spirit. In the Last Supper Discourses, in the Gospel of John, Jesus is the living stone and the people are built into the house of the Lord. Jesus is the fulfillment of all the promises. The stone is a solid foundation and also a stumbling block. God has consecrated these people who are made into “Church”. In the Last Supper Discourses, Jesus shows them He is way truth and life. In the Hebrew Testament, God is “emet” that means faithful and truthful. The Life of Vitality begins in encountering Jesus. We have seen the Father in the works and words of Jesus. Friar Jude comments that Our Trinity is a community that is not split, but involves service, community, and mutual love as exists between the Father and the Son. 

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces James Finley and Mirabai Starr who describe how the Song of Songs in the Old Testament expresses the soul’s longing for God as well as God’s longing for us.

The Song of Songs is our soul’s quintessential blueprint. We often have this sense that to be born is to be separated from our source. The path of this life, then, is a path of return and homecoming—and it’s characterized in many ways by longing, yearning, and remembering in our bones that we come from Love. The desire beyond all other desires is to return to Love. That spiritual longing is often expressed or mirrored in our human relationships. I don’t see that as a problem. Our human relationships are not illusions that stand in for the real thing, the spiritual longing of our spiritual selves. Rather, our human relationships are the field on which this love dance plays out in this life.

Anyone who’s ever been smitten by love doesn’t need to explain why the Song of Songs is sacred. In other words, love’s the best thing going. It’s way up there with hummingbirds and sunsets. It’s one of God’s better ideas, because a life rich with love is a life rich with meaning. God is the infinity of love; therefore, our love for each other is an incarnate manifestation of that infinite love, which is incarnate in our love for each other.

The Song of Songs expresses this love song of the heart. The rhythms of the poet’s voice are the rhythms of love itself. The language is so poetic because it’s evocatively incarnating the nonlinear realizations of love. That’s why, when we read Scripture this way, it affects us at such a deep level. (Rohr, n.d.)

We contemplate the role of the Holy Spirit in opening the Love between Father and Son as the fuel for our service to the “widows and orphans” of our daily environment.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/6? 

John, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/14? 

Meditation on John 14:1-12. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/05/03/1556525/ 

1 Peter, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrie ved May 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1peter/2? 

Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/33? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Love Song of the Soul. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/love-song-of-the-soul/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Lord, Show Us the Father. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Wirth, E. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton On line Ministries. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-may-3-2026