Wednesday of the 7th Week of Easter
Acts 20: 28-38
John 17: 11b-19
Saint Paul spoke to the crowd that gathered around him at Miletus: “we must help the weak” (Acts 20:35). As I reflected on today’s readings, I was reminded of Pope Francis’ stress on God’s mercy. “The Word of God is given to us as the Word of life, which transforms, which renews, which does not judge to condemn, but heals and has forgiveness as its end. A Word that is light for our steps.” As we look forward to the celebration of Pentecost, we beg the Creator of the Universe to renew the face of the earth. We pray that the pandemic might become the seedbed of grace and mercy for the whole family of mankind. Let us look to God with faith, and commend ourselves to His love and care for us. Having been made in the image of God, we must be willing to give to all and demand return from none. Having been conformed to Christ, we must be willing to become bread blessed and broken for the life of the world. Because we have been the beneficiaries of God’s infinite loving-kindness, we must be mindful of Christ words: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be required” (Lk. 12:48).
Jesus prayed for his disciples on the night before he died. He wanted them to be kept free from sin and the attacks of Satan. He promised to send them the Holy Spirit to strengthen them for their mission of evangelization. Knowing that if the Father were with them, no one could be against them (CF. Rom. 8:31), Jesus prayed that his Father would keep them in the palm of His hand and sustain them in his glory. Jesus asked his father to make them one in the bond of love so that all they do might be to the glory of the Father. My brothers, as long as God is for us, and we remain in his love, we are more than conquerors of the powers of darkness that strive to oppress us.
The Lord in his mercy has given us the freedom of the Children of God. He has taught us how to love. He has commissioned us to proclaim the Good News of salvation to the whole world. He wants us to do what he did when he talked with sinners, and embraced outcasts and poor people. He who is the way, the truth, and the life wants us to be beacons of light and hope for all who wander in darkness and doubt. Let us give ourselves to a renewed personal encounter with Christ. Since no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord, let us be willing to take the risk of taking a step towards the Lord. Having experienced the abundant love of the Lord may we rediscover that quality of living that binds us together as one family and let us walk together towards our heavenly homeland.
May God’s gaze always rest upon us so that, as we enter into relationships and communicate with others, we might reflect the gaze of Jesus, who looks upon us with eyes of super-abundant and generous love (Pope Francis).
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