This is ETERNAL LIFE - to know the FATHER, the only True God, and JESUS CHRIST!

7TH SUNDAY OF EASTER

[ John 17: 1-11a ]

   ‘We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…’ [Roman Missal]

In His Last Supper discourse with His beloved disciples, Jesus speaks of His glory and the glory of His Father.

What is this glory? It is THE CROSS which Jesus speaks of here and the willing offering of His life for us.

The glory of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How does the Cross reveal this glory? In the Cross, God reveals the breadth of HIS GREAT LOVE FOR SINNERS and THE POWER OF JESUS' REDEMPTIVE SACRIFICE which cancels the debt of sin and reverses the curse of our condemnation [Rm 8: 1].

Jesus gave His Father the supreme honour and glory through His obedience and willingness to go to the Cross for our sake. In times of defence, the greatest honour belongs not to those who fought and survived but to those who gave the supreme sacrifice of their own lives for their fellow citizens. Our Lord Jesus freely and willingly offered up His life out of obedience to His Father and love for us.

   Jesus reveals the glory of God to us.

Jesus speaks of the Father bringing glory to the Son through the great mystery of the Incarnation – the eternal Word who became flesh for our sake (John 1:14) – and the Cross of Christ which won for us pardon, freedom and new life in the Holy Spirit.

God the Father gave us His only begotten Son to set us free from slavery to sin, guilt and condemnation. His sacrificial death brings us new life – the abundant life of peace and joy which God wishes to share with each one of us. There is no greater proof of God's love for each and every person on the face of the earth than the Cross of Jesus Christ. In the Cross, we see a new way of love – a love that is merciful, sacrificial and generous beyond measure.

   Jesus offers abundant life without end.

Jesus offers us eternal life.

Jesus comes to give us Eternal Life.

What is eternal life? It is more than simply a life without end or an eternal state of being.

Science and medicine look for ways to extend the duration of human life – but God offers us something vastly greater and more surpassing than a simple extension of physical life. Eternal life is qualitative more than quantitative. To have eternal life is to have the very life of God within us. When we possess eternal life, we experience here and now something of God's majesty, glory and holiness which He shares with us. Through the gift and working of the Holy Spirit, God fills us with the abundant fruit of his peace, joy and love.

   We can know God personally through Jesus Christ.

Jesus also speaks of the knowledge of God. Jesus tells his disciples that they can know the only true God. Knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God, but we can know God personally and be united with God in a personal relationship of love and friendship.

God is a Person. God has a face. And we can know God personally through Jesus Christ. The essence of Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and all other religions, is this personal and experiential knowledge of God as our eternal Father – the One who knew us before creation [Ep 1: 4; Rm 8: 29] and who knit us in our mother's womb [Ps 139: 13; Jr 1:5]. Jesus makes it possible for each of us to personally know God as our Father. To see Jesus is to see what God is like.

God is a loving Communion of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

   A unity of love that endures forever.

Indeed, ‘we should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our Salvation, Life and Resurrection; through whom we are saved and delivered…’ [Roman Missal]

In Jesus Christ, we see the perfect love of God – a God who is Love – a God who cares intensely and who yearns over men and women, loving them to the point of laying down His life for them upon the Cross. Jesus is the revelation of God – a God who loves us completely, unconditionally and perfectly.

Do we hunger to know God personally and to be united with Him?

Our Lord Jesus invites each of us to enter more deeply into this personal relationship of love and oneness of mind, heart and spirit with the eternal Father, Son and Holy Spirit who created us in love for love.

Enter into a deeper communion with the Trinitarian God.

Let our fervent prayer be:

   “Lord Jesus Christ, draw me more deeply into this personal relationship of love and oneness with You, the Father and the Holy Spirit.”

Let us also pray that God’s justice, peace, truth and love may prevail in Ukraine, Sri Lanka and Nicaragua.

   [Note: This Gospel reflection was taken from copyright © 2023 Servants of the Word, source: dailyscripture.net, author Don Schwager.]