June 3, 2025
Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs
Lectionary: 298
Reading 1
From Miletus Paul had the presbyters
of the Church at Ephesus summoned.
When they came to him, he addressed them,
“You know how I lived among you
the whole time from the day I first came to the province of Asia.
I served the Lord with all humility
and with the tears and trials that came to me
because of the plots of the Jews,
and I did not at all shrink from telling you
what was for your benefit,
or from teaching you in public or in your homes.
I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and Greeks
to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus.
But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem.
What will happen to me there I do not know,
except that in one city after another
the Holy Spirit has been warning me
that imprisonment and hardships await me.
Yet I consider life of no importance to me,
if only I may finish my course
and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus,
to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace.
“But now I know that none of you
to whom I preached the kingdom during my travels
will ever see my face again.
And so I solemnly declare to you this day
that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you,
for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God.”
Responsorial Psalm
R. (33a) Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
A bountiful rain you showered down, O God, upon your inheritance;
you restored the land when it languished;
Your flock settled in it;
in your goodness, O God, you provided it for the needy.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed day by day be the Lord,
who bears our burdens; God, who is our salvation.
God is a saving God for us;
the LORD, my Lord, controls the passageways of death.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will ask the Father
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you always.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said,
“Father, the hour has come.
Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you,
just as you gave him authority over all people,
so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him.
Now this is eternal life,
that they should know you, the only true God,
and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
I glorified you on earth
by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.
Now glorify me, Father, with you,
with the glory that I had with you before the world began.
“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.
They belonged to you, and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now they know that everything you gave me is from you,
because the words you gave to me I have given to them,
and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you,
and they have believed that you sent me.
I pray for them.
I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours
and everything of yours is mine,
and I have been glorified in them.
And now I will no longer be in the world,
but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.”
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060325.cfm
Commentary on Acts
20:17-27
In today’s reading, we are still with Paul on his Third
Missionary Journey. A great number of exciting events happen during the
latter part of the journey, most of which, unfortunately, are omitted in our
liturgy readings.
Paul spent two or three years in Ephesus altogether.
Yesterday, we saw him vigorously preaching to the Jews in the synagogue over a
period of three months. Eventually, however, the usual opposition arose
from a number of Jews who refused to accept his message. So Paul withdrew
from the synagogue and went instead to continue his preaching in a public
hall. This continued for two years so that the Word was heard not only in
Ephesus, but through all the surrounding Roman province of Asia. Paul
also revealed extraordinary healing powers so that even a piece of cloth which
had been in contact with his skin would heal diseases and drive out evil
spirits.
Following this, there is an incident involving wandering
Jewish exorcists who tried to use the name of Jesus to drive out evil spirits,
but were themselves attacked by an evil spirit who shouted:
Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you? (Acts
19:15)
This is followed by the even more exciting riot by the
silversmiths of Ephesus (see Acts 19:21-41). They made their money by
selling silver images of Artemis, the goddess of the great temple. They
saw Paul and his disparaging remarks about man-made idols as a serious threat
to their business. Paul wanted to confront them, but his companions would
not let him; he would almost certainly have been harmed. The whole affray
was eventually brought to a peaceful conclusion by the city clerk, who said the
complainers on the one hand were exaggerating the effects of Paul’s preaching
and, in any case, they could go to the courts if they had legitimate
complaints.
After this, Paul crossed over to Macedonia (Thessalonica and
Philippi) meeting the Christians there and then moved south to Greece, where he
stayed for about three months. He surely would have spent much of that
time in Corinth. He then returned to Macedonia and took ship from Philippi for
Troas (Troy). It was here that, while Paul was preaching in the upper
room of a house, there were many lamps lit, which would have made the place
very warm, and:
A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the
window, began to sink off into a deep sleep while Paul talked still longer.
Overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground three floors below and was picked up
dead. But Paul went down and bending over him took him in his arms and said,
“Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” (Acts 20:9-12)
Eutychus was restored to life—a consoling story for all
preachers!
From Troas, Paul moved southwards to Assos, which was quite
near, and then by ship to Miletus, which lay south of Ephesus on present-day
Turkey’s west coast. It is here that today’s reading begins. Paul called
for the elders (presbyteroi), or leaders of the church in Ephesus, to
come to him. When they arrived, he gave them final instructions and said
farewell to them.
The importance of the leadership of elders is evident
throughout Paul’s ministry. He appointed elders in each church on his
First Missionary Journey and addressed the holders of this office later in
Philippi, where they are called episkopoi, literally ‘overseers’
(Phil 1:1)—a word which would give us the term ‘bishop’. An ‘overseer’ seems to
have been a presbyter with some executive authority in the community. In
the letters to Timothy and Titus are listed the qualifications to become a
presbyter (see 1 Tim 3; Tit 1).
Now, Paul is calling the Ephesian elders to meet with him on
what is, for him, a very solemn and sad occasion. It is the third great
discourse given by Paul in Acts. Today and tomorrow we will read his
words. In summary, it is the last testament of a pastor leaving his flock
for what he believes is the last time.
Many of the details of this third discourse are found in his
letters and its tone is that of the Pastoral Letters (1 and 2 Timothy and
Titus). After referring to his mission in Asia, he speaks of this
occasion as a final parting and seems to hint at his death. His last
advice to the elders of Ephesus (and through them to all the pastors in every
church) is vigilance, selflessness and charity. In all of this Paul
appeals to his own example: the discourse therefore draws a faithful portrait
of the Apostle himself.
His words form one of the most touching passages in the New
Testament. Paul was a tough man in many respects, but he was also a very
emotional one and this comes out very clearly in this moving discourse.
In summary he tells the elders:
- Since
the time he came to the region, his life has been an open book for all to
read. He has nothing to hide.
- He
has served the Lord faithfully with tears and trials arising from the
opposition from some of his fellow Jews.
- He
has given testimony to both Jews and Gentiles about repentance (metanoia)
before God and faith in the Lord Jesus. Being a follower of Jesus
involves both total commitment in trust and a re-ordering of one’s life in
accordance with the gospel vision.
- He
describes himself as already “a captive to the Spirit”. This can mean
that he already anticipates his arrest or that he is being driven to
Jerusalem by the Spirit of God, in spite of people’s pleas that he not go.
- He
is not sure what is going to happen to him, but the Spirit has warned him
of imprisonment and coming hardships.
- But
these warnings do not depress him. His life is not important to
him. What is important is that he complete the mission entrusted to
him:
…if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I
received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God’s grace.
That is all that matters to him. As he tells the
Philippians, compared to the sharing of the gospel with others, life and death
are secondary. All he ever wanted was to love and serve his Lord, Jesus
Christ and to spread the Good News about him (see Phil 1:18-24 and also 1 Cor
9:23-27 and Gal 2:19-20 for similar statements).
Paul concludes today’s passage by saying that he does not
think that they will ever meet again in this world, but his conscience is clear
as far as the efforts he made to share the Gospel with them. At this
time, Paul was intending to return to Jerusalem and then to visit Spain.
Although it was his conviction that he would never see Ephesus again, there is
evidence that he did return after his imprisonment in Rome. Tomorrow we will continue
the second part of this moving farewell.
In the meantime, we could perhaps look back on our own lives
and ask what has been our commitment to Jesus and his gospel, and what have we
done to share it with others. Do we have any regrets about things we have
done or not done? Is my life an open book? Do I regret now pain or
sufferings, physical or emotional, which I experienced in doing what I believed
was right and just? If I had my life to live again, what changes would I
make? In the light of that, what changes can I make now?
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Commentary on John
17:1-11
Today we move on to the great chapter 17 of John.
Jesus is still with his disciples at the Last Supper and this is the final part
of his discourse. It consists of a long prayer, sometimes called the High
Priestly prayer of Jesus.
The prayer can be said to be in three parts:
- Jesus
prays for his own mission;
- he
prays for his immediate disciples, who are with him as he prays;
- he
prays for all those who in later times will become his disciples.
Jesus begins by praying for the success of his
mission. He prays that, through his passion, death and resurrection, he
may find glory. In John’s Gospel, Jesus’ glory begins with his passion
and the high moment is the moment of his dying on the cross, which is also the
moment of resurrection and union with the Father. This glory is not for
himself, but to lead people to glorify God, of whom Jesus is the Revealer and
Mediator.
In turn, he prays that all he does may lead to people
everywhere sharing in the life of God. And what is that life? It is
stated here in one of the key sayings of Jesus reported in John’s Gospel:
And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
To know God and to know Jesus is to acknowledge their unique
place as the source and end of all we have and are. To know the Father
and Jesus is to have as full as possible an understanding of Jesus’ message and
to have assimilated it into one’s whole life. It is not just a knowledge of
recognition, but a mutual identification of vision and values. As
the Jerusalem Bible comments:
“In biblical language, ‘knowledge’ is not merely the
conclusion of an intellectual process, but the fruit of an ‘experience’, a
personal contact. When it matures, it is love.”
It is to be aware of that, to accept that fully as the
secret of life, not just in the world to come, but here and now.
Everything else—and it really means everything—is secondary to this. To
put anything else, however lofty, in first place is to go astray.
Jesus has given glory to the Father by all that he has said
and done. He now prays again that glory will be given to him, because by
giving glory to him we give glory to his Father also. In fact, it is
through Jesus, through our total identification with him, that we give glory to
God.
Jesus now prays for his disciples: “those whom you gave
me”. Although it was Jesus who chose them, ultimately they are the gift
of the Father to help Jesus continue his work on earth. Jesus thanks God
that they have recognised that he comes from the Father and that they have
accepted his teaching. And because they belong to Jesus, they also belong
to the Father and through them Jesus will receive glory.
Finally, they have been chosen from the world and yet will
remain in the world, though not sharing in its values. In fact, they will
give glory to Jesus precisely by challenging the values of that world and
leading it to the ‘eternal life’ which they have discovered through Jesus and
which they have already begun to enjoy.
We thank Jesus for his disciples. We thank them for handing
on to us the secret of life. We thank them for the giving of themselves, many
through a martyr’s death, to share that secret with us. We recognise that
they, like us, had many weaknesses, but Jesus still worked through them, and
through them the world came to know Jesus.
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https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/e1073g/
Tuesday,
June 3, 2025
Easter Time
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
Your Son Jesus Christ carried out
the mission You had given Him, without fear and in all faithfulness to You.
God, give us a taste of His sense of mission.
Give us the strength of the Spirit to speak
Your word as it is, bold and demanding, without compromising or giving in to
the changing moods and fashions of the day.
And may our lives be like an open book in which people can
read Your word. We ask You this through Christ our Lord.
Gospel Reading - John 17:1-11a
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said,
"Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may
glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son
may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they
should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I
glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now
glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the
world began. "I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the
world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your
word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words
you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly
understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I
pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours
is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the
world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you."
Reflection
In today’s Gospel, in tomorrow’s, and the day
after tomorrow’s, we will meditate on the words that Jesus addressed to the
Father at the moment of His farewell. John keeps these words and puts them in
Jesus’ mouth during His last encounter with the disciples. It is the Testament
of Jesus in the form of a prayer, also called the Priestly Prayer (Jn 17:
1-26).
•
Chapter 17 of the Gospel of John is the end of a
long reflection by Jesus, begun in chapter 15, on the mission in the world. The
communities preserved these reflections in order to be able to better
understand the difficult moment that they were going through: tribulations,
abandonment, doubts, and persecution. The long reflection ends with the prayer
of Jesus for the communities. In it are expressed the sentiments and concerns,
according to the Evangelist, Jesus had at that moment in which He was going
out, leaving this world, and going toward the Father. With these sentiments and
with this concern, Jesus now finds Himself before His Father, interceding for
us. Because of this the Priestly Prayer is also the Testament of Jesus. Many
people, in the moment when they leave forever, leave some message. Everyone
keeps the important words of a father and mother, especially when they are the
last moments of life. Keeping these words is like keeping the person. It is a
form of respect and of affection.
•
Chapter 17 is a diverse text. It is a friendlier
one rather than one of reasoning. In order to grasp the whole meaning, it is
not sufficient to reflect with the head, with reason. This text has to be
meditated upon and accepted in the heart as well. It is a text not so much to
be discussed, but to meditate reflect upon. Therefore, do not be worried if you
do not understand it immediately. This text demands a whole life of pondering
and deepening. Such a text should be read, meditated on, thought, read again,
repeated, savored, as one does with a good sweet in the mouth. One turns it
over and over in the mouth until it is finished. For this, close your eyes,
keep silence within you and listen to Jesus who speaks to you, transmitting in
His Testament His greatest concern, His last will. Try to discover which point
Jesus insists on the most and which points He considers the most important.
•
John 17: 1-3: “Father, the hour has come!” It is
the long-awaited hour (Jn 2: 4; 7: 30; 8: 20; 12: 23, 27; 13: 1; 16: 32). It is
the moment of the glorification which will take place through the Passion,
death and Resurrection. In reaching the end of His mission, Jesus looks back
and proceeds to a review. In this prayer, He expresses the most intimate
sentiment of His heart and the profound discovery of His soul: the presence of
the Father in His life.
•
John 17: 4-8: Father, they will recognize that I
come from You! In reviewing His own life Jesus sees Himself as a manifestation
of the Father for the friends whom the Father has given Him. Jesus does not
live for Himself. He lives in order that all may have a flash of goodness and
love which are enclosed in the name of God which is Abba, Father.
•
John 17: 9-11a: All I have is Yours and all You
have is Mine! At the moment of leaving the world, Jesus expresses His concern
to the Father and prays for the friends whom He leaves behind; that they will
continue in the world, but they are not of the world. They are of Jesus, they
are God’s, and they are signs of God and of Jesus in this world. Jesus is
concerned about the people who remain, and He prays for them.
For Personal Confrontation
•
If you were about to die, what would be the
message that you would like to leave to your family and to your community?
•
Notice that He is addressing the One He is going
to, not those He is leaving. Would this be your way too? Why or why not?
•
Many fear death, even though it is just a
passing to new life. A large part of the “message” we leave is in how we leave
– accepting and at peace or clinging on to this life. Imagine yourself at those
moments. What message do you present in those last days or hours? How do you
feel while putting yourself in these last moments?
Concluding Prayer
Blessed be the Lord day after day, He carries us along, God our
Savior.
This God of ours is a God who saves; from Lord Yahweh comes
escape from death. (Ps 68: 19-20)
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