Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to 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.”
Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer
1. Jesus raised his eyes. God also invites you to raise your eyes. When you are facing challenges that feel overwhelming or heavy, try looking toward heaven and entrusting those worries to God. Jesus says this prayer at the hardest moment of his life, when He is alone, condemned, judged and defamed. If you feel down, lift your eyes and take heart in knowing that you are never truly alone and that you are always being heard by God. Have faith, look to heaven, and trust in God’s guidance. Keep in mind that your life has a much greater purpose, and that heaven is your goal.
2. Know you. To truly love God, you must first know Him. Developing a genuine, personal connection is the heart of spiritual growth and what it really means to live as a Christian. It’s easy for some to identify as Christians in name only, sticking to surface-level traditions like baptism, without ever letting their faith guide them through life’s challenges. But Jesus teaches that being a Christian is about much more than just outward appearances; it’s about truly knowing Him and learning to see the world through His eyes. Ask God for the grace to encounter Him in a new way. Strive to maintain that relationship and nourish your inner life. Remember: without a real encounter, there is no relationship, and without a relationship, your faith can feel empty. Once you build that bond, you will find the strength to face anything that comes your way, seeing every situation as an opportunity to grow.
3. Eternal Life. It’s time to refocus on the core purpose of your life. Success isn’t about climbing the career ladder, landing a prestigious job, or gaining status. Those things don’t define your value. Instead, your journey is really about something much deeper: finding and living a life that truly lasts, achieving eternal life. And that starts here and now by fully embracing the life you’ve been given. Life is meant to be shared with the people you love, not measured by your bank account. Try to find joy in the small, everyday moments instead of getting stuck in a hollow routine where everything starts to feel meaningless.
Remember something good is on the way!
God bless you and guard you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
