+ The gospel passage today talks about Jesus asking his Father to
glorify him – because his hour has come. Jesus has yearned
for this hour of consummation, this hour of suffering, this hour of battle with
the forces of evil – so that the battle could be won, and that the whole world
would come to know that God (the Father)
is love and that Jesus is Love-made-Visible. Jesus, as Word of God, came
from God’s glory, and now he is asking God (his Father) to take him back there
– but not until after finishing the task at hand. It would not be easy by any
means, but it would be done out of obedience and out of love.
St. Paul in the first reading,
in a parallel fashion, knows that his hour too is coming when he will leave his
beloved Ephesians, and they will not see him again until the coming of the
Kingdom in its fullness. For Paul’s part, he is eager always to run the race, to finish the work the Lord
Jesus has given him to do in bearing witness to the Gospel of God’s grace.
And Paul, as did Jesus,
persisted with the grace of God. We also are encouraged to do the same – in our
new endeavor that the Lord is clearly calling us to engage whole-heartedly in –
for the power of love is greater than any evil, and the victory of patience is
more profound than any worldly peace.
Come
Holy Spirit – fill the hearts of the faithful – enkindle in us the fire of your
love – and renew the face of the earth: use us as you will to
accomplish this task!
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