June 3, 2003 - Tuesday, 7th Week of Easter

Carrying Out One's Mission

Readings:
Acts 20:17-27; Ps 68:10-11, 20-21; Jn 17:1-11

Note: Today is also STS. CHARLES LWANGA & COMPANIONS:The Martyrs of Uganda - see celebrations of saints.

Introduction

In strikingly parallel ways, both Paul and Christ speak of their mission they have carried out - Christ with absolute certainty, Paul, knowing his limitations, to the best of his abilities. Paul knows that trials are awaiting him, but led by the Holy Spirit who guided his life, he will go ahead, even when he does not know what is awaiting him. Jesus has given the best of himself to make the Father known to all. He prays that they may all be one.

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 bit
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.

Scripture Readings

First Reading: Acts 20:17-27

From Miletus Paul sent word to Ephesus, summoning the elders of the Church. When they came to him, he addressed them, "You know how I lived among you from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia, how I served the Lord in humility through the sorrows and trials that the Jews caused me. You know that I never held back from doing anything that could be useful for you; I spoke publicly and in your homes and I urged Jews and non-Jews alike to turn to God and believe in our Lord Jesus.

But now I am going to Jerusalem, chained by the Spirit, without knowing what will happen to me there. Yet in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that imprisonment and troubles await me. Indeed I put no value on my life, if only I can finish my race and complete the service to which I have been assigned by the Lord Jesus, to announce the good news of God's grace.

I now feel sure that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom of God will ever see me again. Therefore I declare to you this day that my conscience is clear with regard to all of you. For I have spared no effort in fully declaring to you God's will.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 68:10-11, 20-21

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.

Gospel Reading: Jn 17:1-11

Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; give glory to your Son, that the Son may give glory to you. You have given him power over all mortals, and you want him to bring eternal life to all you have entrusted to him. For this is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and the One you sent, Jesus Christ.

"I have glorified you on earth and finished the work that you gave me to do. Now, Father, give me in your presence the same Glory I had with you before the world began.

"I have made your name known to those you gave me from the world. They were yours and you gave them to me, and they kept your word. And now they know that all you have given me comes indeed from you. I have given them the teaching I received from you, and they received it and know in truth that I came from you; and they believe that you have sent me.

"I pray for them; I do not pray for the world but for those who belong to you and whom you have given to me-indeed all I have is yours and all you have is mine-and now they are my glory. I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world whereas I am going to you. Holy Father, keep them in your Name (that you have given me,) so that they may be one, just as we are."

Commentary

We are privileged to hear the beatings of the heart of Jesus in prayer in the moment looked death in the eyes. "Give glory to your Son," he prays, "that the Son may give glory to you." It was not a selfish petition for Jesus' own aggrandizement, much less a prayer for God to enter into a quid pro quo deal. It is a prayer of longing. Jesus asked to be restored to the presence of the Father to share once more in the glory that was his before the creation of the world (Jn 1:1-2). Having revealed the only true God as Father of all, he asked to return home, knowing that his disciples also know their way there. He prayed for their protection and their unity, lest they be tempted to stray.

General Intercessions

- For the Church, that the Spirit may help it carry our without compromise or hesitation the task of making Christ's name known to today's world, we pray:

- For our Christian communities, that the Holy Spirit may help us to keep and live the gospel as good news, we pray:

- For all and each of us, that the Spirit may make us more aware that we belong to Christ and that Christ loves us deeply, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we sit at the table of Jesus
and through him we are one with you.
Make us deeply aware
that Jesus has given us
the people around us
to make your name known to them.
Help us to care for them
because they belong to you
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
we pray you today
for a deep sense of mission.
Through the Spirit of your Son
give us the courage
to accept the challenge
of being responsible for our brothers and sisters.
Let your Son encounter people through us
and break to them the bread
of your word and your life.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Blessing

With Jesus and like Paul, may we say with gratitude that we have carried out our task in life, the work God gave us to do, and may God forgive us where we failed. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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