“But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem.” Like Jesus, the master he knew in the Spirit but not in the flesh, Paul takes leave of his friends to whom he has selflessly preached the kingdom of God, and heads for a dark and unknown future (Acts 20:17-27). “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.”
With that warning in mind, and with the example of Jesus’ own fate in Jerusalem before him, Paul leaves the security of the community at Ephesus for almost certain suffering. He does so in freedom and holy indifference – “I consider life to be of no importance to me” – because he serves a larger purpose than personal advancement or physical survival.
The scene in today’s gospel (John 17:1-11) provides a view of Jesus shortly before His Ascension. Jesus is preparing to leave His disciples and seems to be addressing His words to God the Father. He is telling the Father and, in so doing, also the disciples and us, that He has completed His purpose for taking on a human nature. He talks of how He has given glory to the Father and that the Father has, in turn, glorified Him. Jesus goes on to tell the Father that He prays for, and has been glorified in, the ones God has given Him. That includes us.
How can Jesus be glorified in us?
God is within each of us. This is a difficult concept to trust most of the time. We do not see ourselves as worthy of God’s presence. But He made us, and what He makes is good and worthy of His love. He made each of us unique and He knows us better than we know ourselves. What a truly awesome idea it is to be so loved by our Creator.
He has given each of us specific talents. It is through using those talents that we are able to return the glory He has given to us through our creation. The circular discourse with God the Father also is applicable to us. It makes me wonder how I can ever be so foolish as to take this circular relationship for granted, to ignore the love that is given so freely, to fail to recognize the greatest fortune that anyone can have. However, the times that I do recognize it are cherished times of joy.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!