1Reflection for May 25, Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter: John 17:20-26

Gospel: John 17:20-26

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.   

And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one that the world may know that you sent me and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me.  

I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you but I know you, and they know that you sent me I made known to them your name and I will make it known that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.

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Reflection:

There is a story told about a woman who lovingly devoted herself to caring for the poor in her community. She served not out of abundance, but out of deep compassion and unwavering faith. There were times when resources were scarce—yet, somehow, she was always able to feed and care for those in need. She believed with all her heart that Jesus would never fail her. And He didn’t. 

This quiet faith reminds us of a powerful truth: We can always lean on Jesus. 

He is constant—always present, always ready to help us. His love for us is beyond measure. He proved this love when He gave His life for us on the cross. Through that act of self-giving, Jesus fulfilled the mission entrusted to Him by the Father. For our sake, God gave us His only begotten Son. 

God is never distant from us. No matter who we are. No matter what burdens we carry. No matter the sins we’ve committed. He is near. He listens. And He longs for us to come to Him. 

But faith is not meant to be kept hidden. There is a calling—a sacred responsibility—that rests on our shoulders: to share this love, to pay it forward. Because our faith in God doesn’t grow in isolation. It matures when we offer it to others, when we become channels of His grace and love in this world. 

So ask yourself today: Have I shared my faith with someone? Have I become an instrument of God’s love? Jesus gave everything for us. Let us not hold back in living for Him—and in loving others as He has loved us. — Marino J. Dasmarinas