Reflection for May 19 Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter: John 17:1-11a

Gospel: 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.”

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Reflection:

There is a story about a man who worked tirelessly to amass wealth. Day and night, he poured all his strength, time, and energy into becoming rich. Yet, despite all his efforts, he noticed that whatever riches he gained seemed to slip away from his hands just as quickly as they came.

It became a painful and exhausting cycle for him. He worked hard, sacrificed much, and chased after the treasures of this world, yet in the end, he was left empty. Why did this happen? It was because his heart had become focused only on worldly gain. Little by little, he was being consumed by the materialistic and self-centered spirit of the world.

Many of us can fall into the same trap without even realizing it. We work hard to secure comfort, success, recognition, and possessions, believing that these things will finally satisfy the longing within our hearts. But the more we cling to worldly things, the more we discover that they can never truly fill the emptiness of our souls. Everything in this world is temporary and passing away. Wealth fades, achievements are forgotten, and earthly pleasures do not last forever.

Jesus Himself lived in this world, yet He never allowed the world to rule His heart. He came not to seek earthly power, fame, or riches, but to fulfill the will of the Father. Out of His great love for us, He willingly offered His very own life so that we might receive eternal life and true peace. Jesus understood that nothing in this world could compare to the eternal joy of obeying God and accomplishing His mission of salvation.

As followers of Christ, we are called to examine the true condition of our hearts. Are we living only for worldly success, or are we living for God’s eternal purpose? Are we building treasures on earth that will one day disappear, or are we storing up treasures in heaven through faith, love, obedience, and compassion?

May we ask the Lord to purify our hearts from excessive attachment to worldly things and teach us to desire Him above all else. For only God can satisfy the deepest hunger of our souls, and only His love can give us lasting joy and peace.

When people look at the way we live, will they see hearts consumed by the world, or hearts completely surrendered to God?— Marino J. Dasmarinas