The Catholic Calendar for Monday, May 9, 2005
Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Acts 19:1-8
Psalm 68:2-7
John 16:29-33

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

In today's gospel we hear the beautiful Last Supper prayer of Jesus. It's a prayer that demonstrates the loving dynamic between The Almighty and His Son and ultimately between the Heart and mind of the Creator and us. Knowing that His time had come and that soon all the pieces of His earthly life would soon converge by His death on the Cross, Jesus' prayer is very solemn. The surprising thing is that we get to overhear something so filled with emotion and seemingly private. What we may learn from this is that with Jesus there is nothing private, nothing that He doesn't want us to be "in on" and have recourse to. This desire of Jesus that the Father be known as He is known, is an unfathomable characteristic of divine love. There is no holding back, all are welcome, all are invited to be His special friends.

This attitude of selfless openness and sharing is something that we, as Christ's followers, are expected to imitate. We're not to reserve good behavior and manners just for some people and some occasions, but to be always and everywhere freely loving and giving -- not reserving our bounty as if goodness might run out.

In the realm of spiritual matters, it is just the opposite - the more we give, the more we have. So let us be less concerned about appearances or what others might think or know of us. Instead, may we be imitators of Jesus and be able to say in some measure, "Father, I have done what You have asked, and by this may You be glorified."

- Donna Raye Nelson, OCDS
(drn3rd at hotmail dot com)

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