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Gospel Reading for June 12, 2025 – John 17: 1-2, 9, 14-26
WORLDLY
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
The Eternal High Priest
When Jesus had said this, he 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 he may give eternal life to all you gave him. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.
“I pray not only for them, 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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Jesus, our Eternal High Priest was praying to the Father at this time when he would soon be arrested, he was not thinking of himself, but he was praying for all of us who follow and will follow him.
“I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one.”
Christians are IN THE WORLD but not OF THE WORLD. As a matter of fact, if you are described as someone WORLDLY, it means that you are concerned with material values or ordinary life rather than spiritual existence. We have to be in the world if we are to participate in Christ’s mission of salvation. Some of us may think we just need to get away from it all, from them all, so we can avoid the evil one. Wrong. Jesus was alone in the desert when the devil tempted him.
We cannot avoid the presence of evil in the world but we can fight evil, with the cross as our sword. We can eliminate evil only by doing good, by making sacrifices, by following the ways of Jesus. With the concerted efforts of all Christians, the world will be a good place to live in.
Let us ponder on the lyrics of this song written by Daniel Lord, S.J. in 1932, identified as the Catholic Action theme –
An army of youth
Flying the standards of truth,
We’re fighting for Christ, the Lord.
Heads lifted high,
Catholic Action our cry,
And the Cross our only sword.
On earth’s battlefield
Never a vantage we’ll yield.
As dauntlessly on we swing
Comrades true, dare and do
‘Neath the Queen’s white and blue,
For our flag, for our faith,
For Christ the King.
Christ lifts His hands,
The King commands; challenge,
‘Come and follow me.’
From ev’ry side,
With eager stride,
We form in the lines of victory.
Let foemen lurk,
And laggards shirk,
We throw our fortunes to the Lord
Mary’s Son,
Till the world is won,
We have pledged you our loyal word.
