“I gave them your word, and the world hated them,
JOhn 17:14
because they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.”
Reflection
Jesus prays to his Father, asking him to protect his disciples. He declares that they do not belong to the world, just as Jesus doesn’t belong to the world. He asks that they be kept from the Evil One, and that they be consecrated to the truth.
Twice, Jesus says that just as he does not belong to the world, so do his disciples not belong to the world. This is because our true destiny, our true home, is heaven, not this earth. Christ came to show us the path to our true home, and make us understand that we are merely on an earthly pilgrimage.
As Christians, we do not place our hope in earthly things, but heavenly ones. We are made for heaven – this is why we do not truly belong to the world. Our world is full of evil and sin, temptations at every turn. It tries to lead us down a path of destruction, whereas Jesus leads us down a path of sanctity. How can you focus your heart and soul on heaven today?
Saint of the Day
St. Bernardine of Siena: 1380 – 1444
| “Let Mary never be far from your lips and from your heart. Following her, you will never lose your way. Praying to her, you will never sink into despair. Contemplating her, you will never go wrong.” St. Bernardine of Siena |
The Healing Word 