Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 4, 2019
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.”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus says to the Father, “I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do,” and that’s what I’m trying to do here, too. I feel called to and affirmed by the work that I do. I am in better relationship with God when I’m living out my vocation. So why do I still want to be recognized with an award for my work? Do I desire to give glory to God or glory to myself?
When I want to be remembered and known here on earth, I ask myself: How many presidents can you name? or How many Apostles? I note that in today’s Gospel, “those whom you gave me,” the ones to whom Jesus reveals God’s name, don’t have their names listed. Belonging to God and accepting his message are more important indicators of who they are than even their own names. Likewise, being a beloved of God’s is my identity, more than any title I can earn for myself. The good news is, there isn’t anything I need to do to earn God’s love. It isn’t an award, it’s just a fact: God is love.
But God’s love does offer me an invitation, illustrated at the end of Matthew 25. If I want to love God back, I can do so by loving his people, especially the ones on the margins. Although the poor seem nameless until we get to know them, they aren’t unknown to God. God knows their names, and he knows your name, and my name, whether or not that name gets called for an award here on earth. God’s name is the one that needs to be proclaimed, not my own. How can I make sure that’s the work that I’m doing?
Prayer
God of compassion and strength, visit us and give us the hope of your Spirit dwelling within and around us. Help us to trust in the relationships of our lives that reveal to us your abiding love and lasting peace. Enliven us to always trust in your presence, especially when we embrace our brothers and sisters in joy, as did Mary and Elizabeth. Grant this through Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Petroc is a British saint from the early sixth century, who was a foundational figure in British monasticism. Petroc was born the son of a Welsh king. Petroc was sent to Ireland for his education, where he studied with the monastic communities there.
Once he had finished his studies, Petroc did not return to his princely life in Wales but went on pilgrimage to Rome.
Petroc's humility was legendary. A famous legend of Petroc tells the story of his eventful return to England from Rome. As he and his companions landed on the beach, torrents of rain began to fall. Petroc assured his companions that the rain would soon cease. The rain continued for several more days, without abating in ferocity. In penance, Petroc set off on another pilgrimage. According to legend, he traveled as far as India.
After his return, he shut himself up in a monastery and chose the life of a hermit. Monks clamored for Petroc to found monastic communities throughout England, and so Petroc began his career of founding monastic communities throughout Wales, Britain, and his work in the south of England earned him the patronage of the region.
Petroc's humility and kindness were manifest in his relations with animals as well as people. He is often shown with either a stag or a wolf, as various legends credit him with taming both animals. Petroc is also a patron saint of Devon and Cornwall.
St. Petroc, builder of the Church and builder of churches in Britain—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Petroc is in the public domain. Last accessed March 18, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
