I gave them your word, and the world hated them for it, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to it. I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but to protect them from evil. As you sent me into the world, so I send them. And I dedicate myself for them, so that they may be sanctified in the truth.John 17: 14-19
From ancient times, whenever thoughtful men and women have pondered deeply their human condition, they have recognized that we do not live for this world alone, but for a better life beyond. Though we are rooted in the world, we do not belong entirely to it. Though everything around us is transitory, we carry within us an enduring belief that we are made for eternity. We cannot see what lies on the far side of this unspoken conviction, but we await it in hope.
This longing for eternity is placed in the soul of man by his Creator. It is inextricably bound up with man's deepest, though often unarticulated, need - to be possessed by a love that will last forever. This is the essence of the human condition: God created us for love; only steadfast and enduring love can bring us fulfillment; and this love has its source in God alone.
God could not bear to leave us in ignorance of this truth, though we could not discover it ourselves. So he sent his beloved Son into the world, who is the very image of his love, to reveal the fullness of truth about ourselves. His revelation is this: we are called into being in this world not as a curse, but as a blessing. We live in a world filled with opportunities for grace. We are called not to escape from the world, but to sanctify it. In a world marked by indifference, alienation, prejudice, exploitation, and even the most malignant hatred, we are called to follow the way of love.
Jesus in confronting the powers of this world showed the ultimate consequences of the way of love. He laid down his life for us to show us the depth of God's enduring love. And he invites us to follow him. He does not draw us apart from the world to live in enclaves of solitary peace; he sends us into the world with all its sin and sorrow to be the bearers of his truth. By our solidarity with all our brothers and sisters of every race and nation we bring God to the world, we sanctify it with his grace, and we move it forward on the journey to eternal peace.
God our Father, we live in hope of the promise of eternal life. Enkindle the fire of your love in us, nourish our minds and hearts with your word and grace, guide us on our journey in this troubled world, and lead us to the joy of eternal life.