24 May 2023 - Only By Grace Reflections
NOTE: Please click the Subscribe key on YouTube and press the black notification bell to receive the daily reflections. Or, open in YouTube for easy access. View and Like. Thank you.
TOPIC: DO WE DESIRE GOD’S FRIENDSHIP?
Show More
First Reading: Acts 20: 28-38
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 68: 29-30, 33-35a, 35bc-36ab
Alleluia: John 17: 17b, 17a
Gospel: John 17: 11b-19
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus was praying to His heavenly Father, vouching for His friends. He was aware that within hours, He will be taken from them and He wanted to be sure that they would be protected and cared for by His heavenly Father.
Even as Jesus was praying to His Father in their behalf, the eventual betrayal of Judas, the frightened flight of the rest of His disciples and the impending denials of Him by Peter, were very much in the Lord’s mind and pierces His sacred heart.
But because of who He is, He still wants His heavenly Father to keep each of His friends in His loving care. They were His friends after all and He didn't want to lose any of them, much like none of us would want to lose a friend. Jesus sent each one of them into the world to proclaim the Good News. Their friendship with Jesus was the key to eternal life. In the same way, He wants the Father to make sure that each one of us, His friends, will not be lost, and that we would be consecrated to complete the mission He had begun.
This is the 1137th installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.
[NOTE: As we continue to pray for Bro Bong Arjonillo’s healing and recovery, let us listen to our brother Raymond Bucu, Head of the CFC Gateway Evangelization Programs, as he brings us today's reflection.
All the regular reflections are between 3-7 minutes long, enough time for us to ponder what God's message is for us individually and to pray that we may live them out in our lives. This video is also available on Couples for Christ’s Facebook page. In You Tube, just type ONLY BY GRACE
