JOHN 17:11b-19 LIVING IN THE WORLD WITHOUT LOSING OURSELVES

Year A, Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

In today’s Gospel, Jesus prays for His disciples before His suffering begins. What is striking is this: He does not ask the Father to take them out of the world. Instead, He asks that they be protected while living in it.

That speaks directly to our daily life. We all live in a busy, noisy, demanding world. Every day we are influenced by stress, pressure, temptation, anger, selfishness, and constant distractions. Slowly, without noticing, we can lose our peace, our values, even parts of ourselves.

Jesus understands this struggle. He knows how easy it is to drift away from what truly matters. That is why He prays, “Consecrate them in the truth.” In other words: keep them grounded, keep them close to what is real and good.

Faith is not escaping from the world. It is learning how to live in the middle of ordinary life without losing our connection to God.

And that is not always easy. We fail, we get distracted, we become tired. But Jesus continues to pray for us, just as He prayed for His disciples.

That should give us comfort. We are not trying to live faithfully by ourselves. Christ is already holding us before the Father.

Question to ponder today: In the middle of the pressures and distractions of daily life, what helps me stay grounded in God and not lose myself?

With Love and Prayers

Your Co-Traveler