Seventh Sunday of Easter
In many dioceses, the Solemnity of the Ascension is celebrated today. In that case, see today’s alternate reflection for the Ascension of the Lord.
It’s so easy for us to get caught up in the scramble of daily life and lose focus on the big picture objectives of our earthly pilgrimage. The Gospel passage from John today presents us with a distinct invitation to zoom out and refocus. The Lord does not mince words when he says to us, “Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.”
The ultimate reality of human existence is that we were made for relationship with God. Everything that we are and have comes from him. Every deep desire for love and intimacy can only ever find its true and lasting fulfillment in relationship with God. Our ultimate purpose is to spend eternity living ever more deeply into the wonder, awe, and bliss of God’s infinitely loving Presence. But how often do we really stop to consider our own eternity? And to what extent do we allow our consideration of the eternal to really shape our priorities in daily life?