Today we stand at two moments of departure. In Acts 20, Paul knows he will not see the Ephesian elders again. In John 17, Christ prays on the night before his Passion. Both men are about to leave those they love. Both pray the same thing: that those who remain will be kept in truth.
What today’s readings give us
The First Reading takes us to the beach at Miletus, where Paul has called the elders of Ephesus for a final meeting. He warns them of wolves that will come after his departure and commends them to God. The responsorial psalm (Psalm 68) gives us Israel’s song of God’s power in his sanctuary. The Gospel reading is from John 17, the priestly prayer Christ offers in the upper room after the Last Supper, asking the Father to consecrate his disciples in truth and protect them from the evil one.
The line worth carrying with you
The word that binds these readings together is “consecrate.” In the Douay-Rheims translation, Christ prays: “Sanctify them in truth. Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). To be sanctified, to be consecrated, is to be set apart for a holy purpose. Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders names exactly what that purpose is: shepherding the flock, guarding against error, building up the church with the word of God’s grace.
Both prayers are offered by men about to face death. Neither asks that his followers be taken out of the world. Paul does not ask God to spare the Ephesians from wolves. Christ explicitly says, “I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world” (John 17:15, Douay-Rheims). What they both ask for is protection in truth while remaining in the world. The consecration is not an escape. It is an equipment.
For today
Before bed tonight, read John 17:11-19 slowly. Notice how many times Christ says “keep them” or “protect them.” He does not pray that you will be safe from difficulty. He prays that you will be kept in truth while you walk through it.
Today’s full readings are at USCCB.
