The Gospel text for the Seventh Sunday in Eastertide reads like the last will and testament of Jesus. Notice how Jesus does not see his death as ending his life, or as a catastrophic loss for his disciples. He sees it both as a returning to the Father and as a new way of being with those that he loves. We watch him at prayer. There is no panic or desperation in his words. Instead, his words reveal the depth of his relationship with the Father and they strengthen the mission which they share together. His prayerful heart expands to include and embrace those who see him clearly. Caught up in the intimacy Jesus enjoys with the Father, they are given their first insight into the gift of eternal life which is being given to them. Of course, this gift has to be continually unwrapped. This can only happen when disciples share the gift with others. When we hear Jesus praying in words, we are given a moment of grace in which we see who he really is, enter into his heart and begin to wonder what our own vocation will be as we embrace the Divine Plan.
The Gospels sometimes say that Jesus looks up to heaven as he prays. At other times, his eyes are closed as he touches the Kingdom of God within. Either way is good because he teaches and reveals this profound truth. That prayer Is not an attempt to make contact with God but a conscious celebration of the One who is always near us.
The death of Jesus is near at hand. He holds this ending within sacred space and time. For even though it looks like his death will happen at the hands of evil people, he sees so much more. The ‘Hour’ which has come, will in reality be a life giving and saving event for all who are able to receive it. “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself” (Jn:12:32). This ending becomes a moment of ‘Glory’. And it is glorious because those who stand at the foot of the cross with loving hearts receive life without end. God glorifies the Beloved Son by attracting people to Him and the Beloved Son glorifies the Father by giving them the gift of eternal life. The flow of life between the Father and the Son, which was moving before creation was begun, is now gifted to his disciples whose only mission is to pass it on to others.
As we sit with this beautiful text it is becoming clearer that the best way to engage with the disruptive and painful reality of dying or ending is to be able to claim for ourselves these words which Jesus prays, “I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do”. (Jn 17:4). This is a much better interpretation of our lives. It trumps any ending which may be tarnished by regret for missed opportunities, failures in love or fear in the face of the unknown. It is worth remembering here that, from a social point of view, the death of Jesus was a failure and a brutal interruption to a life lived in beauty and nobility. Betrayed, deserted, mocked, rejected and obliterated – He did not die at the right time. His life was taken from him.
And what about us? Even if we die after a ripe old age, our achievements behind us, our family and friends around us, we die incomplete from a purely social point of view. In this limited view there is no perfect death and there is no right time to die.
And yet we can talk about an accomplished life in spiritual language. If the mission of life is to be a vessel which pours Sacred love into the world, it can only be sustained by recognizing that every person is a child of God, who dwells in their hearts, and reveals his face and his name to them. We cannot say that we believe in the Fatherhood of God and not believe that everyone is our sister and our brother. Whenever this identity emerges, whenever the Beloved Son and the Father are glorified by what love reveals is the ‘hour’ of our own lives where the work we are sent to do is accomplished.
This prayer of Jesus are the words our hearts are waiting eagerly to hear. Not only do they make his relationship with the Father crystal clear, they also evaluate life from a beautiful theological perspective. To nurture a steadfastly spiritual love of every person will help us to see what we might miss in the turbulence and noise of our social selves. What is it that he wants us to see? That you and I are a mission of Love, sent to stir love in others. When we do this, God is glorified and life is complete.
