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EASTER ENCOUNTERS 2008

The Sunday Gospel with daily meditations on the Gospel theme

-- encounters that define and illuminate our journey of faith

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The Seventh Week of Easter - May 4 - 10, 2008

I KNOW . . . I AM GOD'S FOREVER

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THE SUNDAY GOSPEL: Saint John 17:1-11                        After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.

And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”

DAILY ENCOUNTERS:  I KNOW I AM GOD’S FOREVER

MONDAY OF THE WEEK OF EASTER 7 – MAY 5

We are praising God now, assembled as we are in church; but when we go our various ways again, it seems as if we cease to praise God. But provided we not cease to live a good life, we shall always be praising God. You cease to praise God only when you swerve from justice and from what is pleasing to God. If you never turn aside from the good life, your tongue may be silent but your actions will cry aloud, and God will perceive your intentions; for as our ears hear each other’s voices, so do God’s ears hear our thoughts. Saint Augustine

TUESDAY OF THE WEEK OF EASTER 7 – MAY 6

The Lord showed a little thing, the size of a hazelnut, which seemed to lie in the palm of my hand; and it was as round as any ball. I looked upon it with the eye of my understanding, and thought, “What may this be?” I was answered in a general way, thus: “It is all that is made.” I wondered how long it could last; for it seemed as though it might suddenly fade away to nothing, it was so small. And I was answered in my understanding; “It lasts, and ever shall last; for God loveth it. And even so hath everything being—by the love of God.”     Julian of Norwich

WEDNESDAY OF THE WEEK OF EASTER 7 – MAY 7

Have you ever noticed the difference in the Christian life between work and fruit? A machine can do work; only life can bear fruit. A law can compel work; only life can spontaneously bring forth fruit. Work implies effort and labour; the essential idea of fruit is, that it is the silent, natural, restful produce of our inner life…Men may be most diligent in good works, and yet find that they have but little spiritual result. Their works are man’s effort instead of being the fruit of the spirit, the natural outcome of the Spirit’s operation within us.     Andrew Murray

THURSDAY OF THE WEEK OF EASTER 7 – MAY 8

…We do well to remember that in the Church we are more than in touch with the whole wide world; we are more than in touch with almost twenty centuries of history; we are in touch with eternity. In it we are always compassed about the great cloud of witnesses. In it we are surrounded not simply by the greatness of time, but also by the infinity of eternity.     William Barclay

FRIDAY OF THE WEEK OF EASTER 7 – MAY 9

Paul cried with all exactness of truth, “for if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Well has he said, “planted together.” For since the true vine was planted in this place, we also by partaking in the baptism of death, have been planted together with him.    Cyril of Jerusalem, 4th century

SATURDAY OF THE WEEK OF EASTER 7 – MAY 10

Living the Christian life is living always in the light of Christ’s countenance. We are not alone—always His face is upon us. Not that we can always discern Him. Clouds of doubt, shadows of sin, obstacles of grief, or illness, may come between Him and ourselves. But He is ever there, to forgive, to comfort, to encourage. We turn toward Him and find joy, as the flowers of the field turn toward the sun and find strength.

Conrad J. I. Bergendoff