Today’s Gospel is a powerful reality check Jesus gives all those who claim to follow him as his disciples. As was the case with Jesus, the cross comes before the glory.
 
The more a person manifests the truth to the world, the more the world will hate that person. That is a fact never truer than today because now the majority of the people in the world are living a lie, and they know it deep down, and if you point it out to them now, watch your back buddy!
 
Actually Jesus has our back, so we don’t really need to watch our back so much as endure to the end in faithfulness, testifying to the truth notwithstanding the fact that to do that is becoming more difficult by the day. Getting slandered and falsely accused, or even socially ostracized, is a cakewalk to what’s on the horizon for truth tellers!
 
Prepare. Prayer and fasting is especially critical now to gain the strength and confidence in God needed to remain faithful to speaking the truth.
 
We have been commissioned by our Lord to proclaim that truth for the benefit of our brothers and sisters who still need to hear it, i.e., all those who still belong to the world, yet secretly yearn to be called forth out of that bondage into the marvelous and healing light of God.
 
The good news proclaimed by Jesus is the way to God, and as hard as it is to proclaim the truth it is more urgent than ever, as each day passes there is one day less that we need to wait.
 
Until that day, we must work, tell the truth, and call our brothers and sisters to leave the darkness of living in the flesh in bondage to the world, before that state will envelop them for eternity, when, by a mighty Act of God (who will come into the universal night like a thief) will usher in a new eternal era where “that to which we belong,’ at that time remains forever.
 
You do not want to belong to the world when that day comes!
Gospel John 17:11b-19:
 
“Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying:
“Holy Father, keep them in your name
that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.
When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,
and I guarded them, and none of them was lost
except the son of destruction,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you.
I speak this in the world
so that they may share my joy completely.
I gave them your word, and the world hated them,
because they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world
but that you keep them from the Evil One.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth.
Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world.
And I consecrate myself for them,
so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”