The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home
May 17, 2026 – Seventh Sunday of Easter - John 17:1-11
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Download this simple process to Prepare for Sunday using the Observe, Judge, Act Method
Sometimes we must focus all our attention on the present moment. If we don’t, we may miss something important that is passing by. I recall a wonderful account of an elderly woman who was standing roadside in the hot Texas sun waiting for St. John Paul II to pass by in a motorcade. A TV reporter noticed her and on live TV inquired why she is doing this? He said that she would likely get a much better view of the pope on her home television set and would also be in a more comfortable setting.
She looked at him and immediately dismissed his suggestion. She said that she was staying right where she was. In brief she responded, “I am not standing here just to see the pope. I want him to see me!” What a great response!
In a sense we all have these moments that we know will come and go. I witnessed the total eclipse of the sun a few years back. I had to be on time and in the right place to do that. Otherwise, I would miss out on one of the most profound experiences of my life.
Today’s gospel narrates one of the final words of Jesus that he gave immediately before his ascension into heaven. He said that he was leaving their presence but that this does not mean the divine presence among them will be absent. God will continue to be immediately with them, as the Holy Spirit will “now take over.” God’s presence will remain among us. Immediately and always. We will never be alone or forgotten.
Nevertheless, we continue to live our lives within time, from one moment to the next. And during the passage of our personal lifetimes on Earth, we will face a variety of opportunities to live our personal calling (or vocation) with God. Given the complexities of contemporary life, opportunities will change, day by day, even minute by minute. In that sense, all time is sacred or holy. Any moment can offer to us a great challenge or opportunity to do what is good, what is important, and what will be our own contribution to creating God’s reign on Earth.
And all this unfolds in God’s immediate presence and with God’s help and support. None of this is obvious, of course, because we also live in a world that may be unaware of God’s existence or immediate presence. Our Christian worldview might not be shared or valued. But that in no way diminishes our need to be open to affirming God’s loving presence or God’s call to us to help make the world more humane, more considerate of the needs of all, or more loving, especially to those who we encounter each day.
David M. Thomas, PhD