Tuesday of the 7th Week of Eastertide
First Reading — Acts 20:17–27
From Miletus Paul sent for the elders of the church of Ephesus. When they arrived he addressed these words to them:
‘You know what my way of life has been ever since the first day I set foot among you in Asia, how I have served the Lord in all humility, with all the sorrows and trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. I have not hesitated to do anything that would be helpful to you; I have preached to you, and instructed you both in public and in your homes, urging both Jews and Greeks to turn to God and to believe in our Lord Jesus.
‘And now you see me a prisoner already in spirit; I am on my way to Jerusalem, but have no idea what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, in town after town, has made it clear enough that imprisonment and persecution await me. But life to me is not a thing to waste words on, provided that when I finish my race I have carried out the mission the Lord Jesus gave me – and that was to bear witness to the Good News of God’s grace.
‘I now feel sure that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will ever see my face again. And so here and now I swear that my conscience is clear as far as all of you are concerned, for I have without faltering put before you the whole of God’s purpose.’
Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 67(68):10–11,20–21
You poured down, O God, a generous rain:
when your people were starved you gave them new life.
It was there that your people found a home,
prepared in your goodness, O God, for the poor.
May the Lord be blessed day after day.
He bears our burdens, God our saviour.
This God of ours is a God who saves.
The Lord our God holds the keys of death.
Gospel Acclamation — John 14:16
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Father will send you the Holy Spirit, says the Lord,
to be with you for ever.
Alleluia!
Gospel — John 17:1–11
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘Father, the hour has come:
glorify your Son
so that your Son may glorify you;
and, through the power over all mankind that you have given him,
let him give eternal life to all those you have entrusted to him.
And eternal life is this:
to know you,
the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
I have glorified you on earth
and finished the work that you gave me to do.
Now, Father, it is time for you to glorify me
with that glory I had with you
before ever the world was.
I have made your name known
to the men you took from the world to give me.
They were yours and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now at last they know
that all you have given me comes indeed from you;
for I have given them the teaching you gave to me,
and they have truly accepted this, that I came from you,
and have believed that it was you who sent me.
I pray for them;
I am not praying for the world
but for those you have given me,
because they belong to you:
all I have is yours
and all you have is mine,
and in them I am glorified.
I am not in the world any longer,
but they are in the world,
and I am coming to you.’
Reflection
Today’s readings reveal the cost and beauty of faithful discipleship. Both Paul and Jesus speak with the awareness that suffering lies ahead, yet neither turns away from the mission entrusted to them by the Father.
In Acts, Paul gathers the elders of Ephesus and reflects on his ministry among them. His words carry the weight of farewell, sacrifice, and spiritual responsibility. Paul reminds them that he served “with all humility” through trials and sorrow. His ministry was not built on comfort, status, or personal gain. It was built upon obedience to Christ.
What stands out most is Paul’s complete surrender to God’s will. The Holy Spirit has already warned him that imprisonment and persecution await him in Jerusalem. Yet Paul does not attempt to escape the mission. Instead, he says that life itself means little to him if he fails to complete the work Christ entrusted to him. This is the mindset of a disciple who understands that earthly comfort is temporary, but eternal faithfulness matters forever.
Paul also says something deeply important for the Church: “I have without faltering put before you the whole of God’s purpose.” He did not water down the Gospel to make people comfortable. He proclaimed truth fully, even when difficult. CCC 1816 reminds believers that discipleship requires witness to the faith openly and courageously before others.
The Gospel from John brings us into one of the most intimate moments in all of Scripture: the prayer of Jesus before his Passion. Christ raises his eyes to heaven and speaks directly to the Father. This prayer reveals the deep unity between the Father and the Son before the Cross.
Jesus defines eternal life with extraordinary simplicity and depth: “to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Eternal life is not merely endless existence after death. It begins now through communion with God himself. Christianity is ultimately relational before it is intellectual. Faith is not only knowing about God, but truly knowing him.
Jesus also prays specifically for his disciples because they will remain in the world after his departure. They will face confusion, persecution, temptation, and fear. Yet Christ entrusts them to the Father’s care. Even as Jesus approaches suffering, his concern remains fixed on those he loves.
These readings challenge modern believers to examine what kind of Christianity they are living. It is easy to follow Christ when faith is comfortable or socially accepted. It becomes harder when truth brings sacrifice, rejection, or suffering. Paul and Jesus both show that authentic discipleship remains faithful regardless of the cost.
The Responsorial Psalm reminds believers that God sustains his people daily: “He bears our burdens.” Christians do not endure suffering alone. God strengthens those who remain faithful to him.
As Eastertide moves toward Pentecost, the Church is reminded that courage, perseverance, and mission are impossible without grace. The same Holy Spirit promised by Jesus strengthens believers today to remain faithful in a world that often resists the Gospel.
One line to carry today:
Faithfulness to God matters more than comfort in the world.
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