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Tuesday 7th Week Easter
St. Luke’s Institute
May 19, 2015
ETERNAL LIFE ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Today’s
Gospel is part of Js’ prayer at Last Supper
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Praying
to Father & realizes the Father’s given him power 2 “give eternal life to all you gave me”
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Then
says: “This is eternal life, that they should
know U, only true G, & him whom U’ve sent, JC”
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We
usually think of “eternal life” as
referring to the length or quantity of life, i.e. 2 unending life
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It
does mean that, but also refers 2 quality of life
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Eternal
life is the life of God himself
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J
wants us to enter into this and live it right now
2
kinds of knowing ++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Note
that Jesus says: “Now this is eternal
life, that they should know you & him whom you’ve sent”
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The
“knowing” Jesus has in mind is not just a mental or intellectual thing
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It
is that & it does mean we come to understand that God is love
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That
is how St. John defines God
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But
knowing God in this way also means a closeness, an intimacy, with God
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It
means we’ve allowed G to really touch R hearts
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It
means, above all else, that we realize & even feel G’s love 4 us & allow
that love 2 transform us into loving persons
HEART KNOWING ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Theologically,
it is on this kind of knowing that Vatican II declared all persons can be saved,
even if they’ve never heard of or believed in J
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They
may not know Jesus in an intellectual way…
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But
they may know him well in their heart and be transformed by his love
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Perhaps
one of the clearest examples of this is someone like Gandhi
CONCLUSION
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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So,
let R prayer this morning be: “May we
know the Father as love and who loved us so much that he sent his only Son”
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And
may the love of F & S transform us into loving persons
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It
is this knowledge of both mind and heart that brings us into
eternal life – God’s own life
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
