ACTS 20:28-38

At Miletus, Paul spoke to the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus: "Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, in which you tend the Church of God that he acquired with his own Blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth to draw the disciples away after them. So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day, I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears. And now I commend you to God and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated. I have never wanted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. You know well that these very hands have served my needs and my companions. In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" When he had finished speaking he knelt down and prayed with them all. They were all weeping loudly as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him, for they were deeply distressed that he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.

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."

We might consider what causes corrosion in the Church, both on the universal and local levels. Theological error is part of it. Studies have also shown that people drop out of the Church for a variety of reasons. It could be mobility without deep religious roots, disagreement with church doctrines, or the breakdown of Catholic family life. Other reasons could be the diminishing loyalty to the parish, the parish being too impersonal in its dealings with its parishioners, or some personal conflict with people in the parish. Hence, most often, people drop out of the Church because of personal than theological reasons.

In the Gospel, Jesus asks the Father to guard the flock from the evil one. Jesus is not speaking of mere theological error. He is referring to the way of the world. We are all Christ’s body in the world. What people see, hear and touch of Christ is us. We are the body of Christ to the people around us. It is through people that faith is strengthened or weakened. We are the carriers of the living Christ. This is one reason why Paul is so insistent about the people who will find their way into the Ephesian Church and why the Lord prays that the evil one will be warded off. It is people who can infect a community with suspicion and quarreling, who can destroy a community’s sense of the Lord’s presence and his mission for them.

Let us pray for our communities. May the Lord keep us safe from suspicion and conflicts, bestow on us his grace, strength and courage to overcome any and all challenges so that we may remain together in his love.

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Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.

Have a good day!

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