Homily for Tuesday of the 7th Week of Easter

For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/050608.shtml

Mary, Queen of Vocations, pray for us!
Come Holy Spirit, enlighten our hearts, and enkindle in us the fire of your love!

What a bold proclamation we have from Paul in today's first reading! In imitation of Christ, who in today's Gospel says in His farewell prayer to the Father that He has not lost any of those the Father gave Him, so Paul in saying farewell to the presbyters at Ephesus says that He is not responsible for the blood of any of them. In other words, Paul is saying that He handed on to them faithfully what He himself received, and did not neglect to tell them anything necessary for their salvation. In imitation of Paul, whose Holy Year we will begin celebrating in June at the request of our Holy Father, may we work not so much for the salvation of our own soul, but instead seek holiness for the sake of others to whom we are sent. It is easier to rationalize our own sins and to convince ourselves that they have a minimal impact on our relationship with Jesus. It is harder, though, to rationalize that our sins do not impact our ability to preach the Gospel, and to hand on everything that we have received. Let us work like Paul, then, and realize that the salvation of souls, how many we do not know, depends on the witness of our lives!

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