Faithfulness to the Word of God

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There is a great similarity between the two readings today. Both St Paul and Jesus are saying their farewells to the people they have been preaching the Word of God to for some time. They are both very anxious that the people will stay faithful to the teachings that they have given them and they are both conscious that it won't be easy as the communities will have to face difficulties, even attacks and persecutions. Paul knows that he is now to go to Jerusalem and will never see the beloved community of Ephesus again. He instructs the elders who have been chosen to guide the community with these words. ''Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the overseers, to feed the church of God which he bought with his own blood.'' He then commends them to God and to his word of grace which has the power to build them up. Jesus in John's gospel also totally dedicates himself to welfare of his followers. ''Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name. Consecrate them in the truth, your word is truth.'' Both Jesus and Paul see that faithfulness to the Word of God will be the chief means of strenghening us, the followers of Jesus today. We are fortunate that we have the words of Jesus in the Gospels and the teaching of Paul in the numerous letters that he wrote to the communities and that have been included in the Bible. May these writings become part of our lives helping us to overcome the weakness of our human nature and the evil that we see in the world around us.