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“Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also
may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me,
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” John
17:24
You are the Father’s gift to Jesus the Son. What an amazing reality
to understand! This profound truth is at the heart of today’s
Gospel in which Jesus speaks of the unique and intimate
relationship between the Father, the Son, and all those who believe
in Him.
Today’s Gospel continues Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, offered to
the Father at the conclusion of the Last Supper, marking His final
words recorded in John’s Gospel before the beginning of His
Passion. This beautiful prayer encapsulates Jesus’ entire mission
and identity, expressing His deep intimacy with the Father and His
longing for unity between Himself, the Father, and all those who
believe in Him. Through this prayer, Jesus reveals the nature of
His relationship with the Father, the unity He desires for His
followers, and the eternal glory that is to come for those who are
united in Him.
The line above not only expresses intimacy between the Father and
the Son but also incorporates all the faithful into that intimate
relationship. This was and is Jesus’ mission. His love for and
union with the Father existed from all eternity. Nothing could
change that perfect love. It was, is, and always will be a love so
deep and strong that God, in His eternal love, chose to create us
to share in that love. Though this love is completely gratuitous on
God’s part, freely given and unmerited by us, it’s beautiful to
hear Jesus speak of our invitation into the love He shares with the
Father as the Father’s gift to the Son. We are not seen as
estranged or separate but as gifts freely given and received.
In everyday language, a “present” is understood as something that
is expected from another, such as on a birthday. In theological
terms, a “gift” carries a richer meaning. A gift is something given
freely, without expectation of return, and signifies the giver’s
love and goodness. A gift, in this sense, is a manifestation of
divine love and generosity. It’s not simply an exchange of material
items, but a relational exchange—a movement of love between the
giver and the receiver. The Father and the Son’s exchange of love
is so perfect that everything they have is entirely given to the
other, without reservation or expectation of anything in return.
This eternal giving and receiving of love is the foundation of the
divine communion between them, and it is from that love that the
Holy Spirit—the expression of their shared perfect love—proceeds.
As Saint Augustine teaches, “And the Holy Spirit, according to the
Holy Scriptures, is neither of the Father alone, nor of the Son
alone, but of both; and so intimates to us a mutual love, wherewith
the Father and the Son reciprocally love one another” (On the
Trinity XV.17.27).
Again, you are part of that love, making you both the Father’s gift
of love to the Son and the Son’s gift of love to the Father,
because Their love—the Holy Spirit—dwells within you. What a
privilege that is! Understanding this loving reality reveals the
dignity that each of us has when we are in a state of grace and
transformed into gifts given out of love between the divine
persons. This mystical and profound language is essential to
ponder, especially because it permeates John’s Gospel and reveals
the heart of God’s love for us.
Reflect today on how you are the Father’s gift to the Son and the
Son’s gift to the Father, made possible by the gift of the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Though we do nothing on our own to
merit such dignity, this is the reality into which we are invited.
On our part, we must cooperate with grace so that God transforms
our souls into gifts of increasing glory and beauty. The more we
cooperate with God’s grace, the more glorious a gift we become.
Though Heaven will be an eternal existence where each saint
delights in the Beatific Vision, it is important to understand that
each of us will cause eternal delights in the hearts of the Most
Holy Trinity. They will look upon us and see us as gifts given to
each of them, resulting in an unending outpouring of divine
love.
The mystery is great. Reflect on it, meditate on it deeply, and
rejoice that you are called to such a life. Most Holy
Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—You are a
perfect communion of divine Love. Your love is so great, so
perfect, so strong, that You have willed to draw me into Your very
life, making me a gift of Your love to each other. I thank You for
this unfathomable gift and ask the Holy Spirit to dwell within me
so that Your mutual self-giving may be glorious. Jesus, I trust in
You.
Image: Jesus Christ Praying at the Garden of Gethsemane
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