Ordinary Time 
Pause
Life is often a struggle and sometimes it is dangerous. There are many things that can cause us to stumble and it’s easy to be afraid of what is “out there.”
But the way of Jesus is one that calls us to risk, to dare, to take a chance. This is the way Jesus lived and the path to which he calls us.
It’s good to know that, all along the way, we are covered and cared for, protected by the Spirit of God. Whether or not you are feeling vulnerable right now, trust in the Spirit to watch over you.
Listen
"I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours."
John 17:6–9
Think
It’s the last night that Jesus is with his disciples. Jesus has washed their feet and given them final instructions. The last thing he does is pray.
In his prayer, Jesus reflects on what he’s done: “I have made your name known….” Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus has made God’s name known by making himself known. In this Gospel, far more than in the others, Jesus says “I am”—just as God said “I AM WHO I AM” when Moses asked for God’s name (Exodus 3:14).
In the next chapter, Pilate asks Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” But this is one title Jesus has not claimed. Pilate misses the opportunity to ask Jesus directly, “Who are you?” and instead focuses on rumors and reports about Jesus by other people. Pilate fails to see that it doesn’t matter who other people say Jesus is; it only matters who Jesus says he is.
Jesus says, “I am.”
Julie Ball
Pray
O Great I Am, thank you for revealing yourself through Jesus. When your name is distorted by imperfect people, remind me of your true self. When your name is distorted by me, please forgive me and remind me of your true self again. Amen.
Go
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:3–5
