The father speaks to his children, Part 29
There is no greater desire for our Lord Jesus than to glorify His Father. That is what he has come to do, to introduce us to him. If we love the Lord more and more, then this desire also becomes our desire: The complete glorification of our Father, the praise of his goodness!
“I have glorified you on the earth” (Jn 17,4)
What does the glorification of God through Jesus consist in? He tells us Himself:
“I have glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. I have revealed your name to those whom you took from the world to give me… for I have given them the teaching you gave to me.” (Jn 17,4.6.8)
The glorification of the Father, then, consists in making him known and fulfilling the task entrusted to us. We could say, in the context of the previous reflections, that the right image of the Father is to be given, which is what is happening in Jesus perfectly. Nothing is more important to the Lord, and so we recognize the burning desire of Jesus in all his words and actions, that men will follow and listen to his Father.
Let us listen to what the Father has to say:
“If people were able to look into the heart of Jesus and see his glory and deepest longings, they would realize that his most burning desire is to glorify the Father, the One who sent him. They would understand that he desires above all else the fullness of the glorification of the Father, as it is only possible for man, and as man owes it to me, his Father and Creator, and still more – the author of his redemption. If man were clear about this, he would not, as has been the case hitherto, give me so little honor.”
Let us pay attention to the word “the fullness of the glory of the Father” . There is no doubt that the fullness of glory is God in the glory of heaven. But this kingdom is also to be established on earth. Here we are already confronted with the reality that on earth “other gods” are worshipped or venerated, sometimes man worships himself.
The holy church is the place where this reign of God is already visible. Even if still permeated by weaknesses and sins, she is called to lead humanity to unity in the glory of the Father. For this, however, it is necessary to turn our gaze to the one whom Jesus glorified with his coming – the Father from whom he proceeded, from whom the “King’s Son” was sent. So the gaze does not remain alone with the Son of God, but it goes to the Father, the author of all good. This becomes clear in the prayers of the Holy Mass, which are addressed to God the Father.
We notice that our Father reminds us that He is the destination of all our striving and prayer. He wants the Church to realize this through a special feast God the Father of all nations. Not only Jesus should be honored as king in this world and in the souls, but also our Father.
We ourselves are called by God to glorify God through our lives. Therefore, it is not only about our personal salvation and the salvation of other people. It is about the glorification of God here on earth!
If we follow Jesus, then his request becomes our own: To testify to the Father, to make him known as he is and to help in this way to establish the true order of the rule of God in this created world.
Our personal way would be to follow the call of our heavenly Father. Here are his words:
“I ask of man only what he can give me; his trust, his love and his recognition. I do not wish to be recognized, loved, and worshiped because I need my creatures and their worship; no, it is only the desire to redeem them and let them share in my Eternal Glory. This desire moves me to come down to them. My goodness and my love make me painfully realize how these living beings, which I created from nothing and took on in childhood, are about to plunge into eternal disaster with demons in great numbers. They miss more and more the goal of their creation and are lost for time and eternity.”