Eternal life is knowing God

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Acts 20:17-27 Psalm 68:10-11, 20-21 John 17:1-11

John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.

We tend to think of "eternal life" as a statement about how long life is.  I don't think that time is the issue though.  I think that Jesus came that we would have life "more abundantly". I think that eternal life is more of a qualitative statement than a quantitative one.

God is relational.  We often say it is all about having a "relationship" with Christ. That is what eternal life is according to Jesus.  It is that we know the true and living God.  That relationship defines the qualitative aspect of life. It is only in relationship with God that we can have eternal life, not because it is some kind of prerequisite.  But because that is what it is.  Eternal life is relationship with God.  God is life.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always seek to be in relationship with you.  Help me to know how to talk with you and how to walk with you, and how to serve you and how to enjoy you. You are the life and the truth.

Amen