Today is June 5, the memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr.
Today at Mass we read, “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” (Jn 17:24).
Today’s Gospel gives us a stunning glimpse into the very heart of Christ’s desire for us. These words come from John 17, the final chapter of Jesus’ farewell discourse — the great prayer he offers before his passion. It’s a fitting reading as we continue our devotion to the Sacred Heart this month.
Jesus says, “I wish that where I am they also may be with me.” At first, that might sound like mere sentiment — something wistful, almost like a hope. But in reality, this is a declaration of divine will. Christ wills that we be with him, not only in this life as his disciples, but forever in the glory he shares with the Father. This desire flows from the eternal love at the heart of the Trinity.
This is not wishful thinking — it’s effective prayer, grounded in divine unity. Jesus is perfectly one with the Father, and from that unity comes the power to draw us into the same love that created the world and now redeems it.
Chosen to be with God
This is what theologians call predestination — not in the rigid sense of fate, but in the beautiful Catholic understanding that God’s will for us is eternal life with him. The whole economy of salvation flows from this truth: that we are loved, that we are chosen and that Christ desires us to be with him in glory.
This promise is an extraordinary one — and it’s not abstract. It has consequences for how we live today, for how we hope, for how we pray.
June is also a special month because it’s often the season of ordinations. Remember that the Sacred Heart of Jesus inspires every priestly vocation. His burning desire to be with us — to lead us, to feed us, to forgive us — continues through the ministry of his priests.
Let us pray,
May the Martyr Saint Boniface be our advocate, O Lord, that we may firmly hold the faith he taught with his lips and sealed in his blood and confidently profess it by our deeds. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
