Daily Catholic Lectio. Wed, 4 June 2025. Consecrated in Truth

Daily Catholic Lectio

Wed, 4 June 2025

Seventh Week of Easter – Wednesday

Acts 20:28–38. John 17:11–19

Consecrated in Truth

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

In the Farewell Discourse of the Last Supper, Jesus instructs His disciples, prays for them, and consecrates them to the Father. To be consecrated means to be set apart, made holy, or offered wholly. In the Eucharist, we consecrate bread and wine to God. Through religious vows, men and women consecrate their lives to God. We consecrate new churches and often dedicate books or efforts to people we love. What is consecrated no longer belongs to the giver, but to the recipient. In this passage, the disciples—together with us—are being consecrated to God. We are now God’s own.

What does it mean to be “consecrated in truth”? It means to live according to the deepest reality of who we are. Jesus affirms that the Word of God is truth. But God’s word is not limited to Scripture alone. It resounds through conscience, through the guidance of mentors, through the teaching of the Church, and even through the rhythms of nature. As those consecrated to God, we are invited to move away from what is shallow and transient and instead cling to what is of God—what is lasting, life-giving, and true.

In Perfectae Caritatis (‘The Perfection of Charity’), Vatican II reflects on consecrated life and reminds us that “religious consecration brings to perfection that consecration already received in baptism. Through self-surrender, self-emptying, and total trust, all are invited to offer themselves to God” (cf. PC, 5). Consecration, therefore, is not for religious alone—it is the vocation of every Christian.

St. Teresa of Kolkata came to India to serve as a teacher. But when she recognized her deeper calling to serve the poor and marginalized, she embraced a new path and offered her life to that truth. Moses, Paul, and many others likewise discovered their truth and consecrated themselves to live for it.

Today, we live in a world saturated with falsehood. Pretence, hypocrisy, exaggeration, and deception distort our thoughts and actions. But true joy and authentic freedom can only come through truth. Jesus invites us to offer each moment of our lives in truth—to be real, honest, and rooted in our divine identity.

As the possessed man in the Gospel of Mark exclaimed, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Consecrated One of God!” (Mark 1:24). Even the demons recognize one who is consecrated in truth. Let us, then, live each day consecrated in truth—authentically, courageously, and joyfully.

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy