Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the readings for this Sunday will be Acts 1:12-26; 1 Peter 4:12-19 and 5:6-11; John 17:1-11. More and more, I think it is fair to say we are living in a “throw-away culture”. When something breaks – whether it’s an appliance, a piece of furniture, or an article of clothing – most of us are inclined to just throw it away and buy a new one. The fix would either be too expensive, too time-consuming, or require skills that many people no longer have. Such is life in the 21st century; I’m not really griping about this as much as I’m simply making the observation. After all, I’m one of those throw-away people, too, and not inclined to change. But I do think it’s possible for that “throw-away” mentality to cross the line from being the way we treat our possessions to the way we treat other people. Things may be disposable but people are not! Have you ever been tempted to give up on someone you cared about? Have you ever wanted to walk away from a strained relationship because you just didn’t feel like making the effort to reconcile? Our God is a highly gifted repairman who can fix anything that is broken – including people and relationships! The reading from John shows His plan -expressed by Jesus in prayer – to keep His Church on earth united in love and faith despite all the forces that would pull us apart (Jn. 17:11). In the Acts reading, we hear how the 11 apostles sought God’s help to replace Judas and mend their broken circle of fellowship (Acts 1). Finally, Peter urges us to be vigilant against the devil – that prowling lion who loves to us treating one another as disposable goods (1 Pet.5:8). Help us, Lord, to love one another as You have loved us!