VaticanNews portal (May 16, 2026) publishes a commentary on the Gospel of the Seventh Sunday of Easter by Fr. Luke Gregory, OFM, titled “The Promise of Eternal Glory in Jesus.” The article presents a reflection on Jesus’ prayer for His disciples, emphasizing themes of hope, eternal life, and the relationship between God and believers. While seemingly orthodox on the surface, the commentary is a textbook example of the modernist reduction of the Gospel to naturalistic humanism, stripping the faith of its supernatural essence and replacing it with a vague, feel-good spirituality that could belong to any religion.
The Erosion of Supernatural Faith into Naturalistic Humanism
The commentary by Fr. Luke Gregory, OFM, is a prime example of how the post-conciliar “Church” has systematically emptied the Gospel of its supernatural content. The language used is deliberately vague, focusing on “hope,” “purpose,” “security,” and “belonging”—terms that are more akin to self-help literature than to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. The article states: “the hope of eternal life stands as a beacon for believers around the world.” This is a far cry from the Church’s traditional teaching on eternal life as the Beatific Vision, the direct, immediate, and intuitive knowledge of God as He is in Himself, which is the ultimate end and purpose of human existence. The modernist reduces this to a “beacon,” a metaphor that implies a distant, impersonal light rather than the intimate, transformative union with the Blessed Trinity.
The commentary further dilutes the faith by stating: “knowing God and Jesus Christ means entering into a relationship that transforms lives and provides a sense of purpose, security, and belonging.” This is the language of psychology, not theology. The Church has always taught that the knowledge of God is not merely a “relationship” in the modern, sentimental sense, but a participation in the divine nature through sanctifying grace, which elevates the soul to a supernatural order far above its natural capacities. The modernist, however, reduces this to a “sense of purpose,” a purely natural and subjective experience that can be found in any self-help seminar or therapy session.
The Omission of the Sacramental Economy and the Necessity of the Church
One of the most glaring omissions in this commentary is any mention of the sacraments, the necessary means of grace instituted by Christ for the salvation of souls. The article speaks of “trusting in Jesus” and “knowing God,” but it is entirely silent on how this trust and knowledge are concretely obtained and sustained. The Church has always taught that “outside the Church there is no salvation” (*extra ecclesiam nulla salus*), and that the sacraments—especially Baptism, Confession, and the Holy Eucharist—are the ordinary means by which God communicates sanctifying grace to the soul. The modernist, however, reduces faith to a vague “trust” and “knowledge,” detached from the sacramental economy and the visible, hierarchical structure of the true Church.
The commentary also fails to mention the necessity of the state of grace, the reality of sin, and the need for repentance and conversion. It speaks of “eternal life” as if it were an automatic entitlement for all who “believe,” without any mention of the moral and spiritual conditions required for salvation. This is a direct contradiction of the Gospel itself, which teaches that “unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5), and that “if you do not repent, you shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).
The Modernist Redefinition of “Glory” and “Eternal Life”
The article’s treatment of “glory” and “eternal life” is particularly revealing of its modernist underpinnings. It states: “The assurance of glory bestowed upon Jesus signifies a unique and profound relationship with God the Father, one that we believers are also invited to share.” This is a subtle but dangerous distortion of the Catholic doctrine of glory. In Catholic theology, the glory of Christ is not merely a “relationship” but the manifestation of His divine nature and the fruit of His redemptive sacrifice. The glory that believers are called to share is not a vague “relationship” but the Beatific Vision, the eternal contemplation of God in the light of glory, which is the ultimate reward of the saved.
The commentary further states: “The promise of glory that Jesus speaks about is not merely for Himself; it extends to all who believe in Him.” This is true in itself, but the modernist interpretation strips it of its supernatural content. The article reduces “glory” to a “glorious future that transforms our present and fills us with hope.” This is the language of immanentism, the heresy condemned by St. Pius X in *Pascendi Dominici Gregis*, which reduces the supernatural order to a mere development of human consciousness. The true Catholic doctrine is that eternal life is not a “future” that “transforms the present” in a naturalistic sense, but a present reality that begins with Baptism and the reception of sanctifying grace, and that will be consummated in the Beatific Vision after death.
The Absence of the Cross and the Reality of Suffering
The commentary is entirely silent on the reality of the Cross and the necessity of suffering in the Christian life. It speaks of “tribulations” and “difficult circumstances,” but it reduces them to mere obstacles to be overcome by “hope” and “faith.” The Church has always taught that suffering, when united to the sufferings of Christ, has a redemptive value and is a means of sanctification. The modernist, however, reduces suffering to a problem to be solved, a challenge to be met with “strength and courage.” This is the theology of glory, not the theology of the Cross.
The article states: “the promise of eternal glory serves as a powerful reminder of the greater purpose behind life’s trials.” This is a utilitarian view of suffering, which reduces it to a means to an end, rather than seeing it as a participation in the Passion of Christ. The true Christian does not merely see suffering as having a “greater purpose,” but as a sharing in the Cross of Christ, which is the only means of salvation. As St. Paul teaches: “I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the Church” (Colossians 1:24).
The Call to “Active Discipleship” Without Doctrine or Authority
The commentary concludes with a call to “active discipleship,” stating: “We, believers, are encouraged to embody the teachings of Jesus, serving others, and sharing the Gospel message with those who have yet to know Him.” This is a classic modernist trope: the reduction of the Christian life to social action and evangelization detached from doctrinal content and hierarchical authority. The article is entirely silent on the necessity of adhering to the unchanging doctrines of the Faith, of submitting to the authority of the true Church, and of observing the commandments of God and the Church.
The modernist call to “serve others” and “share the Gospel” is a far cry from the Church’s traditional teaching on the apostolate, which is not merely a matter of social service but of bringing souls to the true Faith and the sacraments. The modernist reduces the Gospel to a “message of hope and love,” stripped of its demands for repentance, conversion, and submission to the authority of Christ and His Church. This is the “dogmaless Christianity” condemned by St. Pius X in *Lamentabili Sane Exitu*, which is nothing but a thinly veiled form of Protestantism and naturalistic humanism.
Conclusion: A Modernist Homily for a Modernist “Church”
The commentary by Fr. Luke Gregory, OFM, is a perfect example of the modernist homiletics that have infected the post-conciliar “Church.” It is a homily devoid of supernatural content, stripped of doctrinal precision, and reduced to a vague, feel-good spirituality that could belong to any religion. It is a homily for a “Church” that has abandoned its divine mission and replaced it with the worship of man and the world.
The true Catholic, who holds fast to the unchanging Faith of the Fathers and the pre-conciliar Magisterium, must reject this modernist reduction of the Gospel and cling to the supernatural realities of the Faith: the Beatific Vision, the sacramental economy, the necessity of the true Church, the reality of sin and the need for redemption, the redemptive value of suffering, and the absolute primacy of God’s laws over all human laws and aspirations. As Pope Pius XI taught in *Quas Primas*: “The kingdom of Christ is not of this world, but it is a kingdom that encompasses all men, and all must obey His commands, under the threat of announced punishments, which the obstinate cannot escape.” The modernist “Church” has rejected this teaching, and in doing so, has betrayed Christ and led countless souls to perdition.
Source:
Lord’s Day Reflection: Promise of Eternal Glory in Jesus (vaticannews.va)
Date: 16.05.2026