This Sunday is the Seventh Sunday of Easter. The gospel reflection is on John 17:20-26. Next weekend is Pentecost Sunday, marking the end of the Easter Season. We are Easter people, so we are called to live our lives with the same love for Jesus and others throughout the year. Let’s take a look at the gospel for this Sunday.
Gospel Text
“Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: “Holy Father, I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.
Father, they are your gift to me. 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. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will make it known that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”
Insight
The theme for the Seventh Sunday of Easter is unity. This reading from John is part of the Last Supper Discourse (also called the Farewell Discourse). These are Jesus’ final teachings to his disciples. Jesus preaches the unity He shares with the Father and asks for the same unity with His disciples. The Trinity is the union of three persons as one God. Jesus desires that we be united in our focus on God and in loving one another. We must always put God and others’ needs first in our lives. The theme of unity continues into next week, Pentecost Sunday. The Holy Spirit descends upon us to guide us in continuing Jesus’ mission.
The First and Second readings, and the Responsorial Psalm, support the same message of unity.
In the first reading, St. Steven is stoned to death by supporters of Saul (soon to be St. Paul). Steven was preaching about Jesus being at the right hand of God. The people covered their ears and proceeded to martyr Steven.
The Psalm proclaims the Lord God who rules over all the people.
The Second reading completes the book of Revelation and proclaims Jesus as “the Alpha and the Omega.” The “First and Last”, the “Beginning and the End.” He is present from the beginning of time until the end. Jesus will unite the people to fulfill God’s plan.
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Peace
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