Easter VII [C] | Sunday Pulpit

Easter VII [C] Sunday – One-page summary (L-19)

Scripture lessons: The first reading describes the martyrdom of Stephen and how he bore witness to the forgiving love of Jesus by his last prayer. In the second reading, taken from the Book of Revelation, Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega, is pictured as having all the forces of Heaven and earth at his disposal, standing ready to help us in our Christian witness-bearing. It is relatively easy to acknowledge our oneness with Stephen and to long for the experience of eternal oneness with “all those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.” But to remain truly one with all of our brothers and sisters continues to be a daily challenge. Today’s Gospel is the last part of the “priestly prayer” of Jesus after the Last Supper. This chapter of John has been called “The Testament of Jesus” or “Jesus’ High Priestly (or Intercessory) Prayer.” During that long prayer, Jesus prayed first for himself – for his own glorification (vv 1-5) – as he faced the cross. Then, he prayed for his disciples that they might be unified and protected in the face of opposition from the world (vv 6-19), and finally he prayed for those in distant lands and far-off ages, including ourselves, who would enter the Christian Faith through the witness-bearing of the Apostles and their successors. Thus, this is Jesus’ prayer for each one of us. We have complete Faith and certainty because Jesus put his confidence in God and entrusted us to him.

2) We need to have a clear idea about the Catholic stand on ecumenism. In his encyclical Ut Unum Sint, Pope St. John Paul II warns against compromise for the sake of unity. He states, “the ultimate goal of the ecumenical movement is to reestablish full visible unity among all the baptized [77.1].” He adds, “It is already possible to identify the areas in need of fuller study before a true consensus of Faith can be achieved.”

EASTER VII : Acts 7:55-60; Rv 22:12-14, 16-17, 20; Jn 17:20-26

Anecdote: # 1: Fingerprints and DNA scanners: Fingerprints have long been recognized as a form of personal identification. As far back as the reign of the Babylonian King Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC), convicts were fingerprinted. In China as early as 246 BC, fingerprints were used to “sign” legal contracts. In 1788 a German anatomist, Johann Christoph Andreas Mayer, published findings which proved that fingerprints are unique to each individual. The idea caught on so fast that by the mid-nineteenth century, data banks of fingerprints were being collected all over the world for identification purposes. Now, as we know, micro-processors race and run at breakneck speed through millions of fingerprints in order to catch the bad guys or exonerate the good guys. Science has revealed other ways we are unique and singular. Our DNA is our own. Each cell of our body is genetically coded just for us. God made us in many ways wholly and totally different from one another. Yet, as Jesus offers up to the Father his own personal “Lord’s Prayer,” as given in today’s Gospel, he closes by praying for “oneness” among all those who follow him as disciples. Does this mean that Jesus prays for us all to be the same? Is this a call for “cloned Christians”? A franchise faith? A lemming life? A monotone mission? Is every follower of Jesus expected to keep the same pace, have the same stride, move to the same rhythm? Jesus was praying for generations of believers. The “oneness” that Jesus prayed for is a oneness of heart and a oneness of love. Oneness for Jesus is a love mark of hearts that have experienced the unity of Divine love – the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as they are poured out into the hearts of every disciple. As Christians, our DNA reads the same: we are all part of the Body of Christ.

# 2: Unity by humble dialogue and loving interaction: If you have seen the academy award winning film Gandhi, you may remember the scene where Gandhi is caught in the middle of intense conflict between Muslims and Hindus. He defuses the situation by saying, “I am a Muslim, and a Hindu, and a Christian, and a Jew.” This is a wonderful attitude to take, so long as it affirms the unique identities and contributions of each tradition and so long as it is a recognition of unity amid diversity rather than a superficial homogenizing of the various faiths. As we noted on Ash Wednesday, Christians in particular may need to begin paying more serious attention to the other major religions of the world. Many folks are so ignorant of anything beyond the Judeo-Christian tradition that when they do run into another faith-system they are immediately swept off their feet and become infatuated. In the name of understanding and unity based on the grace of God, we surely need to avoid the attitude expressed by a group of parents who wanted The Diary of Anne Frank banned from the classroom because it seemed to approve of all religions without recognizing the superiority of Christianity. Ghandi’s sentiment is a great antidote to such, no doubt well-intentioned holier-than-thou-ism. The Charlton Heston movie El Cid (“The Lord”), illustrated both the horrible destructiveness of religious conflicts and the possibilities for overcoming religious-based hostility. The story of El Cid illustrates how the desire to win or claim other people for one’s Faith can become a prescription for cruel tyranny. Faith is shared through humble dialogue and by loving interaction, not by making claims and demands, although Jesus didn’t tell us to “Go, therefore, and ‘have dialogue’ with all nations,” but to “make disciples.”

# 3: Wrong ecumenism in action? One day, a man was walking across a bridge and saw another man standing on the edge, about to jump off. He immediately ran to him and said, “Stop! Don’t do it!” “Well, why shouldn’t I?” he replied. The other said, “Well, there’s so much to live for!” “Like what”? “Well … are you religious or atheist?” “Religious.” “Me, too! And are you Christian or Jewish?” “Christian.” “Me, too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?” “Protestant.” “Me, too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?” “Baptist.” “Wow! Me too! Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?” “Baptist Church of God.” “Me, too! Are you Original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?” “Reformed Baptist Church of God.” “Me, too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?” “Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915!” To which he said, “Die, you heretic!” and pushed him off the bridge.

Introduction: Today’s readings are about people’s bearing heroic witness to Jesus through life and death, and the source of the inspiration behind such witness-bearing. They urge us to work for greater unity and to consider the power of Christian witness. The first reading describes the martyrdom of Stephen and how he bore witness to the forgiving love of Jesus by his last prayer. In today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 97) the Psalmist prays that all creation may rejoice in the Lord Who is King, and that all peoples may see His Glory. In the second reading, taken from the Book of Revelation, Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega, is pictured as having all the forces of Heaven and earth at his disposal, standing ready to help us in our Christian witness-bearing. It is relatively easy to acknowledge our oneness with Stephen, and to long for the experience of eternal oneness with “all those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.” But to remain truly one with all of our brothers and sisters continues to be a daily challenge. Today’s Gospel is the last part of the “priestly prayer” of Jesus after the Last Supper. This chapter of John has been called “The Testament of Jesus” or “Jesus’ High Priestly (or Intercessory) Prayer.” During that long prayer, Jesus prays first for himself – for his own glorification (vv 1-5) – as he faces the cross. Then, he prays for his disciples that they may be unified and protected in the face of opposition from the world (vv 6-19), and finally he prays for those in distant lands and far-off ages, including ourselves, who will enter the Christian Faith. Thus, this is Jesus’ prayer for each one of us. We have complete Faith and certainty because Jesus put his confidence in God to whom he entrusts us all..

First reading, Acts 7: 55-60, explained: One of the purposes of Acts was to introduce Gentile converts to the Jewish roots of their new religion, and at the same time to explain Christianity’s separation from its ancestral tradition, and its openness to non-Jews. The story of Stephen’s martyrdom illustrates the point. Stephen’s vision of Jesus enthroned in Heaven, echoes the theme of the Feast of the Ascension. As in the case of Stephen, the Acts of the Apostles presents Christ’s disciples reproducing in their own lives some of the experiences of Jesus. By A.D. 80 when, some scholars believe, Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles, Christians were almost sure that Christ’s “second coming” would be delayed. The delayed Parousia seems to be why Stephen, the first Christian to die looks up at the moment of death, sees “the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand,” and prays, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” We might see Jesus coming in glory to receive Stephen’s spirit as an indication that each Christian, at the moment of death, will experience his or her personal Parousia. We no longer have to wait for Jesus’ Second Coming to enter into glory. That’s why Jesus, in Luke’s account of the Passion, assures the good thief, “This day you will be with me in paradise!” An aspect of our Faith that is both reassuring and challenging is the fact that it is through us that the glory of the risen Jesus is revealed to others, just as it was in the martyrdom of Stephen. Stephen is a good example of Faith in the risen Jesus and of the power of Christian witness. In fact, the word “martyr” derives from the Greek word for witness. Stephen died as the consequence of his bold profession of Christian Faith.

Second Reading, Revelation 22, 12-14, 16-17, 20, explained: The Risen Jesus is celebrated here as the ground of unity and the reason for bearing witness (suffering martyrdom). The first readers of this book were facing life-and-death struggles with persecutors. Hence, the Book of Revelation was given by God to John to encourage them and to convince them that the stakes are as high as they can be. What Stephen sees as a mere glimpse in the first reading is more fully described in the vision reported in the passage from Revelation. This crucified, and now glorious, Jesus, the Beginning and End of all things, can unreservedly promise us life because he has conquered death: “Let … the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving waters.” Those joined to Jesus will be energized by the very power that flows from him. In promising martyrs that they will have the “right to the tree of life” (referring to Genesis 3:21-24), John is telling us that, in Jesus, the ancient obstacle to eternal life has been lifted. John also gives the early Christians the assurance that Jesus is already present in their lives – (“realized eschatology”) to share their joys and sorrows.

Gospel exegesis: 1) Jesus prays for a unity of personal relationship. Unity is the main theme of Jesus’ prayer for the universal Church. He prays three times that all its members may be one as He and His Father are one, asking for the unity of the Church. Note the gradation in the intensity of unity for which Jesus asks:: in verse 21 he prays, “that they may all be one“; in verse 22, “that they may be one even as We are One”; and in verse 23, “that they may become perfectly one.” Christ’s plea does not concern human organizational or institutional unity among the 34,000 Christian denominations. Jesus wants the Church to be one in the very sense that there is oneness between Jesus and the Father. Quite obviously, the Oneness between Jesus and the Father is a oneness of Being, expressed as a complete unity of purpose and love. The mind of Jesus is that we cannot have unity with others unless we first have unity among ourselves as his disciples and, even more basic, that we cannot have this unity unless we have unity with God our Father in Christ by his Spirit. This means that Jesus prays for a unity of love among Christians, a unity based entirely our unity with Him, our living His Life, and on the relationship between heart and heart – God with us and we with each other. Jesus desires that Christian unity transcend all the present denominational differences and unite his followers in love. The Church must be one in the Spirit with its members, one in love and holiness. In addition to real theological and doctrinal differences, a major cause of Christian disunity today is that Jesus’ followers love their own ecclesiastical organizations, creeds and rituals more than they love Christ. Only real Christian love, implanted by God in the hearts of Christians, can reconcile these real divisions and tear down the barriers that, over the centuries, have been erected among denominations. According to the Scriptures, God’s design for humankind is that we recognize that all of us are the children of God, and brothers to one another. This implies that we live in accord with this Divinely inspired insight—that we live in peace, harmony, and unity. Such a true spiritual unification is possible only through the work of the Holy Spirit.

2) Unity among Christians is necessary to convince the world of the truth of Christianity. Real unity among the Christians would stand as a supernatural fact requiring a supernatural explanation. It would have a strong witness value before non-Christians. Jesus actually makes this unity one of the most important signs of his mission. Faced with the disunity of Christians, the world cannot see the supreme value of the Christian Faith. Hence, it is our duty to demonstrate that unity of love with all our fellow Christians whatever their denominations and in spite of doctrinal differences. God’s glory is to be visible not in magnificent edifices or in structures of power, but in the love that unites Jesus’ followers among themselves and to God.

Jesus’ prayer for love and unity inspired Pope St. John XXIII in his desire to call a Council to help break down divisions among contemporary followers of Jesus. In his encyclical on ecumenism, Ut Unum Sint (1995), Pope St. John Paul II cites Jn. 17:21-22 at least five times, stressing that the unity “which the Lord has bestowed on his Church and in which he wishes to embrace all people…stands at the very heart of Christ’s mission” (No. 9), and he urges common prayer to overcome the “painful reality” of Christian division (No. 22). In the same encyclical, Pope St. John Paul II also gives three reasons for Christian unity – first, all Christians should be obedient to Christ’s prayer that “all may be one”; second, it is important to honor the call of the Second Vatican Council, and third, the effective evangelization of the world depends on the united witness of Christians, for division among Christian believers damages our credibility. The Pope does warn against the dangers of compromise for the sake of unity, for “compromise is a contradiction with God who is Truth [70.1].”

3) Jesus has given us his glory. In his prayer for his followers, Jesus states that he has given his disciples the glory which the Father has given him. Jesus describes this glory in three ways. a) The Cross is his glory and the crucifixion is the moment of his glorification by his Father. Hence, a Christian should never consider the cross as a penalty, but as an honor. We must regard difficulties as moments of glory given to us by God. b) Jesus considers his perfect obedience to the will of his Father as his glory. Thus, Christians are expected to find the real glory of life in doing God’s will. c) Jesus’ life is a demonstration of his special relationship with God, expressing God’s love, compassion and forgiveness, thus giving Him glory. It is our glory when people around us see in us the reflection of Christ. God has given Christ the glory of Sonship, and this has resulted in Their unity. Jesus, in turn, gives to his disciples the glory of becoming the adopted sons of God (Gal 4: 5; Eph 1:5; Jn 1:12; 1 Jn 3:1). Jesus concludes his High Priestly prayer by promising us that if we share his sufferings on earth, we shall share his glory and triumph when our life on this earth is ended. As Paul put it, “If we have died with him, we shall also live with him. If we continue to endure, we shall also rule with him” (2 Timothy2: 11-12). Jesus prays that we may be with Him, and that when we die we may share his glory.

Life Messages: 1) We need to pray for unity and serve one another in unity. We must pray for unity and discuss the similarities we share with others as well as our differences. Along with prayer, we must put our words into action. This means that we are to serve one another and to love one another as brothers and sisters in the Lord. Walter, Cardinal Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, writes: “Much has been achieved over the last decades. Separated Christians no longer consider one another as strangers, competitors or even enemies, but as brothers and sisters. They have largely removed the former lack of understanding, misunderstanding, prejudice, and indifference; they pray together, they give together witness to their common Faith; in many fields they work trustfully together. They have experienced that ‘what unites us is greater than what divides us.’ Such a change was hardly conceivable only half a century ago; to wish to go back to those times would entail being forsaken not only by all good spirits but also by the Holy Spirit.” In the ecumenical movement, the question is the conversion of all to Jesus Christ. As we move nearer to Jesus Christ, in Him we move nearer to one another. Such unity is ultimately a gift of God’s Spirit and of His guidance. http://www.nccouncilofchurches.org/areasofwork/committees/christian_unity/sermon_mcbriar.htm – _edn9#_edn9. The soul of the ecumenical movement then, is spiritual. Only by a renewal of the spiritual, by common prayer and common listening to the Word of God, can we hope to overcome the present ecumenical impasses and difficulties. http://www.nccouncilofchurches.org/areasofwork/committees/christian_unity/sermon_mcbriar.htm – _edn10#_edn10. In the words of Pope St. John Paul II: “The door to ecumenism is opened only on our knees.” http://www.nccouncilofchurches.org/areasofwork/committees/christian_unity/sermon_mcbriar.htm – _edn11#_edn11

2) We need to have a clear idea about the Catholic stand on ecumenism. In his encyclical Ut Unum Sint, Pope St. John Paul II warns against compromise for the sake of unity. Quoting the Apostle Paul in Galatians 3:28, he states that “the ultimate goal of the ecumenical movement is to reestablish full visible unity among all the baptized [77.1].” The Pope addresses the areas for study before a true consensus of Faith can be achieved: “It is already possible to identify the areas in need of fuller study before a true consensus of Faith can be achieved: 1) The relationship between Sacred Scripture, as the highest authority in matters of Faith, and Sacred Tradition, as indispensable to the interpretation of the Word of God. 2) The Eucharist, as the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, an offering of praise to the Father, the sacrificial memorial and Real Presence of Christ and the sanctifying outpouring of the Holy Spirit; 3) Ordination, as a Sacrament, to the threefold ministry of the episcopate, presbyterate and diaconate. 4) The Magisterium of the Church, entrusted to the Pope and the Bishops in communion with him, understood as a responsibility and an authority exercised in the name of Christ for teaching and safeguarding the Faith; 5) The Virgin Mary, as Mother of God and Icon of the Church, the spiritual Mother who intercedes for Christ’s disciples and for all humanity [79.1].”

JOKE OF THE WEEK

A Catholic cat: A Catholic priest tells the story about receiving a call from a woman who was quite upset over the death of her pet cat, Homer. She wanted the priest to conduct the funeral service for Homer at her backyard. Imagine that?! The priest explained that this was a little out of his line, and he referred her to a friend, a Presbyterian pastor at a church down the street. Later, the priest learned that his Presbyterian friend had referred her to a Methodist minister, who had referred her to a Lutheran minister. About an hour later, she called her Catholic pastor back and she was still upset. The woman said she was at her wit’s end. She couldn’t find a pastor to conduct Homer’s funeral services and didn’t know what to do. Then she said that she was planning to give $1000 to the minister who performed this service for Homer. The pastor said it took him only a moment to mull this over and then say to her, “Well, why didn’t you tell me Homer was a Catholic cat in the first place!” Ah, ecumenism at its best. In today’s Gospel Jesus prays for an entirely different type of unity of Christians. 2) Catholic crossing: Paddy was in New York. He was patiently waiting and watching the traffic cop on a busy street crossing. The cop stopped the flow of traffic and shouted, ‘Okay, pedestrians.’ Then he’d allow the traffic to pass. He’d done this several times, and Paddy still stood on the sidewalk. After the cop had shouted, ‘Pedestrians!’ for the tenth time, Paddy went over to him and said, ‘Is it not about time ye let the Catholics across?’

Prepared by: Fr. Anthony Kadavil, Chaplain, Sacred Heart Residence of the Little Sisters of the Poor, 1655 McGill Ave, Mobile, AL 36604.