MAY 12, 2013 : SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Seventh Sunday of Easter 
Lectionary: 61

Reading 1ACTS 7:55-60

Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and Stephen said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
But they cried out in a loud voice,
covered their ears, and rushed upon him together.
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them;”
and when he said this, he fell asleep.

Responsorial PsalmPS 97:1-2, 6-7, 9

R. (1a and 9a) The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
All gods are prostrate before him.
R. The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.
R. The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2REV 22:12-14, 16-17, 20

I, John, heard a voice saying to me:

“Behold, I am coming soon.

I bring with me the recompense I will give to each

according to his deeds.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last,

the beginning and the end.”



Blessed are they who wash their robes

so as to have the right to the tree of life

and enter the city through its gates.



“I, Jesus, sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.

I am the root and offspring of David,

the bright morning star.”



The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”

Let the hearer say, “Come.”

Let the one who thirsts come forward,

and the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving water.



The one who gives this testimony says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

GospelJN 17:20-26

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.”

www.usccb.org

Meditation: “May they become perfectly one”

Who is your brother and sister in Christ? On the eve of his sacrifice, when Jesus celebrated his last supper with his apostles, he prayed for their unity and for the unity of all who would believe in him and become his disciples. God desires unity for all of his people, for married couples, families, communities, and churches across every land and nation. Sadly division and strife is often the result of personal pride, sin, prejudice, and the failure to love, forgive, and reconcile. That is why prayer is so necessary, both for safeguarding unity and for healing and restoration wherever unity has been broken.
Jesus knew the weakness of his disciples, their competitive spirit to see who would rank first, their dislike for Samaritans and others who were not of their own company, and the fear that would scatter them and make them deny their Lord when Jesus' enemies arrested him in the Garden of Gethsemani and nailed him to the cross on Calvary. John tells us that Jesus loved his own to the very end (John 13:1). Nothing could break nor diminish the love he had for them, not even betrayal and rejection. As disciples of Jesus we are called to love and lay down our lives for all who believe in him. If we are willing to die for our brothers and sisters in Christ, how much more should we strive to live in harmony, love, and unity with one another.
Jesus' high priestly prayer at the last supper is directed towards all who will come after him and follow him as his disciples. In a special way Jesus prays here for us that as members of his body the church we would be united in one heart and mind as he and his Father are one. The unity of Jesus and his Father is a unity of mind and heart, mutal love and trust, honor and respect. Because Jesus loved us first and united us in baptism we are called to live in a unity of love. Jesus’ prayer on the eve of his sacrifice shows the great love and trust he has in his beloved disciples. He knows they would abandon him in his hour of trial, yet he entrusted to them the great task of spreading his name throughout the world and to the end of the ages. The Lord entrust us with the same mission – to make him known and loved by all. Jesus died and rose again that all might be one as he and the Father are one. Do you love and accept all baptized Christians as your brothers and sisters in Christ?
"Lord God, have mercy on your people and heal the divisions in the body of Christ. May all  Christian people throughout the world attain the unity for which Jesus prayed on the eve of his sacrifice. Renew in us the power of the Spirit that we may be a sign of that unity and a means of its growth. Increase in us a fervent love for all our brothers and sisters in Christ."

www.dailyscripture.net

That They May All Be One

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Father Paul Campbell, LC John 17:20-26 Lifting his eyes up 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." Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you and all that you have revealed for our salvation. I hope in you because of your overflowing mercy. Every single act of yours on this earth demonstrated your love for us. Your ascent into heaven before the eyes of the Apostles inspires my hope of one day joining you there. I love you and wish you to be the center of my life. Petition:Lord, heal the wounds of disunity and disharmony in my life. 1. Unity Among the Disciples: Jesus prays for the unity of all believers. He wants us to be one, united in him and with the Father. Today we find many fractures and divisions within society. When we look around, we see so many different denominations. God does not want this division and fragmentation. He prayed that we may be one so that this oneness would be a witness to the world that Jesus was sent from the Father. If the world remains unconvinced about Christ and the Good News of salvation, the fault begins with us. How present is Christian unity in my prayers and sacrifices? 2. Disunity in the Family: Today we also find an increasing disunity within the family. Divorce has ripped families apart and separated children from their parents. It is a rare child who is not scarred by divorce. The detrimental effect of “no fault” divorce on children is well known, yet few seem ready to challenge the assumption that a marriage should be easier to terminate than a car lease. The unity Christ wills for all families is based on his love. He is the glue to hold us together. It requires us to put others ahead of ourselves and to seek to serve. It requires a constant effort to listen and to communicate, to forgive and to let go. It is not found in the mantra of self-esteem and self-fulfillment. How ready am I to ask for or grant forgiveness? How often do I put my family ahead of my work and my own plans? 3. Interior Disharmony: Sin corrodes love and turns us inward to look toward ourselves. We grow increasingly selfish. With the world tirelessly promoting freedom as license to do whatever we want, we become slaves to our passions. How often do we prefer to indulge our own whims and desires? How free are we to say no to sin in our life? Sin creates an interior disharmony, an interior fracture between what our conscience presents as God’s will and how we are actually living. If we love God, we will obey him. Love apart from such obedience is an illusion – a lie. If my relationship with Christ is not right, then all my other relationships rest on shifting sand. Conversation with Christ: Jesus, it is hard to forgive others. Sometimes it is hard to forgive myself. I need your strength to move me beyond the pain and struggle. I need the security of your love and your presence in my life. Help me to mend the disharmony in my life that you want me to fix. Heal the brokenness in my heart, in my home, in my family and in my Church. Resolution:I will ask for forgiveness.

www.regnumchristi.org

SUNDAY, MAY 12
SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER*

JOHN 17:20-26
(Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 97; Revelation 22:12-14,16-17, 20)
KEY VERSE: "That they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you" ( v 21).
READING: Jesus prayed for his disciples, and for all who would believe in him through their proclamation of the Gospel. Jesus knew that there would be powerful forces at work to divide the Church. Arius, a priest from Alexandria (d.336) provoked the first great controversy claiming that Christ was not divine in the same sense that God the Father was. The Council of Nicea (325) taught that Christ was not created but was "of the same substance (Greek: homoousios) consubstantial with the Father. Further understanding of Christ's identity was the Trinitarian teaching that there is one God, who exists in three equal persons. If the disciples found their unity in the onenessexisting between Jesus and his Father, they would be authentic messengers of his life, death and resurrection. Love is the true sign of God's presence. Whoever saw the devotion and unanimity in Jesus' disciples would be convinced of the message they preached. The Eucharistic banquet expresses this unity among believers. The table of the Lord is a foretaste of the oneness that we will one day experience with Christ when we behold the glory he shares with the Father.
REFLECTING: What can I do today to bring unity to my family?
PRAYING: Risen Lord, help the Church to work for harmony among all peoples.

NOTE: In those places where the solemnity of the Ascension has been transferred to the Seventh Sunday of Easter, the Mass and readings of the Ascension are used: Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:19-23; Luke 24:46-53 (See Ascension Thursday).

MOTHER'S DAY

During the 1600's, England celebrated a day called "Mothering Sunday" on the 4th Sunday of Lent. In the United States Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe as a day dedicated to peace. Mother's Day for peace was celebrated for a number of years, but Howe died without gaining formal recognition for her vision of peace on Mother's Day. In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, inspired by her own mother in caring for soldiers and their families during the Civil War, was successful in her campaign for a national day of recognition for all mothers to be celebrated on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By 1911 Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May. Many countries celebrate Mother's Day at different times throughout the year.

"Arise women of the day! Arise whether our baptism be that of water or of fears! Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience ... We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure others ... From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says: Disarm! Disarm!" Julia Ward Howe, Author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

www.daily-word-of-life.com

May 12
Sts. Nereus and Achilleus
(1st century)

Devotion to these two saints goes back to the fourth century, though almost nothing is known of their lives. They were praetorian soldiers of the Roman army, became Christians and were removed to the island of Terracina, where they were martyred. Their bodies were buried in a family vault, later known as the cemetery of Domitilla. Excavations by De Rossi in 1896 resulted in the discovery of their empty tomb in the underground church built by Pope Siricius in 390.

Two hundred years after their death, Pope Gregory the Great delivered his 28th homily on the occasion of their feast. “These saints, before whom we are assembled, despised the world and trampled it under their feet when peace, riches and health gave it charms.”

Comment:

As in the case of many early martyrs, the Church clings to its memories though the events are clouded in the mists of history. It is a heartening thing for all Christians to know that they have a noble heritage. Our brothers and sisters in Christ have stood in the same world in which we live—militarist, materialist, cruel and cynical—yet transfigured from within by the presence of the Living One. Our own courage is enlivened by the heroes and heroines who have gone before us marked by the sign of faith and the wounds of Christ.

Quote:

Pope Damasus wrote an epitaph for Nereus and Achilleus in the fourth century. The text is known from travelers who read it while the slab was still entire, but the broken fragments found by De Rossi are sufficient to identify it: “The martyrs Nereus and Achilleus had enrolled themselves in the army and exercised the cruel office of carrying out the orders of the tyrant, being ever ready, through the constraint of fear, to obey his will. O miracle of faith! Suddenly they cease from their fury, they become converted, they fly from the camp of their wicked leader; they throw away their shields, their armor and their blood-stained javelins. Confessing the faith of Christ, they rejoice to bear testimony to its triumph. Learn now from the words of Damasus what great things the glory of Christ can accomplish.”

www.americancatholic.org