Father – May They Be One
Introduction
1. Come Lord Jesus
The mob is resolute on stoning Stephen to death. He is resolutely praying to God for the forgiveness of those who do him mortal harm. He prays to the Risen One, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And intercedes for his murderers, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” What a great demonstration of Christian strength for the faith and awesome compassion for his persecutors. Stephen is called the protomartyr – the first to prophetically bear ‘bloody’ witness to the Risen Christ. Facing death, he puts his total gaze on heaven, unto the life of eternity where the God of Jesus is King (Psalm 97 of today). We are invited to rejoice in the God who is our King. To be worthy of him, we need to defend our faith more jealously even in the midst of afflictions and death. We say “Amen!” Come Lord Jesus in the Spirit Paraclete.
2. Jesus’ Prayer for Christian Unity
“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” (John 17:20-21). Along the years we have composed many others for our faith encounters. Since ecumenical movement berthed in the Christian Church, it looks like the crack in the divisions are opening wider and wider. One thing is to compose wonderful prayers for unity (remember, Jesus did, the longest ever), another thing is to open oneself to being true agent of Christian unity. This earnest pursuit of Christian love, activated by understanding the faith, is what makes us united with God the Father, through his Son Jesus and in the Holy Spirit. Mindful of the week that prepares us to the Pentecost experience, Jesus points out that a disunited people do not receive his Spirit. His Spirit does not go where there are suspicions, divisions and hatred. Whose agent are you? Of unity or disunity?
1 Reading ACTS 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 Psalm: PS 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 heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
All gods are prostrate before him. R.
You, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods. R.
2 Reading Revelations 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!
Alleluia cf. John 14:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord.
I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel John 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.”
Commentary
>I find this reflection speaking my mind. So I share it with us today.<
John’s Gospel, Chapter 17, is referred to as Jesus’ High Priestly prayer. It’s a long and beautiful prayer that would be worth reading in its entirety for reflection.
If we read from verse 1ff, Jesus begins by speaking to the Father that “the hour has come.” His hour of suffering and death is upon Him. But He sees it as an opportunity for His glorification. This is an important revelation within John’s Gospel and especially within this prayer. The Cross is horrible from a human perspective alone. But from the divine perspective or the will of the Father and the salvation of the world, it is glorious and the moment in which Jesus takes up His throne of the Cross. It is glorious because He perfectly fulfills the will of the Father through His freely embraced suffering.
Particularly in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus prays for those who would come to faith through the ministry of the Apostles. In particular, He prays for their unity. The unity Jesus is speaking of is a oneness that comes as a result of being united with the Father in Heaven. It is this oneness that leads to glorification for all. And, once again, this oneness is achieved only by being in full union with the will of the Father.
Reflect, today, upon this beautiful prayer and as you do, allow the Lord to speak to you. Hear Him calling you to perfect fulfillment and glory. But know that this is achieved by the embrace of your “hour.” The Father is calling you to follow in the footsteps of His Son by laying down your life in perfect obedience to the Father’s will. Embracing this cross is the path to Heaven and Jesus’ prayer provides all the grace you need to say “Yes.”
(see: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2019/06/01/the-continuing-presence-of-our-lord/)
Blessing
The last verse in the last chapter of the book of Revelation, omitted in the second reading, is in itself a prayer blessing. That prayer is for you. May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all, I the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!
V. Go in the One Spirit of the Lord. Alleluia! Alleluia!
R. Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!