May 12, 2013 - Seventh Sunday Of Easter

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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.”

St. Stephen, our first martyr, had been arrested in Jerusalem for preaching about Jesus Christ.  He preached so beautifully that no man could respond to him.  So, they took him by force.  After his arrest, they presented him to the Jerusalem council, where the grace that was in him shone so brightly for all to see.  Then accusers came and accused him of blasphemy.  And when it was his turn, he told them all about Jews and how they had always failed to follow God and had indeed, killed all of God's prophets.  And then ended by pointing out that they had also killed Jesus, the Messiah, Son of God.  And of course, the Jews were enraged.  But while they were so enraged, he saw a vision of Jesus coming down in a cloud seated with the Glory of God.  And when he described this vision, they had enough and they dragged him outside the city and stoned him to death. 

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.

This is important, because Saul, who hated Christ and all Christians, would soon become one of the most illustrious warriors in the Christian camp.  

1 Corinthians 15:9

For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 

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.

And St. Stephen, overwhelmed by the grace of God and the love of God, in his dying breath, forgave all who had attacked him.  He did what we are all called to do, follow the example of Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 2:21

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

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.

God is King.  Nothing, no one, comes near Him.  We must all rejoice, be glad and most of all, be thankful, that God has chosen us to be with Him, in His glory.  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.

This is a reference to the Last Day when Jesus will sit in judgment of all the people of all the nations.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last,
the beginning and the end.”

Jesus here expressly identifies Himself as God.
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.

This is a reference to Baptism, where one is washed of all sin when calling on the name of the Lord.Having become a child of God, one has the right to sit at the Father's table and eat of the "tree of life" which is euphemism for the Body of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. And having eaten of the Body of Christ, one abides in Christ and receives the gift of Eternal Life.  As the Scripture says:

John 6:54-57
King James Version (KJV)
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I  will raise him up at the last day.  55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.   56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.  57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 
“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.”

Jesus is God and therefore commands the Angels.  But He is also man and    therefore is the Son of David, the earthly King of Judah.
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”

The Holy Spirit and Mary, the Spouse of the Holy Spirit are the reference  here.
Let the hearer say, “Come.”

The believer, the one who obeys Christ and therefore the "hearer" is the   reference here.
Let the one who thirsts come forward,
and the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving water.

The one who has turned to God in faith and believes in His promises and    therefore yearns for Baptism in order to receive them.
The one who gives this testimony says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

And Jesus says He is coming.  But I think this is a reference to the Holy Eucharist, where Jesus comes to us every time we present ourselves at the Altar of God.

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.

This is the sorrow of the Protestant Reformation.  They shattered the unity of the Christian Church and cast doubt in the world that Jesus is of the Father.   We should all pray that this unity may be restored in accordance with the Will of the Son, Jesus Christ.

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.

Jesus loved us as the Father loves Him and Jesus gave Himself up for us in order to prove that love.  Thus we must love each other as He loves us and as He loves the Father.  That we may be made perfect in Him as He is perfect in the Father.

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.

The Father gave us as a gift to the Son.  And Jesus, the Son, wishes that we be with Him in eternity that we may see His glory seated at the right hand of the Father, where He has been seated from all eternity.

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.”

The world is the enemy of God and does not know Him.  But God the Son knows the Father and now we who love Him also know the Father by Him.  And the glorious love with which the Son loved us is in us and we return it to the Father, through the Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!  Alleluiah!