Introduction

In most of the United States, today is the celebration of the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (see the earlier post for those readings). However, the ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and Omaha celebrated the Ascension last Thursday; today they celebrate the 7th Sunday of Easter.

1st Reading – Acts 1:12-14

After Jesus had been taken up to heaven the apostles
returned to Jerusalem
from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem,
a sabbath day’s journey away.

When they entered the city
they went to the upper room where they were staying,
Peter and John and James and Andrew,
Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,
James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot,
and Judas son of James.
All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer,
together with some women,
and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Our first reading shows the Church in the very first moment after the Ascension: the apostles, together with Mary, gathered in prayer as they await the promised Holy Spirit.

Liturgically, the Church is in this same “in‑between” time: no longer seeing the risen Jesus, yet not fully empowered by Pentecost.

After Jesus had been taken up to heaven the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away.

After witnessing Jesus ascend into heaven, the disciples return to Jerusalem in obedience to his command to wait for “the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4).

The distance they traveled was a “Sabbath day’s walk,” the maximum distance a devout Jew was allowed to travel on the Sabbath without violating Sabbath rest regulations. It was about three-quarters of a mile (one kilometer).

When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying,

There is an ancient Christian tradition that this “upper room” is the same place where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples (Luke 22:12). It becomes a place of prayer, fellowship, and expectation for the infant Church.

Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

The eleven apostles are listed by name. They come from very different backgrounds: fishermen, a tax collector, and even Simon the Zealot, whose zeal for Jewish independence would once have placed him at odds with others in the group.

Yet these differences no longer divide them. Their unity in Christ is now greater than their political, social, or personal differences.

Peter, James, and John are listed first – they will be the lead characters for the book of the Acts of the Apostles.

All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer,

This is the first description of the spiritual life of the Church after the Ascension. Before undertaking their mission, the disciples devote themselves to prayer.

Although Jesus has already commanded them to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), they do not act apart from God’s grace. They wait prayerfully for the coming of the Holy Spirit, recognizing that the mission of the Church depends first upon God’s power, not merely human effort.

Luke also emphasizes that they prayed “with one accord,” highlighting the unity and shared purpose of the early Christian community.

together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Luke makes special mention of the women disciples, who had faithfully accompanied Jesus during his ministry and remained near him through his Passion and burial (Luke 23:49, 55). As throughout his Gospel, Luke highlights those whom society often overlooked.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is also present at this decisive moment in salvation history. Having been present at the beginning of Christ’s earthly life, she is now present at the beginning of the Church’s public mission.

Notably, the disciples are not portrayed as fearful or abandoned after the Ascension. Instead, they wait in faithful expectation, united in prayer and trust, ready to receive whatever comes next in God’s plan.

2nd Reading – 1 Peter 4:13-16

Beloved:
Rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ,
so that when his glory is revealed
you may also rejoice exultantly.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you,
for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
But let no one among you be made to suffer
as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as an intriguer.
But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed
but glorify God because of the name.

On this final Sunday of Easter, our study of 1 Peter concludes with an invitation to rejoice in sharing in Christ’s sufferings.

At the time of our first reading from Acts, the Church was embryonic and relatively safe. This letter from Peter was written later, when Christianity was outlawed by Rome, and martyrdom was more than just a possibility.

Beloved: Rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly.

Christians give witness to their faith by the way they face suffering, and those who share in Christ’s suffering will also share in his glory. This echoes Romans 8:17: “We suffer with him in order to be also glorified with him.”

The word Peter uses for revealed is apokálypsis (“revelation” or “unveiling”), referring to the full manifestation of Christ’s glory at his return, when he comes to judge the living and the dead. At that time, God’s plan for creation will be brought to fulfillment.

Having a share in that glory is clearly a reason for rejoicing!

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, 

Christians were not only persecuted by the official Roman government, they were also subjected suspicion and ridicule in daily life. Because they rejected aspects of pagan worship and culture that conflicted with their faith, they were sometimes viewed as antisocial, disloyal, or even dangerous.

for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

Jesus himself promised the assistance of the Holy Spirit to those persecuted for his sake (Matthew 10:19-20).

Peter refers to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of glory” to emphasize the earlier point about their anticipation of eternal glory.

But let no one among you be made to suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as an intrigue.

The term translated here as “an intrigue” is allotriepiskopos, a rare Greek word referring to a meddler or busybody — someone improperly involved in the affairs of others.

Peter reminds Christians that suffering itself is not automatically virtuous. There is no honor in suffering for wrongdoing, whether serious crimes like murder and theft or disruptive behavior that creates unnecessary conflict. Christians are called to live upright and peaceable lives that give credible witness to the Gospel.

But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because of the name.

This is one of only three places in the New Testament where followers of Jesus are called “Christians”; the others are Acts 11:26 and 26:28. The term was likely first used by outsiders and may originally have carried a mocking or contemptuous tone.

“Christ” comes from christos, the Greek word meaning “anointed one,” equivalent to the Hebrew mashiach (“Messiah”). To be called a “Christian” meant being identified as a follower of Christ — a man who had been publicly executed by the Roman authorities. In the eyes of many, this association would have seemed shameful or foolish.

Peter turns that shame on its head. Rather than shrinking from the name, Christians are to bear it without fear, glorifying God even if they suffer because they belong to Christ.

“If you suffer as a Christian, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Think of James the son of Zebedee or Stephen. However awful the trials you suffer may be, learn to glory in them, not to be upset by them. Christ’s glory is revealed in the Church when it suffers.” [Saint Hilary of Arles (ca. 428 AD), Commentary on 1 Peter]

Gospel – John 17:1-11a

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said,
“Father, the hour has come.
Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you,
just as you gave him authority over all people,
so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him.
Now this is eternal life,
that they should know you, the only true God,
and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
I glorified you on earth
by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.
Now glorify me, Father, with you,
with the glory that I had with you before the world began.

“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.
They belonged to you, and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now they know that everything you gave me is from you,
because the words you gave to me I have given to them,
and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you,
and they have believed that you sent me.
I pray for them.
I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours
and everything of yours is mine,
and I have been glorified in them.
And now I will no longer be in the world,
but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.”

Since at least the fifth century, John chapter 17 has been known as the “High Priestly Prayer.” Each year on the Seventh Sunday of Easter, the Church proclaims part of this prayer; in Cycle A, we hear its opening verses.

The High Priestly Prayer is a profound and intimate conversation between Jesus and God the Father, in which Jesus intercedes for his disciples and, ultimately, for all who will believe in him. Because Jesus begins by acknowledging that his earthly mission is drawing to a close and that he has glorified the Father through his ministry, the prayer has the character of a farewell.

This prayer takes on even greater significance when we recall that Jesus offered it during the Last Supper, on the night before his death.

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come.

The “hour” that has come is the hour of Jesus’ glorification through the Paschal Mystery. In John’s Gospel, Jesus’ suffering and exaltation are inseparable: the Cross itself becomes the moment of his glory.

Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to all you gave him.

A central theme of this prayer is the eternal relationship between the Father and the Son.

The Father sent the Son into the world and entrusted all authority to him. Jesus, in turn, glorifies the Father by perfectly accomplishing the mission he was given: to reveal God and bring humanity into eternal life.

Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.

Jesus defines eternal life as knowing the Father and knowing Jesus Christ, whom the Father sent. This knowledge is far more than intellectual understanding. In Scripture, to “know” someone means personal communion and loving relationship.

Eternal life, then, begins even now through union with God by faith and grace, and reaches its fullness in heaven, where we will see God face to face.

I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.

Jesus glorified the Father by revealing him perfectly in his words, works, and obedience.

The culmination of this mission is the Cross, where Jesus will be “lifted up” (John 12:32). What appears to the world as humiliation becomes, in John’s Gospel, the supreme revelation of divine glory and love.

Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began.

Jesus speaks of the divine glory he shared eternally with the Father before creation. This affirms both his pre-existence and his divinity.

In the Incarnation, the Son did not cease to possess this glory, but veiled it under human nature; now, through his Passion and Resurrection, that glory will again be manifest.

I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.

Jesus now turns to praying specifically for his disciples, especially the apostles, who will continue his mission.

In biblical thought, a person’s “name” expresses who they are. By revealing the Father’s “name,” Jesus has revealed God’s true character, holiness, mercy, and saving will.

Some also see here an echo of “I AM,” the divine name revealed to Moses. Jesus repeatedly applies this divine language to himself, especially in John’s gospel (John 8:24, 28, 58; 13:19), revealing his unity with the Father and his divine identity.

They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

The disciples belong to the Father and have been entrusted to the Son.

God the Father gave them to Jesus as sheep to the shepherd, to be kept; as patients to the physician, to be cured; children to a tutor, to be educated.

Though imperfect and often slow to understand, they have remained faithful to Jesus and received his teaching with sincerity.

Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

The disciples do not yet grasp everything fully, but they have come to believe that Jesus truly comes from the Father (Matthew 16:16-17, John 1:49, John 11:27). Their faith is genuine, even if still incomplete.

Jesus delights in their fidelity and patiently leads them toward deeper understanding.

I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours,

Here Jesus prays in a particular way for his disciples, those entrusted with carrying on his mission. This does not mean that Jesus has no love for the world — after all, “God so loved the world” (John 3:16). Rather, his focus in this moment is on strengthening those who must remain in the world as his witnesses.

and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, 

Jesus speaks here with extraordinary intimacy and equality with the Father.

Though distinct Persons, the Father and the Son possess all things in perfect unity — a profound witness to the mystery of the Trinity.

and I have been glorified in them.

The faith and fidelity of the disciples glorify Jesus, and their future mission will continue to do so as they bear witness to him before the world.

And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.”

Jesus speaks of his imminent departure through his death, resurrection, and ascension. He is leaving the world in the sense of his visible earthly presence, while the disciples remain behind to continue the mission he began.

Though they will face opposition from the world, they will not be abandoned; the Father and the Holy Spirit will sustain them.

Connections and Themes

Already, but not yet. The readings for this last Sunday of the Easter season are situated in a profoundly transitional moment. Christ has ascended to the Father, but Pentecost has not yet arrived. The Church stands in an in-between space: Jesus has already won the victory, yet the fullness of that victory has not yet been revealed.

This is the classic Christian tension of the “already but not yet”: eternal life has already begun through Christ; the kingdom is already inaugurated; the disciples already belong to God. And yet the Church still waits — for the coming of the Holy Spirit, for the spread of the gospel to the nations, and ultimately for Christ’s return in glory. In our gospel reading, Jesus speaks as though his glorification is already underway, even as the Cross still lies ahead. In the first reading, the apostles wait prayerfully for what has been promised but not yet received. In the second reading, believers suffer in the present while rejoicing in the glory that is still to come. Collectively, these readings remind us that the Christian life is always lived between fulfillment and consummation.

Living in-between. Living in the tension of this liminality can be challenging. Christ’s victory has already broken into the world, yet its fullness still lies ahead. We rejoice in what God has already accomplished while longing for its complete fulfillment.

Today’s readings remind us that believers are not meant to endure this waiting alone. The Church — gathered in prayer, faith, and mutual encouragement — becomes the place where Christians learn to persevere faithfully in the unfinished time between promise and fulfillment.

The disciples in Acts are no longer who they once were, but neither are they yet what they will become after Pentecost. Jesus, in John’s Gospel, is departing the world visibly, yet he has not abandoned his followers. Christians, therefore, learn to live in a state of holy tension: rejoicing in what God has already done while longing for its completion.

This requires patience, endurance, and trust. Peter’s exhortation to rejoice even amid suffering reflects precisely this posture. The Church does not simply wait passively for the future; she waits actively — praying, remaining faithful, enduring opposition, and preparing for mission.

These readings speak powerfully to every season of spiritual liminality, reminding us that God often does his deepest work in times of waiting, transition, and apparent incompleteness.