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 for today occurs immediately after the account of the Ascension, which we heard on Ascension Thursday. It describes the events that immediately followed Jesus’ ascension to heaven and sets the stage for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which we will celebrate next Sunday.

This reading also highlights the importance of prayer and community in the lives of Christians.

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’ ascension into heaven, the disciples return to Jerusalem.

The distance they traveled was specifically a “Sabbath day’s walk,” which was the maximum distance a devout Jew was allowed to travel on the Sabbath, 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 a widely held belief that the upper room mentioned in the passage is the same location where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper (Luke 22:12), which was in the home of John Mark’s mother (Acts 12:12).

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 are listed. This group includes a variety of backgrounds and professions, such as fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots (a militant wing of the Jewish independence movement).

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 passage that tells of the spiritual life and devout practices of the disciples. Significantly, it places emphasis on prayer, in keeping with Jesus’ own practice (see Matthew 6:5; 14:23; etc.).

Notice that although Jesus has just commissioned them to “go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), they do not go right out and teach. Rather, they devote themselves first to prayer.

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

The women might be their wives or women followers of Jesus who had come with him from Galilee and who attended to his burial (Luke 23:55). It is typical of Luke to mention those whom others often overlook, and this highlights even further the diversity of this group.

For example, Simon’s background as a Zealot would have put him at odds with some of the other disciples. The Zealots were known for their extreme nationalism and their opposition to Roman rule. They believed that the only way to truly worship God was to rebel against their Roman oppressors and establish an independent Jewish state.

Others in this group would have been more sympathetic to Roman rule or at least would have sought a more peaceful approach to Jewish resistance. Yet despite these differences, Simon and the other disciples were united in their faith and devotion to Jesus.

Note that the disciples are not described as anxious or bereft; they are reported as simply praying together, ready to receive what would come 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.

This is the last installment of our study of 1 Peter. In this passage, we see that Peter is still trying to help his audience find meaning in suffering.

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”), a reference to the unveiling of God’s ultimate plan for the world at the end of time when Christ returns to judge the living and the dead. When that happens, Christ’s glory will be fully manifested.

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

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

Christians were not only persecuted by the official Roman government, but in everyday life. Because they avoided the aspects of pagan culture that conflicted with their beliefs, Christians often had to endure misunderstanding, mistrust, and resentment. Their way of life was considered antisocial or even traitorous.

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

In Matthew 10:19-20, Jesus promised the assistance of the Holy Spirit to persecuted Christians.

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 as “ an intrigue” is allotriepiskopos, a very rare Greek term indicating a person who meddles in another’s business; a busybody.

Peter advises that if they must suffer for their faith, they should do so only for righteous reasons. He specifically lists examples of behaviors that would be considered immoral or unlawful in society, such as murder and theft, as well as behaviors that might simply cause conflict or disruption, such as meddling in the affairs of others.

By warning his readers against these behaviors, Peter is encouraging them to live in a way that honors God and avoids unnecessary conflict.

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 Bible where the followers of Jesus are called “Christians” — the others are Acts 11:26 and 26:28. While the term marks one as a supporter or follower of Christ, it may well have been originally intended as a name of scorn.

“Christian” was likely used originally as a derogatory term. “Christ” is a title for Jesus that comes from christos, a Greek word meaning “anointed.” It is the equivalent of the word mashiach, or Messiah, in Hebrew. While the term “Christian” could be literally interpreted as “Messiah follower,” early Christians were following a man who had been executed as a criminal. Therefore, referring to them as “Christians” would be akin to calling them “felon followers.”

In the face of this, Peter tells them to bear this name proudly and endure any misfortune that might befall them because of it.

“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 5th century, Chapter 17 of John’s Gospel has been known as the High Priestly Prayer. Every year on the 7th Sunday of Easter, we hear a section of this prayer; this year, in Cycle A, we hear the opening verses.

The High Priestly Prayer is a profound and intimate conversation between Jesus and God the Father, where Jesus intercedes on behalf of his disciples and all believers. Because Jesus begins by acknowledging that his mission on earth is ending and that he has glorified God through his earthly ministry, it is very much a farewell message.

The prayer assumes an even greater significance when we realize that Jesus offered it at the Last Supper, shortly before his death.

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

Jesus is not speaking to his disciples directly; he is praying to his Father. They, and we, overhear his prayer.

The “hour” that has come is the hour of Jesus’ glorification, which we will explore in further detail below.

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.

The foundational theme of this prayer is the nature of the father/son relationship between Jesus and God. The Father is the source of Jesus’ authority. It was from the Father that Jesus was sent (later, in verse 3) and it is to the Father that he returns (verse 11a).

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 knowledge of God and of Jesus as the one sent by God.

But what does it mean “to know”? Certainly an intellectual grasp of Christian teachings plays a role in faith — but, alone, that doesn’t lead to eternal life. To “know” someone in the biblical sense refers to an intimate experience: “Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived” (Genesis 4:1). What Jesus means here is that eternal life is a life of intimacy with God.

This points to eternal life in heaven, where our knowledge of God will be full and complete.

“If the knowledge of God is life eternal, we the more tend to life, the more we advance in this knowledge. […] There shall the praise of God be without end, where there shall be full knowledge of God; and because in heaven this knowledge shall be full, there shall glorifying be of the highest” (St Augustine, In Evangelium Ioannis, 105, 3)

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

Jesus has glorified the Father by revealing God perfectly in all the words and deeds of his life and the ministry he performed.

Most commentators agree that the culmination of the work the Father gave Jesus to do was the crucifixion, when Jesus was lifted up (see John 12:32). The crucifixion will be the ultimate moment of Jesus’ glorification.

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

The glory for which Jesus prays is already his; he enjoyed it with the Father before the creation of the world. It is as though Jesus set aside his glory when he became human, and now the time has come for him to reclaim it.

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

Jesus now transitions to praying for his apostles, who will carry on his earthly ministry.

“I revealed your name” could be a broad reference to Jesus’ revelation of God to humanity, since in Semitic usage, “name” is equivalent to the person. Or it is possibly referring to the divine name I AM, as in John 8:24, 28, 58; 13:19.

Jesus has made known God’s true nature, character, and authority to humanity, through his chosen disciples.

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

As God’s creatures, the disciples of Jesus belonged to God the Father. 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.

Jesus affirms the disciples’ faithfulness and their commitment to following the teachings of God.

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 did not yet fully understand the reality and implications of the gospel; however, they did know that Jesus Christ came from God, that he is the Son of God, that he is the image of the invisible God (Matthew 16:16-17, John 1:49, John 11:27).

Note how — despite many instances of his disciples’ slowness to understand and general weakness, which grieved him — their constant adherence to him, their gradual improvements, and their eventual attainments were his joy. Jesus is a rabbi that delights in the proficiency of his students. He accepts the sincerity of their faith and graciously overlooks their deficiencies.

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

This specific prayer of Jesus is offered on behalf of a distinct group of people —the apostles — rather than praying for the world as a whole.

Another theme in this reading is Jesus’ attitude toward the world (kósmos). He mentions kósmos in several places but the meaning varies depending on the context.

The first mention of the world is in verse 5: “the glory that I had with you before the world began.”  There, Jesus is simply referring to the created universe, without moral judgment.

However, it is clear in the next two instances (verse 6: “those whom you gave me out of the world” and here in verse 9: “I do not pray for the world”) that he is pitting himself and his followers against the world. In this context, “world” refers to all that stands in opposition to God’s purposes and rejects His truth.

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

In some ways Jesus appears to be subordinate to his Father, yet they share all things.

and I have been glorified in them.

The fidelity of the apostles has brought glory to Jesus, as will their future work in his name.

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

A return to the “world” theme. Jesus is leaving the world, although his disciples remain within it. The reference here is probably to human life in general: he is facing imminent death, they will stay and continue the work he has begun.

Connections and Themes

As we come to the end of the Easter season, we find ourselves in a liminal state, a time “in-between.”

Our concept of time has been radically changed, and the readings reflect this. In the Gospel, Jesus gives the apostles a farewell address, indicating his departure as a future event. In the first reading, however, Jesus has already ascended into heaven. The second reading speaks of the revelation of Jesus’ glory, a timeless and transcendent reality.

Our experience of time in the Easter season has been transformative and challenges our conventional understanding of chronological time. In God’s time, the fulfillment of the future has already taken place, and the promises of God are experienced in the present moment.

Already, but not yet.

The last Sunday of Easter encapsulates the tension we experience throughout the entire season. We celebrate the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus both as a progressive unfolding and as a singular event. This tension of “already, but not yet” is inherent in our lives, reflected in the readings, the liturgical season, and life itself.

We anticipate something already present, an unfolding that occurs within us. We have been saved and transformed into Christ, yet the fullness of this transformation remains unrealized. The glory of the risen Christ is revealed in us, but incompletely. This tension of “already, but not yet” characterizes our journey in God, not God’s existence within us. It is our tension to bear, not God’s.

This tension underlies our frustrations and struggles. Progress in reforming our lives reveals more steps to be taken. Our commitment to eliminating negative attitudes and behaviors is ongoing. Living in the tension of “already, but not yet,” we continually need salvation, continually embracing the death and resurrection of Jesus. Amid this liminal state, we find solace in the unwavering presence of God, who remains by our side, even when we feel frustrated.

Living in-between. Living in the tension of liminality is a unique experience. We rejoice in the future that has already arrived while eagerly awaiting its full realization. Today’s readings underscore the transformative power of community in navigating this radical in-between existence. Following Jesus’ ascension, the apostles returned to Jerusalem and gathered in prayer as a united community. Sensing the challenges his followers would face, Jesus offered a prayer that emphasizes unity, both between himself and the Father and among his disciples.

Community is essential, not solely for support in daily life, but also for spiritual connection. We need other believers with whom we can pray, who comprehend our spiritual aspirations, who offer support in our Christian devotion, and who lovingly challenge us when we veer off course. We need companions on our journey, sharing the struggle to remain faithful in a world that is often at odds with our Christian calling. Such a community serves as a beacon, reflecting the radiant glory of our exalted Lord.