Catechism
Links[1]
CCC 521: through Christ we
live in communion with Father
CCC 787-790, 795, 1044-1047: the Church is
communion with and in Christ
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| “Polyptych of the Apocalypse” (central panel) by Jacobello Alberegno, 1360-90 |
Reading 1: 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.
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Commentary on Acts 7:55-60
St. Stephen is martyred for
proclaiming Jesus Christ risen. He is the first Christian martyr, stoned
outside of Jerusalem with the consent of one of the representatives of the
Sanhedrin (“The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man
named Saul.”) who we know later became St. Paul.
We note how St. Luke draws a
parallel between the martyrdom of Stephen and the death of Jesus. Both
asked the Father to forgive their persecutors in their last moments (see Luke 23:34) and both called out to
God to receive their spirits (see Luke 23:46).
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
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.
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Commentary on Ps 97:1-2, 6-7, 9
This song of thanksgiving
rejoices in God’s rule of the earth from his heavenly throne. The images
presented extol God’s supreme authority over earth and heaven. The Heavenly
Father is exalted above all of man’s deified creations.
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Reading 2: Revelation
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!
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Commentary on Rev 22:12-14, 16-17, 20
This passage (with the exception
of v. 21 which says: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all”)
concludes the canon of the New Testament. It is called the “Witness of
Jesus,” as St. John hears the Lord’s final exhortation. It becomes a
warning to those who hear the Word of God. “Behold I am coming soon”
provides a sense of urgency to embrace the Lord of Life. Addressed to the
seven churches (see Revelation 2:1ff), this
witness reaffirms the messianic role of the offspring of David, and is an
invitation to eternal salvation, possible only through the God who existed
before all else and will exist when all creation finally comes to an end. (“I
am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”)
St. John concludes his Revelation
with a prayer that the Lord come may soon arrive, seeking God’s final gift of
salvation. It is noteworthy that the authors of the Missal have omitted
v. 15 (“Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the unchaste, the murderers,
the idol-worshipers, and all who love and practice deceit.”) which
establishes criteria for final salvation. According to Church teaching,
all are given a final opportunity to repent and be saved.
CCC: Rv 22:16 437, 528; Rv
22:17 524, 671, 694, 757,
796, 343, 2550, 2853; Rv 22:20 451, 671, 673, 1343,
1403, 2853
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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.”
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Commentary on Jn
17:20-26
Here is the final part of the
“High Priestly Prayer” from the Lord’s final discourse. In this selection we
are linked with the disciples as Jesus says: “…but also for those who will
believe in me through their word.” Again the theme of unity between the
Father, and the Son, and his followers is emphasized and brought to a
conclusion with “…that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I
in them.”
CCC: Jn 17 2604, 2746, 2758; Jn
17:21-23 260, 877; Jn
17:21 820; Jn
17:22 690; Jn
17:23-26 2750; Jn
17:24 2749, 2750, 2750; Jn
17:25 2751; Jn
17:26 589, 729, 2750
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Reflection:
As we enter the final week of
our Easter celebration, scripture presents us with endings. In the reading from Acts, St. Stephen is
martyred, ending the peaceful (if controversial) expansion of the faith among
the Jews in Jerusalem
In the reading from
Revelation, St. John
Finally
Christ’s farewell to his disciples makes it clear that, even though he leaves
us, he remains with us and in us. As we
have heard, God is love (1 John 4:8). His love for us caused him to adopt us, and
leave for us an everlasting memorial to that love in the sacrifice of the
Mass. In the holy time of Mass, we offer
our love for him, and in turn, Jesus returns that love for us in the Most Holy
Sacrament of the Altar: “…that the love with which you
loved me may be in them and I in them.”
Of
all the lessons we have learned, and of all the words we have repeated during
this holy season, we must be constantly reminded of only one. It is the one thing he commanded us and the
most difficult commandment we are given: “Love
God and love one another.” It is the
measure by which we measure ourselves in the world, and the measure by which we
will be measured before the judgment seat of Christ. As we complete our final week of Alleluias,
let us pray that we can do so loving the Lord, and praying St. John’s own
prayer: “The one who gives this testimony says,
‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen! Come,
Lord Jesus!”
Pax
[1]
Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic
Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the
Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014
[3]
The picture is “Polyptych of the Apocalypse” (central panel) by Jacobello
Alberegno, 1360-90
[4]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the
Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This
re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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