Seventh Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 59
24 MAY 2020 A.D.


Reading 1
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.


Responsorial Psalm
PS 27:1, 4, 7-8

R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

Hear, O Lord, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.


Reading 2
1 PT 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.


Alleluia
JN 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
JN 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.”

Overview of the Gospel:

• The Gospel of John, chapters 13-17, is known as Jesus’ “farewell discourse” delivered at the
Last Supper on the night he was betrayed. Chapter 17 of this discourse is, in turn, called
Jesus’ “high priestly prayer.” It is addressed aloud to God the Father but in the hearing of
Jesus’ 12 apostles who are present with him at table.

• The prayer has three parts: Jesus offers up his approaching sacrifice to the Father (John 17:1-
5) which is why the prayer is a priestly one (see Hebrews 3:1; 4:14—5:10); he pleads for the
preservation of his disciples (John 17:6-19); and prays for the unity of the universal Church
(John 17-20-26). It is the longest extended prayer recorded in the Gospels.

• By entering into the holy name of the Lord Jesus we can accept, from within, the prayer he
teaches us: "Our Father!" His priestly prayer fulfills, from within, the great petitions of the
Lord's Prayer: concern for the Father's name (John 17:6,11,12,26); passionate zeal for his
kingdom (glory)(John 17:1,5,10,22,23-26); the accomplishment of the will of the Father, of his
plan of salvation (John 17:2,4,6,9,11,12,24); and deliverance from evil.” (John 17:15)


"In all He did from the Incarnation to the Cross, the end Jesus Christ had in mind was the gift of the Eucharist—his personal and corporal union with each Christian through Communion. He saw in It the means of communicating to us all the treasures of His Passion, all the virtues of His Sacred Humanity, and all the merits of His Life." ~St. Peter Julian Eymard

Out of This World That We're In