Seventh Sunday of Easter

(05/17/2026) Gospel Reading: John 17:1-11

 

“This Is Eternal Life - to Know the Father the Only True God”

 

I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord.

I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice.

 

From the desk of Fr. Leo

     After celebrating the Solemnity of the Resurrection, we celebrate His Ascension to heaven. It is interesting that the Gospel from St. Matthew does not mention the Ascension. St. Matthew's Gospel ends with an appearance of Jesus after the resurrection. What Jesus had to say on that occasion is appropriate to this feast. But let us first say  a word about how St. Mark, St. Luke and St. John deal with the Ascension. St. John only mentions the Ascension in Jesus' comments to Mary Magdalene when He appeared to her. St. Mark has a very brief mention of it, without giving any detailed or visual description of it. The image  we all have of the Ascension comes from both the gospel of St. Luke and the Acts of the Apostles which St. Luke also wrote. St. Luke gives us two versions of the Ascension. In his gospel, he tells us Jesus ascended on Easter Sunday night and in the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke informs us that Jesus ascended 40 days after Easter.  Fr. Benoit makes a useful distinction between these two portrayals in St. Luke's two volumes. The ascension of Jesus on Easter can be  understood as the glorification of Jesus in His father's presence, i.e., being seated at God's right hand thus making the ascension an essential part of the resurrection while the levitation of Jesus' body 40 days later symbolized the terminus of the appearances of the risen Jesus.  During that brief period of time between the two ascensions, Jesus made many appearances: to His women followers, to His apostles, and to other disciples, instructing them and assuring them He had truly risen (Ray, Brown, The Anchor Bible, John XII XXI, pg 1012)

     In reference to this weekend's gospel, it is an appearance of the risen and glorified Jesus. If we accept Fr. Benoit's explanation of Jesus' ascension to glory on Easter and His other ascension 40 days later, Jesus would already be seated at the right hand of the Father in this appearance to the eleven in Galilee which we hear in this weekend's gospel. Indeed we could assume that from what Jesus said in the gospel: “All power in  heaven and on  earth has been given to me.” This gospel is often referred to as the Great Commission. St. Matthew stresses the teaching part of Jesus; ministry as He commissions the eleven to carry on His teaching mission. They are to teach all nations what Jesus taught them and baptize them, and they are to know that Jesus is still with them.

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Meditation: In his Last Supper discourse with his beloved disciples Jesus speaks of his glory and the glory of his Father. What is this glory? It is the cross which Jesus speaks of here and the willing offering of his life for us. How does the cross reveal this glory? In the cross God reveals the breadth of his great love for sinners and the power of Jesus' redemptive sacrifice which cancels the debt of sin and reverses the curse of our condemnation (Romans 8:1). Jesus gave his Father the supreme honor and glory through his obedience and willingness to go to the cross for our sake. In times of defense the greatest honor belongs not to those who fought and survived but to those who gave the supreme sacrifice of their own lives for their fellow citizens.The Lord Jesus freely and willingly offered up his life out of obedience to his Father and love for us.

Jesus reveals the glory of God to us

Jesus speaks of the Father bringing glory to the Son through the great mystery of the Incarnation - the eternal Word who became flesh for our sake (John 1:14) - and the Cross of Christ which won for us pardon, freedom, and new life in the Holy Spirit. God the Father gave us his only begotten Son to set us free from slavery to sin, guilt, and condemnation. His sacrificial death brings us new life - the abundant life of peace and joy which God wishes to share with each one of us. There is no greater proof of God's love for each and every person on the face of the earth than the Cross of Jesus Christ. In the cross we see a new way of love - a love that is merciful, sacrificial, and generous beyond measure.

Jesus offers abundant life without end

Jesus offers us eternal life. What is eternal life? It is more than simply a life without end or an eternal state of being. Science and medicine look for ways to extend the duration of human life - but God offers us something vastly greater and more surpassing than a simple extension of physical life. Eternal life is qualitative more than quantitative. To have eternal life is to have the very life of God within us. When we possess eternal life we experience here and now something of God's majesty, glory, and holiness which he shares with us. Through the gift and working of the Holy Spirit, God fills us with the abundant fruit of his peace, joy and love.

We can know God personally

Jesus also speaks of the knowledge of God. Jesus tells his disciples that they can know the only true God. Knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God, but we can know God personally and be united with God in a personal relationship of love and friendship. The essence of Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other religions, is the personal and experiential knowledge of God as our eternal Father - the one who knew us before creation (Ephesians 1:4 and Romans 8:29) and who knit us in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13 and Jeremiah 1:5). Jesus makes it possible for each of us to personally know God as our Father. To see Jesus is to see what God is like.

A unity of love that endures forever

In Jesus Christ we see the perfect love of God - a God who cares intensely and who yearns over men and women, loving them to the point of laying down his life for them upon the Cross. Jesus is the revelation of God - a God who loves us completely, unconditionally and perfectly. Do you hunger to know God personally and to be united with the Father in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through the unity of the Holy Spirit who dwells with us? The Lord Jesus invites each of us to enter more deeply into a personal relationship of love and oneness of mind, heart, and spirit with the eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who created us in love for love.

If only I possessed the grace, good Jesus, to be utterly at one with you! Amidst all the variety of worldly things around me, Lord, the only thing I crave is unity with you. You are all my soul needs. Unite, dear friend of my heart, this unique little soul of mine to your perfect goodness.You are all mine; when shall I be yours? Lord Jesus, my beloved, be the magnet of my heart; clasp, press, unite me for ever to your sacred heart. You have made me for yourself; make me one with you. Absorb this tiny drop of life into the ocean of goodness whence it came. (Prayer of Francis de Sales, 1567-1622)

read more at: http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org

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