Readings
for
23 May 2004
Seventh Sunday of Easter
MP3 recording of this sermon
Today's First Reading is from The Book of Acts beginning at the
7th
Chapter and the55th Verse (Acts7:55-60)
But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into
heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand
of God; and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the
Son of man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried
out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon
him.
Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses
laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit." And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, do
not hold this
sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
La Primera Lectura es del Libro de Hechos, empezando en
el 7mo
Capitulo, y el 13mo Verso (Hech 7:55-60)
Más él, estando lleno de Espíritu
Santo, puestos los ojos en el cielo,
vió la gloria de Dios, y á Jesús que estaba
á la diestra de Dios, Y dijo: He aquí, veo los cielos
abiertos, y al Hijo del hombre que está á la diestra de
Dios. Entonces dando grandes voces, se taparon sus
oídos, y arremetieron unánimes contra él; Y
echándolo fuera de la ciudad, le apedreaban: y los
testigos pusieron sus vestidos á los pies de un mancebo que se
llamaba
Saulo. Y apedrearon á Esteban, invocando él y
diciendo: Señor Jesús, recibe mi espíritu. Y
puesto de rodillas, clamó á gran voz: Señor, no
les imputes este pecado. Y habiendo dicho esto, durmió.
Today's Song of Praise is taken from Psalm 97: (Ps
97:1-2,6-7,9)
R. The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.
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.
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.
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.
R. Alleluia.
El Salmo Responsorial se toma del Salmo 97 (Ps 97:1-2,6-7,9)
R. El Señor reinó: regocíjese la tierra:
Alégrense las muchas islas.
El Señor reinó: regocíjese la tierra:
Alégrense las muchas islas.
Nube y oscuridad alrededor de él: Justicia y juicio son el
asiento de su trono.
R. El Señor reinó: regocíjese la tierra:
Alégrense las muchas islas.
Los cielos denunciaron su justicia, Y todos los pueblos vieron su
gloria.
Los dioses todos á él se
encorven.
R. El
Señor reinó: regocíjese la tierra:
Alégrense las muchas islas.
Porque tú, Señor, eres alto sobre toda la tierra:
Eres muy ensalzado sobre todos los dioses.
R. El Señor reinó: regocíjese la tierra:
Alégrense las muchas islas.
Today's Epistle is from Revelations,
beginning at the 22nd Chapter, and the 12th Verse (Rev
22:12-14,16-17,20)
Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense,
to repay every one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to
the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.
I Jesus have sent my angel to you with this testimony for the
churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning
star. The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let
him who hears say, "Come." And let him who is thirsty come, let him who
desires take the water of life without price. He who testifies to
these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus!
Epistolo del libro de Apocolypsis, empezando en el
Capitulo 1mo, y el Verso 5mo (Rev 22:12-14,16-17,20)
Y he aquí, yo vengo presto, y mi
galardón conmigo, para recompensar á cada uno
según fuere su obra. Yo soy Alpha y Omega, principio y fin, el
primero y el postrero. Bienaventurados los que guardan sus
mandamientos, para
que su potencia sea en el árbol de la vida, y que entren por las
puertas en la ciudad. Yo Jesús he enviado mi ángel
para daros testimonio de
estas cosas en las iglesias. Yo soy la raíz y el linaje de
David, la
estrella resplandeciente, y de la mañana. Y el
Espíritu y la Esposa dicen: Ven. Y el que oye,
diga: Ven. Y el que tiene sed, venga: y el que quiere, tome del agua de
la vida de balde. El que da testimonio de estas cosas, dice:
Ciertamente, vengo en breve. Amén, sea así.
Ven:
Señor Jesús.
+A Reading from the Gospel of John, beginning at the 17th Chapter,
and the 20th Verse (John 17:20-26)
"I do not pray for these only, but also for those
who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one;
even as you, Father, art in me, and I in
thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that
you have sent me. The glory which you have given me I have
given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that
the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as
you have loved me.
Father, I desire that they also,
whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory
which you have given me in thy love for me before the foundation of
the world. O righteous Father, the world has not known thee, but
I have known thee; and these know that you have sent me.
I made known to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love
with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."
+Lectura de Santo Evangelio según San Juan, empezando en el
17mo Capitulo, y el 33mo Verso (Juan 17:20-26)
Mas no ruego solamente por éstos, sino
también por los que han de creer en mí por la palabra de
ellos. Para que todos sean una cosa; como tú, oh Padre, en
mí, y yo en ti, que también ellos sean en nosotros una
cosa: para que
el mundo crea que tú me enviaste. Y yo, la gloria que me
diste les he dado; para que sean una cosa, como también nosotros
somos una cosa. Yo en ellos, y tú en mí, para que sean
consumadamente
una cosa; que el mundo conozca que tú me enviaste, y que los has
amado,
como también á mí me has amado. Padre,
aquellos que me has dado, quiero que donde yo
estoy, ellos estén también conmigo; para que vean mi
gloria que me has
dado: por cuanto me has amado desde antes de la constitución del
mundo. Padre justo, el mundo no te ha conocido, mas yo te
he conocido; y éstos han conocido que tú me
enviaste; Y yo les he manifestado tu nombre, y manifestaré
lo aún; para que el amor con que me has amado, esté en
ellos, y yo en ellos.
Не о них же только молю,
но и о верующих в Меня по
слову их, да будут все едино, как
Ты, Отче, во Мне, и Я в
Тебе, [так] и
они да будут в Нас едино, -- да
уверует мир, что Ты послал Меня.
И славу, которую Ты дал Мне, Я
дал им: да будут едино, как
Мы
едино.
Я в них, и Ты во Мне; да
будут совершены воедино, и да
познает мир, что Ты послал Меня и
возлюбил их, как возлюбил Меня.
Отче! которых Ты дал Мне,
хочу, чтобы там, где Я, и они
были со Мною, да
видят славу Мою, которую Ты дал
Мне, потому что возлюбил Меня прежде
основания мира.
Отче праведный! и мир Тебя
не познал; а Я познал Тебя, и
сии
познали, что Ты послал Меня.
И Я открыл им имя Твое
и открою, да любовь, которою Ты
возлюбил Меня, в них будет, и Я
в них.
Sermon
for
23 May 2004
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Today is the last Sunday before Pentecost, and
today's readings point toward the Love God has for his people, and the
preparations that are being made for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
that is to come in a week from now.
In today's Gospel, Jesus -- in the Garden at
Gethsemane, just before He is arrested -- prays over and over that the
Apostles and disciples may be made one with Him, as He and the Father
are one. That they may receive the glory of the Father, as he
receivied it, and that they may pass it on to all of mankind.
"I in them and you in me, that they may become
perfectly one, so that
the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as
you have loved me. I have made known to them thy name, and
I will make it known, that the love
with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."
Here is what Jesus asks of the Father -- that these
few poor, fallible humans who surround Him may receive the Glory of the
Father, The Love of the Father and Son together, and show it to the
whole world, bringing all men back to Him who is their Creator and
Savior.
St. John says in his Gospel: "God so loved the world
. . ." And here, the Son whom He sent into the world shows that
he loved it also, and called his Apostles to spread that love, that
unity with the Father through Him, to all of the ends of the Earth.
But who is this Jesus of Nazareth, say
you? Let us see what He says of Himself.
"I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."
The Creed that we say in the Mass says of Him:
"...by whom all things were made..." Thus the beginning.
It also says: "...He shall come again,
with Glory, to judge both the quick and the dead...", and here in
John's Apocalypse we see the scriptural basis for that claim.
Jesus is God of God, Light of Light, Very God of
Very God -- born of the Father before all ages, Beloved Son
of the Almighty Father, Lord and Master of all that is. Yet, in
the night before He suffered, He prays that His disciples may
know the Love of God. He had to have known what he was facing,
yet his concern is not with His upcoming Passion, but for the
transmission of the Love that He and the Father share.
And what powerful, powerful love that was -- today's
first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, records the
martyrdom (from the Greek word for "witness") of the Deacon
Stephen. He is the Church's First Martyr (the Greek word is
"Protomartyr") -- the first one to go to his death for the love of God
and the love of Jesus.
As he is accused and condemned, he is given the
vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God -- as the Creed
says: "...ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of
God, from whence He shall come to judge both the quick and the
dead..." His accusers strip down to stone him, but in his final
agony he does not condemn them, but shows forth the Love that Jesus
prayed for, and his last words are of forgiveness for those who murder
him.
What a wintness, what a martyr!
The very power of God's love did miraculous things
in the lives of the Apostles and Disciples, and of the people they drew
to the Faith. Let us then cry out to the Father, that we, too may
show that Love, and by Martyrs and Witnesses, as Jesus, Stephen, and
yes, even Saul, who held the garments -- become Martyrs as they were .
. .
In the
Name of
the Father +
And of the Son
+
And of the
Holy Spirit +
Amen.
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