Readings
for
8 May 2005
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Year A

MP3 recording of this sermon

Todays First reading is taken from the Book of Acts, beginning at the 1st Chapter and the 12th Verse (Acts 1:12-14)

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away; and when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Primera Lectura es del Libro de los Hechos de lo Apostoles, empezando en el 1o Capitulo, y el Verso 12o. (Hechos 1:12-14)

Entonces volvieron a Jerusalén desde el monte que se llama de los Olivos, el cual Está cerca de Jerusalén, camino de un Sábado. Y cuando entraron, subieron al aposento alto donde se alojaban Pedro, Juan, Jacobo y Andrés, Felipe y Tomás, Bartolomé y Mateo, Jacobo hijo de Alfeo y Simón el Zelote y Judas hijo de Jacobo. Todos éstos perseveraban Unánimes en Oración junto con las mujeres y con María la madre de Jesús y con los hermanos de él.

Todays Song of Praise is taken from Psalm 27: (Ps 27:1,4,7-8)

R. Alleluia.

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. Alleluia.

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. Alleluia.

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. Alleluia.

El Salmo Responsorial se toma del Salmo 26: (Sal 26:1,4,7-8)

Alleluia

Pueblos todos batid palmas,
aclamad a Dios con gritos de júbilo;
porque el Señor es sublime y terrible,
emperador de toda la tierra.

Alleluia

Dios asciende entre aclamaciones;
el Señor, al son de trompetas;
tocad para Dios, tocad,
tocad para nuestro Rey, tocad.

Alleluia

Porque Dios es el rey del mundo;
tocad con maestría.
Dios reina sobre las naciones,
Dios se sienta en su trono sagrado

Alleluia

Todays Epistle is taken from the First Letter of St. Peter, beginning at the 4th Chapter, and the 13th Verse (1 Peter 4:13-16)

But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a wrongdoer, or a mischief-maker; yet if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God.

Epistolo de la Primera Carta de San Pedro, empezando en el 4o Capitulo y el Verso 13o  (1 Pedro 4:13-16)

Por eso, con la mente preparada para actuar y siendo sobrios, poned vuestra esperanza completamente en la gracia que os es Traída en la Revelación de Jesucristo. Como hijos obedientes, no os conforméis a las pasiones que antes Teníais, estando en vuestra ignorancia. Antes bien, Así como aquel que os ha llamado es santo, también sed santos vosotros en todo aspecto de vuestra manera de vivir, porque escrito Está: Sed santos, porque yo soy santo.

+Continuation of the Gospel of John, beginning at the 17th Chapter, and the 1st Verse (John 17:1-11a)

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee, since thou hast given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him. And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. I glorified thee on earth, having accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do; and now, Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made. "I have manifested thy name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them to me, and they have kept thy word. Now they know that everything that thou hast given me is from thee; for I have given them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from thee; and they have believed that thou didst send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine; all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee.

+Continuacion del Santo Evangelio sugun San Juan, empezando en el Capitulo 17o, y la Versa 1o (Juan 17:1-11a)

Jesús Habló de estas cosas, y levantando los ojos al cielo, dijo: "Padre, la hora ha llegado. Glorifica a tu Hijo para que el Hijo te glorifique a ti, Así como le diste autoridad sobre todo hombre, para que dé vida eterna a todos los que le has dado. Y ésta es la vida eterna: que te conozcan a ti, el único Dios verdadero, y a Jesucristo a quien Tú has enviado. Yo te he glorificado en la tierra, habiendo acabado la obra que me has dado que hiciera. Ahora pues, Padre, Glorifícame Tú en tu misma presencia, con la gloria que yo Tenía en tu presencia antes que existiera el mundo. "He manifestado tu nombre a los hombres que del mundo me diste. Tuyos eran, y me los diste; y han guardado tu palabra. Ahora han conocido que todo lo que me has dado procede de ti; porque les he dado las palabras que me diste, y ellos las recibieron; y conocieron verdaderamente que provengo de ti, y creyeron que Tú me enviaste. "Yo ruego por ellos. No ruego por el mundo, sino por los que me has dado; porque tuyos son. Todo lo Mío es tuyo, y todo lo tuyo es Mío; y he sido glorificado en ellos. Ya no estoy Más en el mundo; pero ellos Están en el mundo, y yo voy a ti.

Sermon
for
8 May 2005
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Year A

This is the Sunday after the Ascension, and the readings reflect the theme of Jesus going to the Father. He is going into Eternity – not to some other physical place like our own world, where things go on forever, unchanged, but a wholly different and unimaginable dimension.

The prayer of the Church is to God, who reigns in Glory “...throughout all Ages of Ages...” In Greek the word is “Aion” -- our “Eon”, the word for an immense amount of time. In Latin, “Saecula” -- cognate with our “Cycle”. The Sanscrit cognate is “Kalpa” -- again, an immense amount of time.

We live in a 4 dimensional world (3-1/2 actually – we see time flow only one way), and we can talk reasonably about Length, Width, Height, and Duration. We cannot talk reasonably about higher dimensions – we can only talk figuratively, imaginatively, metaphorically.

I use the word “Eternity” for the State or Dimension or Plane where God is, where heaven is, where Jesus rose to in the Ascension. This “State” must be at least 5-dimensional (so that God can be everywhere and everywhen), and may be as much as 11-dimensional, if the latest cosmological speculations are correct

God does not need a “Wayback Machine” (but we would) to see what Abraham did. He is immediately present at all times – past, present, and future. Similarly, He does not need Scotty to “beam Him up...”. He is immediately present in all places.

We see Eternity touching our little 3-1/2 dimensional world in the Mass – it IS the Sacrifice of Calvary – not merely a representation, nor a re-doing, as some unimaginative critics would have it. It is the central Mystery of Christianity, where we have an intimate and personal encounter with Jesus. He literally enters into us and we shine with His light.

In today's Gospel, Jesus, in his Risen, but still human person, prays to the Father to take Him up into Eternity. “I glorified thee on earth, having accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do; and now, Father, glorify thou me in thine own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.”

And here we have the clear statement of Jesus' position in the Trinity: “...the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.”  Jesus is the Word – the Logos – who from all Eternity was, is, and will be with the Father. He is the Word made flesh, who dwelt among us, and here, his time in our world is ended, and it is time to go back to Eternity – and thus be everywhen and everywhere.

And He says: “...this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” Here is the essence of the Christian Faith -- knowing and experiencing God – the Father through the Son.

“Father, the hour is come,” he says – and he goes.

The First Reading shows that this did not become immediately clear to the Apostles and Disciples after Jesus Ascended into Eternity. It was a daunting experience, and one they could not understand or grasp, so they did the ordinary thing. They went back to the Upper Room, and prayed.

The whole community of Jesus' followers – a couple or three dozen – “...with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” And here is one of the reasons why Christianity triumphed over the men-only military cult of Mithras – women have been an integral part of Christianity from its very beginning.

Next Sunday is Pentecost – the 50th Day – and then the Apostles (met in the Upper Room, and praying) receive the Beatific Vision – the insight into Realms and Dimensions beyond the ordinary, and the power to convey that vision to others.

Not yet though, they still remain praying.

In today's Epistle, Peter talks about another aspect of our experience of Christ – His suffering. The Word came out of Eternity, and was Incarnate – became flesh – and dwelt among us, He suffered, died, and was buried. On the 3rd day, he rose again, and ascended into Eternity.  We are to follow his footsteps, going out to our fellow man, and to the world itself, to bring the Good News of redemption from the straight and narrow of 3-1/2 dimensions and mere human concern.

Our job is to bring ourselves and the world to the Father as a gift, renewed and cleansed, and turned back into Eternity. It is not an easy job, so let us pray that we may have the strength and courage to do so.

In the name of the Father +

And of the Son +

And of the Holy Spirit +

Amen

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