May 16, 2010 7th Sunday of Easter Acts 7:55-60; Rev. 22:12-14, 16-17, 20; Jn. 17:20-26 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Readings:   http://www.usccb.org/nab/051610b.shtml       ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________     The night before he died, Jesus prayed that all of us might share in his future glory. It is precisely through our union with Jesus that this will happen. But this is a matter of faith. We are called to believe that Jesus was not merely put to death, but that his death and resurrection overcame the stranglehold that death can have over us, and to believe that we can share in his glory. This calls for faith, because it may not appear that his death and resurrection have changed anything in the world. The world still harbours selfishness and arrogance, deceit and abuse, hatred and revenge.   Our faith tells us that this vision describes what really took place. Can we discover any concrete evidence that confirms its trustworthiness? Yes, we can! But the evidence is not in some vision of heaven. It can be found in the very struggles of human life. This faith has fortified public martyrs and unsung women and men down through the ages. It has been the support of missionaries in far-flung countries, of public protesters who insist that evil can be overturned by the efforts of people of integrity, of grieving parents who continue to believe even as they bury their children.   We often see such faith in the dignity and unselfishness of people who are forced to endure degradation or poverty; we see it in the generosity of those who work in shelters and soup kitchens; we see it in the commitment of those who teach and proclaim truth, even when it is not popular. The glory of Jesus shines through the marks of his ignominy. Our share in his glory shines through our commitment to others in situations of comparable ignominy.   Stephen’s faith in the glorious Jesus and in his own future share in that glory was witnessed by Saul, who at this time clearly supported the persecution of Christians. But who knows what seeds of faith were being planted in Saul’s mind and heart? When Jesus prayed for those who would believe on the word of others, he was praying for us. Our faith came to us and has been strengthened through the words and example of others—our families and teachers, our friends and acquaintances, even people we do not know but who have somehow inspired us. We may not always reflect on this, but this is the way God seems to act.   The mystery of the Resurrection is both reassuring and challenging. The character of our lives gives testimony to the glory of Jesus.     <<   Previous: 6th Sunday of Easter  | Next: Pentecost >>   Go Back to SERMONS (Year C)