HOMILY • The 7th Sunday of Easter - Ascension

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Thursday of the 7th Week of Easter

Original Post Date: May 16, 2024 === Gospel John 17:20-26 Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: "I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.” Reflection This passage in John makes one of the most important teachings of Jesus more real for us. The incarnation is Jesus coming into the world, and we know that he came in as a human being, but he also came as a God. He was both human and divine. The model that he is giving us is a model of friendship, of relationships, of love. Just as a father is in Jesus, Jesus is in the Father. So Jesus is in his disciples and disciples are in Jesus, and just as friends are in each other, they become one. It's a great mystery, and it makes clear that the work that we have is to surrender to reality, not to try to create something, but to allow a mystery to be real, to be lived, to be understood. Closing Prayer Father, we have a hard time in relationships. Often we find them difficult because we are trying to make them into what we think they should be, or we're trying to control the other person. Help us to enter into this mystery of oneness. Fill us with compassion, understanding, and a desire that all of us grow together in unity. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Wednesday of the 7th Week of Easter

Original Post Date: May 15, 2024 === Gospel John 17:11b-19 Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely. I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.” Reflection There are many ways to understand the message of Jesus, but the one that is expressed here is really important. It is Jesus came into the world to reveal the truth, reality, what life is really for and what it's about and how we're supposed to live in it and change it. We have been set apart, consecrated with the power to hold and to teach and to be in the truth. That's our destiny, and that's the work of God within us. Closing Prayer Father, so much of what you teach, we first have to believe in before we understand it. Give us the wisdom to stay with you, even though we're not sure what you're asking of us. Give us perseverance, curiosity, imagination so we can find and live in the truth. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Tuesday of the 7th Week of Easter

Original Post Date: May 23, 2023 === Gospel John 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.” Reflection There are not many passages in Scripture that are a conversation between Jesus and God. But this one is so important. He’s giving us a clear indication of what His ministry was about. It was about putting people, not in touch with information, but the presence of God. He longed for them to enter into a similar relationship that He had with God, and that was one of intimacy where everything that Jesus has was from God. And everything that Jesus gives is from God. They are one. And in a way, it's really hard for us to understand that we have that inheritance, God can dwell in our humanity, as imperfect as it is, and manifest Himself. That's the message of Jesus. We are to live as He lived, to minister as He ministered. And we have confidence because Christ Himself says to us, I'm praying for you. I am praying that you will allow the divinity in you to do the work you are meant to accomplish. Closing Prayer Father, keep us from reducing the beauty and the fullness of your message to something that involves earning our salvation by doing what we're supposed to do because we're told to. Open us to this amazing mystery that you're calling us to carry your presence, not just information about you, but your very presence into the lives of those who are ready, open, receptive. It's a work that we have total confidence in because it is, you. You've empowered us to do it. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Monday of the 7th Week of Easter

Original Post Date: May 13, 2024 === Gospel John 16:29-33 The disciples said to Jesus, “Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” Reflection The disciples were students. And it's interesting that as a teacher begins to open the mind of someone to a new world, it's really hard for them to grasp. But here we see that they're beginning to really grasp it, they see the truth in it. But they're not finished in their evolution of understanding it. So Jesus reminds them, you will deny me. You will leave me, but know that I am with the father. Don't worry about me, I have the father with me, and you will have the father with you. Trust, even though you don't fully yet understand. Closing Prayer Father, we've never fully grasped the mystery of who we are in you and who you are in us. And how we are to live our life. It's always a process of learning more and more. Bless us with an eager heart and an open mind that we might fill ourselves with more and more of the truth, as we fulfill our obligation to follow you. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

HOMILY • The 7th Sunday of Easter - Ascension

Original Airdate: May 21, 2023 Acts 1:1-11 | Ephesians 1:17-23 | Matthew 28:16-20 Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who believe that your only begotten Son, our Redeemer, ascended this day to the heavens, may in spirit dwell already in heavenly realms.  Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]