Reading 1 Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus,
I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
until the day he was taken up,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit
to the apostles whom he had chosen.
He presented himself alive to them
by many proofs after he had suffered,
appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While meeting with them,
he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for “the promise of the Father
about which you have heard me speak;
for John baptized with water,
but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

When they had gathered together they asked him,
“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, “Men of Galilee,
why are you standing there looking at the sky?
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven
will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

R. (6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 Eph 1:17-23

Brothers and sisters:
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might:
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the church,
which is his body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

or Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23

Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands,
a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,
as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary
with blood that is not his own;
if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly
from the foundation of the world.
But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages
to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Just as it is appointed that men and women die once,
and after this the judgment, so also Christ,
offered once to take away the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to take away sin
but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since through the blood of Jesus
we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary
by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil,
that is, his flesh,
and since we have a great priest over the house of God, “
let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust,
with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed in pure water.
Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope,
for he who made the promise is trustworthy.

Alleluia Mt 28:19a, 20b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;
I am with you always, until the end of the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 24:46-53

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.
And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you;
but stay in the city
until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Then he led them out as far as Bethany,
raised his hands, and blessed them.
As he blessed them he parted from them
and was taken up to heaven.
They did him homage
and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
and they were continually in the temple praising God.

From: Acts 1:1-11

Prologue

[1] In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do
and teach, [2] until the day when he was taken up, after he had given command-
ment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. [3] To them
he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them
during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. [4] And while staying with
them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise
of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me, [5] for John baptized with wa-
ter, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

The Ascension

[6] So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time
restore the kingdom of Israel?” [7] He said to them, “It is not for you to know times
or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. [8] But you shall re-
ceive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnes-
ses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” [9]
And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud
took him out of their sight. [10] And while they were gazing into heaven as he went,
behold, two men stood by them in white robes, [11] and said, “Men of Galilee, why
do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into
heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

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Commentary:

1-5. St Luke is the only New Testament author to begin his book with a prologue,
in the style of secular historians. The main aim of this preface is to convey to the
reader the profoundly religious character of the book which he is holding in his
hands. It is a work which will give an account of events marking the fulfillment of
the promises made by the God of Israel the Creator and Savior of the world. Un-
der the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, into his book St Luke weaves quotations
from the Psalms, Isaiah, Amos and Joel; it both reflects the Old Testament and
interprets it in the light of its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

The prologue refers to St Luke’s Gospel as a “first book”. It mentions the last e-
vents of our Lord’s life on earth—the appearances of the risen Christ and his as-
cension into heaven—and links them up with the account which is now beginning.

St Luke’s aim is to describe the origins and the early growth of this Christianity,
of which the main protagonist of this book, the Holy Spirit, has been the cause.
Yet this is not simply an historical record: the Acts of the Apostles, St Jerome
explains, “seems to be a straightforward historical account of the early years of
the nascent Church. But if we bear in mind it is written by Luke the physician,
who is praised in the Gospel (cf. 2 Cor 8: 18), we will realize that everything he
says is medicine for the ailing soul” (”Epistle” 53, 9).

The spiritual dimension of this book, which is one of a piece with the Third Gos-
pel, nourished the soul of the first generations of Christians, providing them with
a chronicle of God’s faithful and loving support of the new Israel. “This book”, St.
John Chrysostom writes at the start of his great commentary, “will profit us no
less than the Gospels, so replete is it with Christian wisdom and sound doctrine.
It offers an account of the numerous miracles worked by the Holy Spirit. It con-
tains the fulfillment of the prophecies of Jesus Christ recorded in the Gospel; we
can observe in the very facts the bright evidence of Truth which shines in them,
and the mighty change which is taking place in the Apostles: they become per-
fect men, extraordinary men, now that the Holy Spirit has come upon them. All
Christ’s promises and predictions—He who believes in me will do these and even
greater works, you will be dragged before tribunals and kings and beaten in the
synagogues, and will suffer grievous things, and yet you will overcome your per-
secutors and executioners and will bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth—all
this, how it came to pass, may be seen in this admirable book. Here you will
see the Apostles speeding their way overland and sea as if on wings. These Ga-
lileans, once so timorous and obtuse, we find suddenly changed into new men,
despising wealth and honor, raised above passion and concupiscence” (”Hom.
on Acts”, 1).

St Luke dedicates this book to Theophilus—as he did his Gospel. The dedication
suggests that Theophilus was an educated Christian, of an upper-class back-
ground, but he may be a fictitious person symbolizing “the beloved of God”, which
is what the name means. It also may imply that Acts was written quite soon after
the third Gospel.

1. “To do and teach”: these words very concisely sum up the work of Jesus Christ,
reported in the Gospels. They describe the way in which God’s saving Revelation
operates: God lovingly announces and reveals himself in the course of human his-
tory through his actions and through his words. “The economy of Revelation is rea-
lized by deeds and words, which are intrinsically bound up with each other”, Vati-
can II teaches. “As a result, the works performed by God in the history of salvation
show forth and bear out the doctrine and realities signified by the words; the words,
for their part, proclaim the works, and bring to light the mystery they contain. The
most intimate truth which this revelation gives us about God and the salvation of
man shines forth in Christ, who is himself both the mediator and the sum total of
Revelation” (”Dei Verbum”, 2).

The Lord “proclaimed the kingdom of the Father both by the testimony of his life
and by the power of his word” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 35). He did not limit
himself to speech, to being simply the Teacher whose words opened man’s minds
to the truth. He was, above all, the Redeemer, able to save fallen man through the
divine efficacy of each and every moment of his life on earth.

“Our Lord took on all our weaknesses, which proceed from sin—with the exception
of sin itself. He experienced hunger and thirst, sleep and fatigue, sadness and
tears. He suffered in every possible way, even the supreme suffering of death. No
one could be freed from the bonds of sinfulness had he who alone was totally in-
nocent not been ready to die at the hands of impious men. Therefore, our Savior,
the Son of God, has left all those who believe in him an effective source of aid,
and also an example. The first they obtain by being reborn through grace, the
second by imitating his life” (St Leo the Great, “Twelfth Homily on the Passion”).

Jesus’ redemptive action—his miracles, his life of work, and the mystery of his
death, resurrection and ascension, whose depth and meaning only faith can
plumb—also constitute a simple and powerful stimulus for our everyday conduct.
Faith should always be accompanied by works, by deeds, that is, our humble
and necessary cooperation with God’s saving plans.

“Don’t forget that doing must come before teaching. ‘Coepit facere et docere’, the
holy Scripture says of Jesus Christ: ‘He began to do and to teach. ‘ “First deeds:
so that you and I might learn” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 342).

3. This verse recalls the account in Luke 24:13-43 of the appearances of the risen
Jesus to the disciples of Emmaus and to the Apostles in the Cenacle. It stresses
the figure of forty days. This number may have a literal meaning and also a deeper
meaning. In Sacred Scripture periods of forty days or forty years have a clearly
salvific meaning: they are periods during which God prepares or effects important
stages in his plans. The great flood lasted forty days (Gen 7:17); the Israelites
journeyed in the wilderness for forty years on their way to the promised land (Ps
95:10); Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai to receive God’s revelation of the
Covenant (Ex 24:18); on the strength of the bread sent by God Elisha walked for-
ty days and forty nights to reach his destination (1 Kings 19:8); and our Lord fas-
ted in the wilderness for forty days in preparation for his public life (Mt 4:2).

5. “You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit”: this book has been well described
as the “Gospel of the Holy Spirit”. “There is hardly a page in the Acts of the Apos-
tles where we fail to read about the Spirit and the action by which he guides, di-
rects and enlivens the life and work of the early Christian community. It is he who
inspires the preaching of St Peter (cf. Acts 4:8), who strengthens the faith of the
disciples (cf. Acts 4:31), who confirms with his presence the calling of the Gen-
tiles (cf. Acts 10:44-47), who sends Saul and Barnabas to distant lands, where
they will open new paths for the teaching of Jesus (cf. Acts 13:2-4). In a word,
his presence and doctrine are everywhere” (St. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”,
127).

6-8. The Apostles’ question shows that they are still thinking in terms of earthly
restoration of the Davidic dynasty. It would seem that for them —as for many
Jews of their time—eschatological hope in the Kingdom extended no further than
expectation of world-embracing Jewish hegemony.

“It seems to me”, St John Chrysostom comments, “that they had not any clear
notion of the nature of the Kingdom, for the Spirit had not yet instructed them.
Notice that they do not ask when it shall come but ‘Will you at this time restore
the Kingdom to Israel?’, as if the Kingdom were something that lay in the past.
This question shows that they were still attracted by earthly things, though less
than they had been” (”Hom. on Acts”, 2).

Our Lord gives an excellent and encouraging reply, patiently telling them that the
Kingdom is mysterious in character, that it comes when one least expects, and
that they need the help of the Holy Spirit to be able to grasp the teaching they
have received. Jesus does not complain about their obtuseness; he simply cor-
rects their ideas and instructs them.

8. The outline of Acts is given here: the author plans to tell the story of the growth
of the Church, beginning in Jerusalem and spreading through Judea and Samaria
to the ends of the earth. This is the geographical structure of St Luke’s account.
In the Third Gospel Jerusalem was the destination point of Jesus’ public life (which
began in Galilee); here it is the departure point.

The Apostles’ mission extends to the whole world. Underlying this verse we can
see not so much a “geographical” dimension as the universalist aspirations of
the Old Testament, articulated by Isaiah: “It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of
the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow
to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain
of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and
that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word
of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Is 2:2-3).

9. Jesus’ life on earth did not end with his death on the Cross but with his ascen-
sion into heaven. The ascension, reported here, is the last event, the last myste-
ry of our Lord’s life on earth (cf. also 24:50-53)—and also it concerns the origins of
the Church. The ascension scene takes place, so to speak, between heaven and
earth. “Why did a cloud take him out of the Apostles’ sight?”, St John Chrysostom
asks. “The cloud was a sure sign that Jesus had already entered heaven; it was
not a whirlwind or a chariot of fire, as in the case of the prophet Elijah (cf. 2 Kings
2:11), but a cloud, which was a symbol of heaven itself” (”Hom. on Acts”, 2). A
cloud features in theophanies—manifestations of God—in both the Old Testament
(cf. Ex 13:22) and the New (cf. Lk 9:34f).

Our Lord’s ascension is one of the actions by which Jesus redeems us from sin
and gives us the new life of grace. It is a redemptive mystery “What we have al-
ready taught of the mystery of his death and resurrection the faithful should deem
not less true of his ascension. For although we owe our redemption and salvation
to the passion of Christ, whose merits opened heaven to the just, yet his ascen-
sion is not only proposed to us as a model, which teaches us to look on high
and ascend in spirit into heaven, but it also imparts to us a divine virtue which
enables us to accomplish what it teaches” (”St Pius V Catechism” I, 7, 9).

Our Lord’s going up into heaven is not simply something which stirs us to lift up
our hearts—as we are invited to do at the preface of the Mass, to seek and love
the “things that are above” (cf. Col 3:1-2); along with the other mysteries of his
life, death and resurrection, Christ’s ascension saves us. “Today we are not only
made possessors of paradise”, St Leo says, “but we have ascended with Christ,
mystically but really, into the highest heaven, and through Christ we have ob-
tained a more ineffable grace than that which we lost through the devil’s envy”
(”First Homily on the Ascension”).

The ascension is the climax of Christ’s exaltation, which was achieved in the first
instance by his resurrection and which—along with his passion and death—const-
itutes the paschal mystery. The Second Vatican Council expresses this as fol-
lows: “Christ our Lord redeemed mankind and gave perfect glory to God [...]
principally by the paschal mystery of his blessed passion, resurrection from the
dead, and glorious ascension” (”Sacrosanctum Concilium”, 5; cf. “Dei Verbum”,
19).

Theology has suggested reasons why it was very appropriate for the glorified Lord
to go up into heaven to be “seated at the right hand of the Father.” “First of all, he
ascended because the glorious kingdom of the highest heavens, not the obscure
abode of this earth, presented a suitable dwelling place for him whose body, rising
from the tomb, was clothed with the glory of immortality. He ascended, however,
not only to possess the throne of glory and the kingdom which he had merited by
his blood, but also to attend to whatever regards our salvation. Again, he ascen-
ded to prove thereby that his kingdom is not of this world” (”St Pius V Catechism”,
I, 7, 5; cf. “Summa Theologiae”, III, q. 57, a. 6).

The ascension marks the point when the celestial world celebrates the victory
and glorification of Christ: “It is fitting that the sacred humanity of Christ should
receive the homage, praise and adoration of all the hierarchies of the Angels and
of all the legions of the blessed in heaven” (St. J. Escriva, “Holy Rosary”, second
glorious mystery).

11. The angels are referring to the Parousia—our Lord’s second coming, when he
will judge the living and the dead. “They said to them, What are you doing here,
looking into heaven? These words are full of solicitude, but they do not proclaim
the second coming of the Savior as imminent. The angels simply assert what is
most important, that is, that Jesus Christ will come again and the confidence
with which we should await his return” (St John Chrysostom, “Hom. on Acts”,
2).

We know for a certainty that Christ will come again at the end of time. We con-
fess this in the Creed as part of our faith. However, we know “neither the day nor
the hour” (Mt 25:13) of his coming. We do not need to know it. Christ is always
imminent. We must always be on the watch, that is, we should busy ourselves
in the service of God and of others, which is where our sanctification lies.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Hebrews 9:24-28, 10:19-23

The Rites of the Old Covenant Prefigure Those of the New

[24] For Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the
true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our be-
half. [25] Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the Holy
Place yearly with blood not his own; [26] for then he would have had to suffer re-
peatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for
all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. [27] And just
as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment, [28] so
Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second
time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Motives for Perseverance

[19] Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the
blood of Jesus, [20] by the new and living way which he opened for us through the
curtain, that is, through his flesh, [21] and since we have a great priest over the
house of God, [22] let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with
our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with
pure water. [23] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for
he who promised is faithful.

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Commentary:

23-28. In these verses the sacred writer adds some additional considerations to
the main line of his argument. His thought centers on linking the sanctuary, the
sacrifices which were offered in the Old Testament sanctuary, and the sacrifice
of the New Covenant. It was “necessary” for Christ to shed his blood so that
men might “receive the promised eternal inheritance” (9:15), that is, forgiveness
of their sins (cf. 9:14). This shedding of blood is also necessary for the “purifica-
tion” of the heavenly things (9:23). The sacrifices of the Mosaic liturgy purified
the things of the old sanctuary and, in some way, pointed to forgiveness of sins
(9:9, 10). The sacrifice of Christ, on the other hand, really does blot out sin and
opens for us the way to heaven itself, giving us entry into that new sanctuary (7:
25; 9:12). But the parallel is not a perfect one, for the old sacrifices were multi-
ple and were constantly repeated in petition of forgiveness (9:25). The sacrifice
of Christ, on the contrary, is a unique sacrifice, because it is eternally effective
(7:27; 9:12). Moreover, whereas the high priest offered a sacrifice not with his
own blood but with the blood of animals, Christ offered his own blood in sacrifice.
Therefore, Christ has offered himself “once” (7:28; 9:12, 26, 28) in the same sort
of way as every man has to die only once and then undergoes judgment. Further-
more, through his sacrifice Christ has passed through the heavens once and for
all and will not return to earth to renew his sacrifice. He will not return until the
end of time, when he will come in glory.

Two truths interweave here a number of times. The first is that Christ entered for-
ever not into a temple made by man but into heaven itself (9:24; 7:26; 8:1). The
second is that Christ also enables us to enter into glory; that is, his sacrifice and
his entry into heaven enable man to attain his last end.

27-28. These verses look at three basic truths of Christian belief about the last
things—1) the immutable decree of death; 2) the fact that there is a judgment im-
mediately after death; 3) the second coming of Christ, in glory.

“Not to deal with sin”: this phrase means that the second coming of Christ or Pa-
rousia, will not be for the purpose of redeeming men from sin but rather to bring
salvation, that is, glory, to those who placed their hope in him. Christ will come
into the world for a second time, but not as Redeemer, for his sacrifice has alrea-
dy eliminated sin once for all; rather, he will come as Judge of all. His coming “is
appointed”: it is as necessary as death and judgment. These three truths are
closely interconnected.

Although man is mortal, “a spiritual element survives and subsists after death, an
element endowed with consciousness and will, so that the ‘human self’ subsists.
To designate this element, the Church uses the word ‘soul’, the accepted term in
the usage of Scripture and Tradition” (SCDF, “Letter on Certain Questions Con-
cerning Eschatology”, 17 May 1979).

Man, then, is made up of a spiritual and immortal soul and a corruptible body.

However, when God originally endowed man with supernatural grace, he gave
him additional gifts, the so-called “preternatural” gifts, which included bodily im-
mortality. Adam’s disobedience resulted in the loss of his friendship with God and
the loss of this preternatural gift. From that point onwards death is “the wages of
sin” (Rom 6:23), and it is to this divine decision that the text refers when it says
that it “is appointed for men to die” (cf. Gen 3:19, 23; Rom 5:12). The Church has
repeatedly stressed that death is a punishment; cf., for example, Pius VI, “Aucto-
rem Fidei”, prop. 1, 7: “in our present state (death) is inflicted as a just punish-
ment for sin”; immortality was an “unmerited gift and not a natural condition”.
Verses 27-28 are an implicit exhortation to watchfulness (cf. also 1 Cor 7:29;
Sir 14:12; and “Lumen Gentium”, 48).

Immediately after death everyone will be judged on the conduct of his life. All
“are to give an account of their lives; those who have done good deeds will go in-
to eternal life; those who have done evil will go into everlasting fire” (”Athanasian
Creed”). This is something which reason with the help of God’s Word can disco-
ver, because people with a correct moral sense realize that good deserves to be
rewarded and evil punished, and that it is impossible for this to occur completely
in this life. It is difficult to say whether Hebrews 9:27 is referring to the “particular
judgment”, which happens immediately after death, or to the general judgment,
which will take place on the last day. Both interpretations can be supported, for
the judgment the verse refers to is connected, on the one hand, with death, and
on the other with the second coming of Christ. In any event, it is clear that what
is meant is a “personal” judgment, a trial at which each individual will be judged
by Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5:10; Rom 14:10). The existence of a general judgment does
not conflict with the certainty that there is a particular judgment, for the Church,
in line with Sacred Scripture, although it awaits the glorious revealing of our Lord
Jesus Christ on the last day, sees that event as distinct from and separate in
time from the judgment which every individual will undergo immediately after
death (cf. “Letter on Eschatology, op. cit.”).

The idea of death and judgment, however, should not only inspire fear; it should
also lead us to hope in Christ, for our Lord will come a second time to show him-
self a merciful judge to “those who are eagerly waiting for him”.

Christians, therefore, combine their joyful hope in the establishment of the King-
dom of God, which they wholeheartedly desire, with a desire to make the best
possible use of the time allotted to them in this life. “This urgent solicitude of the
Church, the Spouse of Christ, for the needs of men—for their joys and hopes, their
griefs and labors—is nothing other than her intense desire to share them in full, in
order to illuminate men with the light of Christ and to gather together and unite all
in him who alone is the Savior of each one of them. This solicitude must never be
taken to mean that the Church conforms herself to the things of this world, or that
her longing for the coming of her Lord and his eternal reign grows cold” (Paul VI,
“Creed of the People of God”.

10:19-21. Throughout the epistle there is a constant interweaving of dogmatic
and moral considerations, with the former points often giving rise to exhortations
to the faithful to be unwavering in faith and hope. The epistle now moves on from
its theological reflections on Christ’s priesthood to its practical application in the
Christian life: the Christian should put his trust in the efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice,
and through faith, hope and charity associate himself with Christ’s priesthood.

He should do this for three reasons—the redemptive value of the blood of Jesus,
the access to glory signified by his entry into the sanctuary of heaven, and
Christ’s enthronement at the right hand of the Father. The sprinkling of the blood
of Christ gives the believer full assurance that he too will enter heaven, because
the paschal mystery of Christ — his passion, death and resurrection — has made
this possible.

“The new and living way”: a translation of the original Greek expression, which
literally reads “the recently sacrificed and living way”; this is a metaphorical ex-
pression indicating that Christ is a way, and that this way has been recently
opened up, has been sacrificed and is alive. There is, then, a personification of
“way” which recalls what Jesus said about his being “the way, and the truth and
the life” (Jn 14: 6); and there is also a reference to Christ’s sacrifice, to the fact
that his body did not experience corruption and that he lives for ever (cf. Heb 7:
25).

The “Pius V Catechism”, referring to the benefits brought us by Christ’s passion,
specifies how he opened to us the gates of heaven, closed due to mankind’s sin:
“Nor are we without a type and figure of this mystery in the Old Law. For those
who were prohibited to return into their native country before the death of the high
priest (cf. Num 35:25) typified that no one, however just and holy may have been
his life, could gain admission into the celestial country until the eternal High
Priest, Jesus Christ, had died, and by his death immediately opened heaven to
those who, purified by the sacraments and gifted with faith, hope and charity,
become partakers of his passion” (I, 5, 14).

The reference to Christ’s flesh as a “curtain” not only recalls the curtain in the
temple separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the sanctuary, but also
points to the fact that the deepest dimension of Christ is his Godhead, in which
the Christian must believe, but without separating it from his humanity. Christ’s
human nature is at the same time a “way” because it reveals his divinity, and
a “curtain” because it masks it. “Just as the priest (of the Old Law) entered the
Holy of Holies, so too if we want to enter holy glory, we must enter by way of
Christ’s flesh, the curtain (concealing) his divinity [...]. For, faith in the one God
is insufficient if one does not have faith in the Incarnation” (St Thomas Aquinas,
“Commentary on Heb., ad loc.”).

22-25. The epistle now exhorts its readers to purity of heart, steadfastness in
faith and mutual charity.

It speaks of a clean heart, recalling the purity which the water of Baptism brings.
The Christian should stay true to the faith he received and professed at Baptism,
and maintain the purity which it brings. To live in this way the baptized should
count on the help provided by the Church and on the grace God continually gives.
As Vatican I teaches, referring to those who have received the light of faith, “God
does not abandon them, unless he is abandoned [...]. Therefore, the position of
those who have embraced Catholic truth by the heavenly gift of faith, and of those
who have been misled by human opinions and follow a false religion is by no
means the same, for the former, who have accepted the faith under the teaching
authority of the Church, can never have just reason for changing that faith or cal-
ling it into question” (”Dei Filius”, chap. 3).

Along with its exhortation to practise the three theological virtues, the passage
includes a call not to neglect to attend Christian assemblies. We know that the
first Christians were expected to come together daily or weekly (cf. Acts 2:46;
20:7) and, as we can see here, some gave up going to those meetings through
carelessness, or because they preferred private to public prayer, or because
they did not want others to know they were Christians. In Judaism much empha-
sis was placed on the duty to attend synagogue meetings. The meetings refer-
red to in this passage, whether for the celebration of the Christian liturgy or for
instruction in apostolic teaching, had a clearly eschatological focus in the sense
that they built up people’s hope in the coming of our Lord (cf. 1 Thess 5:4; 1 Cor
3:13; Rom 13:12; Phil 4:5; Jas 5:8; 1 Pet 4:7).The author’s insistence on the
need to meet together recalls another exhortation which goes back to the early
Church: “Now that you are members of Christ, do not choose to cut yourselves
off from the Church by failing to attend the assembly; having Christ your head
present and in touch with you, as he promised, do not underestimate yourselves
or choose to separate the Savior from his members, or divide or scatter his body,
or give your everyday needs more importance than the Word of God; rather, on
the Lord’s Day leave everything aside and come to the Church” (”The Teaching
of the Twelve Apostles”). On the basis of the apostolic tradition, the Church has
established a grave obligation to attend Mass on Sundays (cf. “Code of Canon
Law”, can. 1247). “On this day Christ’s faithful are bound to come together into
one place. They should listen to the word of God and take part in the Eucharist,
thus calling to mind the passion, resurrection and glory of the Lord Jesus and
giving thanks to God, ‘who has begotten them anew to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’ (1 Pet 1:3)” (Vatican II, “Sacrosanc-
tum Concilium”, 106).

In the same way—by listening to and meditating on the Word of God—Christians
fulfill their equally serious obligation to improve their understanding of Christian
doctrine.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Lk 24:46-53

Jesus’ Last Instructions And Leave-Taking

[46] And (Jesus) said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer
and on the third day rise from the dead, [47] and that repentance and forgiveness
of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
[48] You are witness of these things. [49] And behold, I send the promise of my
Father upon you; but say in the city, until you are clothed with power from on
high.”

The Ascension of Our Lord

[50] Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands be blessed
them. [51] While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into
heaven. [52] And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
[53] and were continually in the temple blessing God.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

44-49. St. Matthew stresses that the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in
Christ, because his immediate audience was Jews, who would accept this as
proof that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah.; St Luke does not usually
argue along these lines because he is writing for Gentiles; however, in this epi-
logue he does report, in a summarized way, Christ’s statement to the effect that
everything foretold about him had come true. By doing so he shows the unity of
Old and New Testaments and that Jesus is truly the Messiah.

St. Luke also refers to the promise of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 14:16-17, 26; 15:26;
16:7ff), whose fulfilment on the day of Pentecost he will narrate in detail in the
Book of Acts (cf. Acts 2:1-4).

46.From St. Luke’s account we have seen how slow the apostles were to grasp
Jesus’ prophecy of his death and resurrection (cf. 9:45; 18:34). Now that the pro-
phecy is fulfilled Jesus reminds them that it was necessary for the Christ to suf-
fer and to rise from the dead (cf. Acts 2:1-4).

The Cross is a mystery, in our own life as well as in Christ’s “Jesus suffers to car-
ry out the will of the Father. And you, who also want to carry out the most holy
will of God, following the steps of the Master, can you complain if you meet suffe-
ring on the way? (St. J. Escriva, The Way, 213) 49.

“I send the promise of my Father upon you,” that is, the Holy Spirit who, some
days later, at Pentecost, would come down upon them in the cenacle (cf. Acts
2:1-4) as the Father’s gift to them (cf. Lk 11:13).

50-53 St. Luke, who will report our Lord’s ascension in the Acts of the Apostles,
here gives a summary account of this mystery which marks the end of Jesus’s
visible presence on earth. St Thomas Aquinas explains that it was inappropriate
for Christ to remain on earth after the Resurrection, whereas it was appropriate
that he should ascend into heaven, because, although his risen body was alrea-
dy a glorified one, it now receives an increase in glory due to the dignity of the
place to which it ascends (cf. Summa theologiae, 3, q. 57 a. 1).

“Our Lord’s Ascension also reminds us of another fact. The same Christ, who en-
courages us to carry out our task in the world, awaits us in heaven. In other words,
our life on earth, which we love, is not definitive. ‘Here we have no lasting city, but
we seek the city which is to come’ (Heb 13:14), a changeless home, where we
may live forever. […] Christ awaits us. We are ‘citizens of heaven’ (Phil 3:20), and
at the same time fully-fledged citizens of this earth, in the midst of difficulties, in-
justices and lack of understanding, but also in the midst of the joy and serenity
that comes from knowing that we are children of God” (St. J. Escriva, Christ is
Passing By, 126).

We have come to the end of St. Luke’s narrative. Words cannot express the
gratitude and love we feel when we reflect on Christ’s life among us. Let us offer
God our desire to be ever more faithful children and disciples of his, as we savor
this summary of Christ’s life given us by the Magisterium: “We believe in our Lord
Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. He is the eternal Word born of the Father
before time began […]. He dwelt among us full of grace and truth. He announced
and established the Kingdom of God, enabling us to know the Father. He gave us
the commandment that we should love one another as he loved us. He taught us
the way of the Gospel Beatitudes, according to which we were to be poor in spirit
and humble, bearing suffering in patience, thirsting after justice, merciful, clean of
heart, peaceful, enduring persecution for justice’s sake. He suffered under Pontius
Pilate, the Lamb of God taking to himself the sins of the world, and he died for us,
nailed to the Cross, saving us by this redeeming blood. After he had been buried
he rose from the dead of his own power, lifting us by his Resurrection to that sha-
ring in the divine life which is grace. He ascended into heaven whence he will
come again to judge the living and the dead, each according to his merits. Those
who have responded to the love and compassion of God will go into eternal life.
Those who have refused them to the end will be consigned to the fire that is never
extinguished. And of his kingdom there will be no end” (Paul VI, Creed of the Peo-
ple of God, 11f).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Acts 7:55-60

The Martyrdom of Stephen

[55] But [Stephen], full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into Heaven and saw
the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; [56] and he said,
“Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right
hand of God.” [57] But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and
rushed together upon him. [58] 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. [59] And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit.” [60] 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.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

55-56. “It is clear”, St. Ephraem comments, “that those who suffer for Christ en-
joy the glory of the whole Trinity. Stephen saw the Father and Jesus at His side,
because Jesus appears only to his own, as was the case with the Apostles after
the Resurrection. While the champion of the faith stood there helpless in the
midst of those who had killed the Lord, just at the point when the first martyr was
to be crowned, he saw the Lord, holding a crown in His right hand, as if to encou-
rage him to conquer death and to show that he inwardly helps those who are a-
bout to die on his account. He therefore reveals what he sees, that is, the hea-
vens opened, which were closed to Adam and only opened to Christ at the Jor-
dan, but open now after the Cross to all who share Christ’s sufferings, and in the
first instance open to this man. See how Stephen reveals why his face was lit
up: it was because he was on the point of contemplating this wondrous mission.
That is why he took on the appearance of an angel—so that his testimony might
be more reliable” (”Armenian Commentary, ad loc.”).

57-59. The cursory trial of Stephen ends without any formal sentence of death:
this Jewish tribunal was unable to pass such sentences because the Romans
restricted its competence. In any event no sentence proves necessary: the
crowd becomes a lynching party: it takes over and proceeds to stone Stephen,
with the tacit approval of the Sanhedrin.

Tradition regards Stephen as the first Christian martyr, an example of fortitude
and suffering for love of Christ. “Could you keep all God’s commandments,” St.
Cyprian asks, “were it not for the strength of patience? That was what enabled
Stephen to hold out: in spite of being stoned he did not call down vengeance
on his executioners, but rather forgiveness.... How fitting it was for him to be
Christ’s first martyr, so that by being, through his glorious death, the model of
all the martyrs that would come after him, he should not only be a preacher of
the Lord’s Passion, but should also imitate it in his meekness and immense
patience” (”De Bono Patientiae”, 16).

Martyrdom is a supreme act of bravery and of true prudence, but to the world
it makes no sense. It is also an expression of humility, because a martyr does
not act out of bravado or overweening self-confidence; he is a weak man like any-
one else, but God’s grace gives him the strength he needs. Although martyrdom
is something which happens rarely, it does show Christians what human nature
can rise to if God gives it strength, and it establishes a standard, both real and
symbolic, for the behavior of every disciple of Christ.

“Since all the virtues and the perfection of all righteousness are born of love of
God and one’s neighbor,” St. Leo says, “in no one is this love more worthily
found than in the blessed martyrs, who are nearest to our Lord in terms of imi-
tation of both His charity and His Passion.

“The martyrs have been of great help to others, because the Lord has availed
of the very strength as He granted them to ensure that the pain of death and
the cruelty of the Cross do not frighten any of His own, but are seen as things
in which man can imitate Him....

“No example is more useful for the instruction of the people of God than that of
the martyrs. Eloquence is effective for entreating, argument for convincing; but
examples are worth more than words, and it is better to teach by deeds than by
speech” (”Hom. on the Feast of St. Laurence”).

The Second Vatican Council has reminded us of the excellence of the martyrdom
as a form of witness to the faith. Although there are heroic ways of imitating and
following our Lord which do not involve the drama of bloodshed and death, all
Christians should realize that confession of the faith in this way is not a thing of
the past and is sometimes necessary.

“Since Jesus, the Son of God, showed His love by laying down His life for us, no
one has greater love than he who lays down his life for Him and for his brothers
(cf. 1 John 3:16; John 15:13). Some Christians have been called from the begin-
ning, and will always be called, to give this greatest testimony of love to all, es-
pecially to persecutors. Martyrdom makes the disciple like his Master. [...]
Therefore, the Church considers it the highest gift and supreme test of love. And
although it is given to few, all must be prepared to confess Christ before men
and to follow him along the way of the Cross amidst the persecutions which the
Church never lacks.

“Likewise the Church’s holiness is fostered [...] by the manifold counsels which
the Lord proposes to His disciples in the Gospel” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”,
42).

The Liturgy of the Church sums up the asceticism and theology of martyrdom in
the preface for Christian martyrs: “Your holy martyr followed the example of Christ,
and gave his life for the glory of Your name. His death reveals Your power shining
through our human weakness. You choose the weak and make them strong in
bearing witness to You.”

Like Jesus, Stephen dies commending his soul to God and praying for his perse-
cutors. At this point St. Luke brings in Saul who cooperates in the proceedings
by watching the executioners’ clothes; Saul will soon experience the benefits of
Stephen’s intercession. “If Stephen had not prayed to God, the Church would not
have had Paul” (St. Augustine, “Sermons”, 315, 7).

Stephen has died, but his example and teaching continue to speak across the
world.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20

The Visions Come to an End

(And he said to me [John],) [12] “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recom-
pense, to repay everyone for what he has done. [13] I am the Alpha and the Ome-
ga, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

[14] 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.

[16] “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.”

Prayer of the Spirit and the Bride. Words of Warning and Farewell

[17] 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 with-
out price.

[20] He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus!

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

10-15. Unlike other revelations (cf. Rev 10:4; Dan 8:26), God makes it plain that
he wants everyone to know the things St John has just written; Christians nee-
ded to be consoled and strengthened in the trials that lay ahead. They must
keep pressing on, for the end is near (v. 11); these words are somewhat ironic,
ridiculing as they do those who are bent on continuing to live a depraved life, un-
willing to admit their sin and unwilling to mend their ways in time. The passage
makes it quite clear that there will be a judgment made by Christ when he comes
again; when he exercises this judicial authority which belongs to God alone, he
appears with divine attributes (cf. note on Rev 1:8). The message contained in
these verses should be reassuring for the Christian. As St Teresa of Avila says,
“May His Majesty be pleased to grant us to experience this before he takes us
from this life, for it will be a great thing at the hour of death to realize that we
shall be judged by One whom we have loved above all things. Once our debts
have been paid we shall be able to walk in safety. We shall not be going into a
foreign land, but into our own country, for it belongs to him whom we have loved
so truly and who himself loves us” (Way of Perfection, 40).

The robes washed in the blood of the Lamb (cf. note on Rev 7:14) are a reference
to the fact that the righteous have been cleansed by having applied to them the
merits of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.

16. In a formal, solemn manner Jesus Christ addresses believers and confirms
the genuineness of the prophetic content of the book. This marks the start of the
epilogue, which records the testimony of the Church (v. 17) and the writer (vv. 18-
19) and once again, before the words of farewell, Christ’s own confirmation (v. 20).

The titles applied to Jesus focus on his Hebrew and Davidic ancestry, without
which he could not be the Messiah. Instead of the word “root”, other passages
speak of his being a young, vigorous shoot which grows out of the ancient trunk
of Jesse (cf. Is 11:1). The morning star is another metaphor designating the Mes-
siah (cf. Num 24:17).

17. The Bride is the Church who, in reply to Christ’s promise (cf. 22:12), ardently
desires and prays for his coming. The prayer of the Church is inspired by the Ho-
ly Spirit, the voices of both Church and Spirit fusing in a single cry . Every Chris-
tian is invited to join in this prayer and discover in the Church the gift of the Spirit,
symbolized by the water of life (cf. 21:6); this gift allows the Christian to taste in
anticipation the good things of the Kingdom. The language of this verse reminds
us of the liturgical dimension of the Church with its prayer and celebration of the
sacraments.

20. Christ himself replies to the supplication of the Church and the Spirit: “I am
coming soon.” This idea occurs seven times in the course of the book (cf. 2:16;
3:11; 16:15; 22:7, 12, 17, 20), showing that this is a promise which will certain-
ly be kept. On the basis of this passage, John Paul II makes this exhortation:
“Therefore, let Christ be your sure point of reference, let him be the basis of a
confidence which knows no vacillation. Let the passionate invocation of the
Church, “Come, Lord Jesus!” become the spontaneous sigh of your heart, a
heart never content with the present because it always tends towards the ‘not
yet’ of promised fulfillment” (Homily, 18 May 1980).

This invocation—”Come, Lord Jesus”—was so often on the lips and in the hearts
of the first Christians that it was even expressed in Aramaic, the language which
Jesus and the Apostles spoke: “Marana-tha” (cf. 1 Cor 16:22; Didache, 10, 6).
Today, translated into the vernacular, it is used as an acclamation at Mass, af-
ter the elevation. And so “the earthly liturgy harmonizes with that of heaven. And
now, as in every Mass, there reaches our heart, which is so much in need of con-
solation, that reassuring reply: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I
am coming soon [...].’

“Strengthened by this certainty, let us set out again along the ways of the earth,
feeling greater unity and solidarity with one another, and at the same time bea-
ring in our heart the desire that has become more eager to make known to our
brothers and sisters, still enveloped by the clouds of doubt and depression, the
‘joyful proclamation’ that there has risen over the horizon of their lives ‘the bright
morning star’ (Rev 22:16), the Redeemer of man, Christ the Lord” (St John Paul
II, Homily, 18 May 1980).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: John 17:20-26

The Priestly Prayer of Jesus (Continuation)

(Jesus lifted His eyes to Heaven and said,) [20] “I do not pray for these (My dis-
ciples) only, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, [21] that
they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they al-
so may be in us, so that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. [22] The
glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even
as we are one, [23] I in them and Thou in Me, that they may become perfectly
one, so that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me and hast loved them
even as Thou hast loved Me. [24] Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast
given Me, may be with Me where I am, to behold My glory which Thou hast given
Me in Thy love for Me before the foundation of the world. [25] O righteous Father,
the world has not known Thee, but I have known Thee; and these know that Thou
hast sent Me. [26] I made known to them Thy name, and I will make it known,
that the love with which Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

20-23. Since it is Christ who is praying for the Church His prayer is infallibly effec-
tive, and therefore there will always be only one true Church of Jesus Christ. Uni-
ty is therefore an essential property of the Church. “We believe that the Church
founded by Jesus Christ and for which He prayed is indefectibly one in faith, in
worship and in the bond of hierarchical communion” (Paul VI, “Credo of the Peo-
ple of God”, 21). Moreover, Christ’s prayer also indicates what the basis of the
Church’s unity will be and what effects will follow from it.

The source from which the unity of the Church flows is the intimate unity of the
Three Divine Persons among whom there is mutual love and self-giving. “The
Lord Jesus, when praying to the Father ‘that they may all be one...even as we are
one’ (John 17:21-22), has opened up new horizons closed to human reason by im-
plying that there is a certain parallel between the union existing among the Divine
Persons and the union of the sons of God in truth and love. It follows, then, that if
man is the only creature on earth that God has wanted for its own sake, man can
fully discover his true self only in a sincere giving of himself” (Vatican II, “Gau-
dium Et Spes”, 24). The unity of the Church is also grounded on the union of the
faithful with Jesus Christ and through Him with the Father (verse 23). Thus, the
fullness of unity — “consummati in unum” — is attained through the supernatural
grace which comes to us from Christ (cf. John 15:5).

The fruits of the unity of the Church are, on the one hand, the world believing in
Christ and in His divine mission (verses 21, 23); and, on the other hand, Chris-
tians themselves and all men recognizing God’s special love for His faithful, a
love which is a reflection of the love of the Three Divine Persons for each other.
And so, Jesus’ prayer embraces all mankind, for all are invited to be friends of
God (cf. 1 Timothy 2:4). “Thou hast loved them even as Thou hast loved Me”: this,
according to St. Thomas Aquinas, “does not mean strict equality of love but simi-
larity and like-motivation. It is as if He were saying: the love with which You have
loved Me is the reason and the cause of Your loving them, for, precisely because
You love men do You love those who love Me” (”Commentary on St. John, in
loc.”). Besides noting this theological explanation, we should also ponder on how
expressively Christ describes His ardent love for men. The entire discourse of the
Last Supper gives us a glimpse of the depth of Jesus’ feelings — which infinitely
exceeds anything we are capable of experiencing. Once again all we can do is
bow down before the mystery of God-made-man.

20. Christ prays for the Church, for all those who, over the course of centuries,
will believe in Him through the preaching of the Apostles. “That divine mission,
which was committed by Christ to the Apostles, is destined to last until the end
of the world (cf. Matthew 28:20), since the Gospel, which they were charged to
hand on, is, for the Church, the principle of all its life for all time. For that very
reason the Apostles were careful to appoint successors in this hierarchically
constituted society” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 20).

The apostolic origin and basis of the Church is what is termed its “apostolicity”,
a special characteristic of the Church which we confess in the Creed. Apostoli-
city consists in the Pope and the Bishops being successors of Peter and the
Apostles, holding the authority of the Apostles and proclaiming the same tea-
ching as they did. “The sacred synod taught that the bishops have by divine in-
stitution taken the place of the Apostles as pastors of the Church, in such wise
that whoever listens to them is listening to Christ and whoever despises them
despises Christ and Him who sent Christ (cf. Luke 10:15)” (Vatican II, “Lumen
Gentium”, 20).

21. Union of Christians with Christ begets unity among themselves. This unity
of the Church ultimately redounds to the benefit of all mankind, because since
the Church is one and unique, she is seen as a sign raised up for the nations to
see, inviting all to believe in Christ as sent by God come to save all men. The
Church carries on this mission of salvation through its union with Christ, calling
all mankind to join the Church and by so doing to share in union with Christ and
the Father.

The Second Vatican Council, speaking of the principles of ecumenism, links the
Church’s unity with her universality: “Almost everyone, though in different ways,
longs for the one visible Church of God, a Church truly universal and sent forth to
the whole world that the world may be converted to the Gospel and so be saved,
to the glory of God” (”Unitatis Redintegratio”, 1). This universality is another cha-
racteristic of the Church, technically described as “catholicity”. “For many centu-
ries now the Church has been spread throughout the world, and it numbers per-
sons of all races and walks of life. But the universality of the Church does not de-
pend on its geographical distribution, even though this is a visible sign and of mo-
tive of credibility. The Church was catholic already at Pentecost: it was born ca-
tholic from the wounded heart of Jesus, as a fire which the Holy Spirit enkindled.

“In the second century the Christians called the Church catholic in order to distin-
guish it from sects, which, using the name of Christ, were betraying His doctrine
in one way or another. ‘We call it catholic’, writes St. Cyril, ‘not only because it
is spread throughout the world, from one extreme to the other, but because in a
universal way and without defect it teaches all the dogmas which men ought to
know, of both the visible and the invisible, the celestial and the earthly. Likewise
because it draws to true worship all types of men, governors and citizens, the
learned and the ignorant. And finally, because it cures and heals all kinds of sins,
whether of the soul or of the body, possessing in addition —by whatever name it
may be called — all the forms of virtue, in deeds and in words and in every kind of
spiritual life’ (”Catechesis”, 18, 23)” (St. J. Escriva, “In Love with the Church”, 9).

Every Christian should have the same desire for this unity as Jesus Christ expres-
ses in His prayer to the Father. “A privileged instrument for participation in pursuit
of the unity of all Christians is prayer. Jesus Christ Himself left us His final wish
for unity through prayer to the Father: ‘that they also may be in us, so that the
world may believe that Thou hast sent Me’ (John 17:21).

“Also the Second Vatican Council strongly recommended to us prayer for the uni-
ty of Christians, defining it ‘the soul of the whole ecumenical movement’ (”Unitatis
Redintegratio”, 8). As the soul to the body, so prayer gives life, consistency, spi-
rit, and finality to the ecumenical movement.

“Prayer puts us, first and foremost, before the Lord, purifies us in intentions, in
sentiments, in our heart, and produces that ‘interior conversion’, without which
there is no real ecumenism (cf. “Unitatis Redintegratio”, 7).

“Prayer, furthermore, reminds us that unity, ultimately, is a gift from God, a gift
for which we must ask and for which we must prepare in order that we may be
granted it” (John Paul II, “General Audience”, 17 January 1979).

22-23. Jesus possess glory, a manifestation of divinity, because He is God, e-
qual to the Father (cf. note on John 17:1-5). When He says that He is giving His
disciples this glory, He is indicating that through grace He makes us partakers
of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Glory and justification by grace are very closely
united, as we can see from Sacred Scripture: “Those whom He predestined He
also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He jus-
tified He also glorified” (Romans 8:30). The change grace works in Christians
makes us ever more like Christ, who is the likeness of the Father (cf. 2 Corinthi-
ans 4:4; Hebrews 1:2-3): by communicating His glory Christ joins the faithful to
God by giving them a share in supernatural life, which is the source of the holi-
ness of Christians and of the Church: “Now we can understand better how [...]
one of the principal aspects of her holiness is that unity centered on the myste-
ry of the one and triune God. ‘There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were
called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all’ (Ephe-
sians 4:4-6)” (St. J. Escriva, “In Love with the Church”, 5).

24. Jesus concludes His prayer by asking that all Christians attain the blessed-
ness of Heaven. The word He uses, “I desire”, not “I pray”, indicates that He is
asking for the most important thing of all, for what His Father wants — that all
may be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (cf. 1 Timothy 2:4): which
is essentially the mission of the Church—the salvation of souls.

As long as we are on earth we share in God’s life through knowledge (faith) and
love (charity); but only in Heaven will we attain the fullness of this supernatural
life, when we see God as He is (cf. 1 John 3:2), face to face (cf. 1 Corinthians
13:9-12). Therefore, the Church has her sights fixed on eternity, she is eschato-
logical: that is, by having in this world all the resources necessary for teaching
God’s truth, for rendering Him true worship and communicating the life of grace,
she keeps alive people’s hope of attaining the fullness of eternal life: “The Church,
to which we are all called in Christ Jesus, and in which by the grace of God we
acquire holiness, will receive its perfection only in the glory of Heaven, when will
come the time of the renewal of all things (Acts 3:21). At that time, together with
the human race, the universe itself, which is so closely related to man and which
attains its destiny through him, will be perfectly reestablished in Christ (cf. Ephe-
sians 1:10; Colossians 1:20; 2 Peter 3:10-13)” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”,
48).

25-26. God’s revelation of Himself through Christ causes us to begin to share in
the divine life, a sharing which will reach its climax in Heaven: “God alone can
give us right and full knowledge of this reality by revealing Himself as Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, in whose eternal life we are by grace called to share, here below
in the obscurity of faith and after death in eternal light” (Paul VI, “Credo of the
People of God”).

Christ has revealed to us all we need to know in order to participate in the mutual
love of the Divine Persons—primarily, the mystery of who He is and what His mis-
sion is and, with that, the mystery of God Himself (”I made known to them Thy
name”), thus fulfilling what He had announced: “No one knows the Father except
the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27).

Christ continues to make known His Father’s love, by means of the Church, in
which He is always present: “I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mat-
thew 28:20).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

In some dioceses the Ascension of the Lord is celebrated today. If this applies to you, please reconfigure Universalis to use the appropriate local calendar.

First reading	Acts 7:55-60 ©

Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘I can see heaven thrown open’ he said ‘and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and said aloud, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’; and with these words he fell asleep.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 96:1-2,6-7,9 ©

The Lord is king, most high above all the earth.

Alleluia!

The Lord is king, let earth rejoice,

the many coastlands be glad.

His throne is justice and right.

The Lord is king, most high above all the earth.

Alleluia!

The skies proclaim his justice;

all peoples see his glory.

All you spirits, worship him.

The Lord is king, most high above all the earth.

Alleluia!

For you indeed are the Lord

most high above all the earth,

exalted far above all spirits.

The Lord is king, most high above all the earth.

Alleluia!

Second reading
Apocalypse 22:12-14,16-17,20 ©

I, John, heard a voice speaking to me: ‘Very soon now, I shall be with you again, bringing the reward to be given to every man according to what he deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Happy are those who will have washed their robes clean, so that they will have the right to feed on the tree of life and can come through the gates into the city.’

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to make these revelations to you for the sake of the churches. I am of David’s line, the root of David and the bright star of the morning.

The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ Let everyone who listens answer, ‘Come.’ Then let all who are thirsty come: all who want it may have the water of life, and have it free.

The one who guarantees these revelations repeats his promise: I shall indeed be with you soon. Amen; come, Lord Jesus.

Gospel Acclamation	cf.Jn14:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord;

I will come back to you,

and your hearts will be full of joy.

Alleluia!

Gospel	John 17:20-26 ©

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

‘Holy Father,

I pray not only for these,

but for those also

who through their words will believe in me.

May they all be one.

Father, may they be one in us,

as you are in me and I am in you,

so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.

I have given them the glory you gave to me,

that they may be one as we are one.

With me in them and you in me,

may they be so completely one

that the world will realise that it was you who sent me

and that I have loved them as much as you loved me.

Father, I want those you have given me

to be with me where I am,

so that they may always see the glory you have given me

because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Father, Righteous One,

the world has not known you,

but I have known you,

and these have known that you have sent me.

I have made your name known to them

and will continue to make it known,

so that the love with which you loved me may be in them,

and so that I may be in them.’

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

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May 8, 2016

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Reading 1 Acts 1:1-11

Responsorial Psalm Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

Reading 2 Eph 1:17-23

or Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23

Alleluia Mt 28:19a, 20b

Gospel Lk 24:46-53

May 8, 2016

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Reading 1 Acts 7:55-60

Responsorial Psalm Ps 97:1-2, 6-7, 9

Reading 2 Rev 22:12-14, 16-17, 20

Alleluia Cf. Jn 14:18

Gospel Jn 17:20-26

Readings at Mass