Homily Seventh Sunday of
Easter Year A: Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo
·
Acts 1:12-14;· Psalms 27:1, 4, 7-8;
· 1 Pet 4:13-16
· John 17:1-11
The Mission of the
Church after the Ascension!
What we are to do
after the Ascension of Christ is evidence in today’s Scripture readings. In
today’s Gospel, the last chapter of the Book of Glory Jesus prays for the
church, and speaks of his glory with God to whom he has ascended in heaven
(John 17:11a). He prays, “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.”
This prayer is an
expression of Jesus unity with the Father. It is an expression of love for the
Church he established. It also a report of his missions of love, compassion,
feeding the poor, forgiving sinners, and healing he sick while on earth. It is
a report of the faith he taught, the suffering he endured, the cross he carried
on our behalf, and the community of believers he formed (vv.6-8). In his glorification
he will give eternal life to this community of faith. This eternal life
includes the knowledge of God and his inspiration and spirit for the
church, the Christian community to continue his mission.
Of course Jesus was a man
of prayer from Baptism to the Cross, which he continues after his ascension.
The first reading (Acts 1:12-14) presents his disciples who continues in
this mission of prayer in the upper room soon after his ascension. We are told,
“After Jesus had been taken up to heaven the apostles returned to Jerusalem….
When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying,
Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,
James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James… all
devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and
Mary the Mother of Jesus and his brothers.”
Each of us are invited to
be Peter and John, James , Andrew and Philip, Thomas and Bartholomew,
Matthew, James, Mary, men and women of prayer who delight in following the
footsteps of Jesus at all times.
Truly there are moments of
challenges (frustration, low grades in exams, hatred, insult,
discrimination, racism, disappointments, betrayals, illness and
loss of loved ones). Christ himself before his Ascension faced those challenges
and sufferings, even to the cross.
1 Peter 4:13-16, the
second reading, reminds us of how to react to sufferings. It teaches
us how to handle those challenges of life. It says, "But whoever
is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because
of his name. Peter also stresses joy, saying ‘rejoice to the extent that you
share in the sufferings (glory) of Christ.”
Granted that we live in a
divided world of the rich and the poor, the west and the east, north and south,
joy and sorrows, wars and terrorisms, we are hopeful that Christ will never
leave us orphans. He constantly prays and watches over us. And we ask the
Lord to help us realize the importance of prayer, faith and hope, and of the
oneness of the post-Ascension- Christian communities in keeping the words of
Christ and promoting his values and mission to people of all walks of life,
especially the poor and the weak of every nation.
Reflection Questions:
1.
And so what after the ascension—prayer, faith, togetherness and witness!
2.
Do we encourage members of faith community to imitated this post- ascension
biblical community and how?
3.
Who do you owe your life’s glorious moments to? And what are there?
