SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR B

Acts 1:15…26 
Psalm 102
1 John 4:11-16 
John 17:11

             PRAY LIKE JESUS

The period between the Lord’s Ascension and Pentecost is a period of waiting in prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus himself. 

In the first reading, the Apostles prayed God to choose the one to replace Judas Iscariot, the traitor. The lot fell on Matthias, who was then listed among the Twelve. Here we see the implicit action of the Holy Spirit guiding the decisions of the nascent Church. 

In the second reading, we are called to abide in the love of God, by loving one another. This communion with God is made possible by the Holy Spirit, which is the gift of God to us. It is therefore love that makes God present in us. 

The gospel is an excerpt of Jesus’ prayer commonly known as Jesus’ Priestly Prayer (John 17). This prayer shows how dear we are to Jesus. This is the mystery of Christian prayer: Jesus Christ prays for us, in us and with us. And this is our consolation and security: our Lord has prayed for  us and continues to pray for us, for he is now seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us.    

We must therefore strive to tighten our relationship with the Lord through prayer. It is in prayer that we can experience the loving care of God. It is in prayer that we can ask for guidance of the Holy Spirit in everything we do as individuals or as a Church. A Christian cannot live without prayer. Let us therefore make prayer the air we breathe and ask the Holy Spirit to direct us in making the right decisions at the right moments. 

Amen