7TH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR A

Acts 1:12-14

Ps. 27

1 Peter 4:13-16

John 17:1-11

COMMUNING WITH GOD THROUGH PRAYER

Like the disciples in the Upper Room, the whole Church is waiting in prayer for the renewal of the Pentecost experience. Thus, the pervading theme of today’s readings is prayer. In the first reading, we see the disciples together in a continuous prayer. They were praying and waiting for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit who would empower them to bear witness to Christ in spite of the persecutions that awaited them. The second reading invites all Christians to accept suffering and persecution as an opportunity to be more fully united with Christ’s sufferings and to glorify God. 

The gospel is an excerpt of Jesus' farewell prayer commonly known as Jesus’ high priestly prayer (John 17). Before facing the “hour” of his Passion and death, Jesus prayed to his Father not only for himself but also for his disciples. He prayed for their protection and unity. And he prayed for us too. He did so because even though we are in the world, we belong to God. And the essence of the eternal life to which we are called is to know and accept God as the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he sent into the world for our redemption. 

This knowledge is not simply reading and hearing about God and Jesus Christ. To know God is to have a deep personal experience of God and to accept his Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and personal Saviour. It is a life of a close and intimate relationship with God, a life of total surrender in faith and hope. It is however undeniable that we cannot achieve this without a life of prayer. In prayer, we dialogue with Him. Through prayer, we get connected to the amazing network of the Triune God. And this is made possible, thanks to the Holy Spirit. 

Therefore, as we wait in prayer for a renewed experience of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, let us ask the Lord to increase in us the awareness that we belong to Him. Let us always seek to be in his presence, and acknowledge his wonderful things in our lives. Amen