These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
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. (Jn 17:1-11a)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/tuesday-seventh-week-easter
The 17th chapter of the Fourth Gospel has often been called the “High Priestly Prayer of Jesus.” It is part of additional material that has been added in a subsequent edition of the gospel. This additional material (parts of Chapter 14 and all of Chapters 15, 16 & 17) has also been called the “Last Testament” of Jesus. The form of the High Priestly Prayer is unusual: Jesus is praying to the Father and we get to listen in. We will be “eavesdropping” over the next few days.
Jesus said to his disciples: “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." (Jn §6:19-33)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052223.cfm
When I was in college there was a popular board game of world conquest called Risk. Of course, that’s NOT what Jesus is talking about. Jesus conquers the world not through war and violence. In the Passion Narrative, Jesus tells Peter to “put away the sword” (Mt 26:52). Rather it is through Love and the Offering of himself that Jesus conquers the world and wins our hearts.
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.” (Acts 1:1-11)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052922-ascension.cfm
Looking up in the sky isn’t wrong—but we’ve been goofing off long enough. The Lord’s given us a mission and the world really needs us. Time to get moving—let’s get to work!
A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus. He was an authority on the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and, with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way of God more accurately. (Acts 18:23-28)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052023.cfm
Who is this Apollos? Well, Paul mentions him in the First Letter to the Corinthians. Apollos followed Paul in the mission at Corinth. Paul writes, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth” (1 Cor 3:6). Today is my grandmother’s birthday (1906-1987). She was Nanny to everyone!
Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. (Jn 16:20-23)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051923.cfm
Some folks think the world is in pretty bad shape . . . and it probably is. We human beings have been making a mess of things for at least the past 10,000 years. I remember my spiritual director in seminary always saying, “What’s coming must really be wonderful, because the labor pains are just terrible!”
