CLICK HEREfor the Audio recording of the Readings of May 24th, 2020. Seventh Sunday of Easter.
CLICK HEREfor the Readings of May 24th, 2020. Seventh Sunday of Easter.
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May 24th, 2020. Seventh Sunday of Easter.
“I pray for them. Holy Father keep them in your name” John 17: 9-11
The 'Perfect’ Prayer of Jesus (‘I Care’)
Father Bob Bruso, Pastor of Saint Cecilia’s parish in Leominster, last Sunday celebrated his 70th birthday. Reaching 70 was one of the items on his bucket-list, especially because none in his entire family have ever done so. Father Bob has been struggling for some time with very difficult health issues. A few Priests and I got wind that the parishioners at Saint Cecilia’s were organizing a surprise birthday parade of cars from the parking lot, near to the Rectory. We decided to join in. We, however, were not ready for the reaction we would get, in fact, we were touched by the whole thing. The way it was carefully organized and the good heart we saw; And there was something more – this simple gesture demonstrated two important words we all need ‘to see’ in today’s world: ‘I CARE’. These words put in action, might as well be the most important or the ‘perfect’ prayer of all. This perfect prayer of ‘solidarity’, reaching out, and unity in suffering, charity in action, might as well summarize the Christian life.
‘The need(s) of the other matter or ‘the other’ matters and ‘I care’ that it does. All this spoke ‘volumes’ about the people of this parish.
In these days of the pandemic, we have all come ‘to figure out’ things that really matter or those that really do not; the things to hold on to or those that are frankly useless. We have found out, rather painfully, that everything can and does stop, and then, what really matters? What is actually of true value? In that priority list we all have now, we are sure to include: a sense of togetherness, a spirit of solidarity with others, how the weakness/failures of others can affect us quickly, how our actions (the selfless actions) for and of others can make a difference. This experience that we are going through is not far from what it truly means to be a follower of Christ.
Can there ever be a perfect prayer? If it exists, it is the prayer of Jesus we listen to in today’s gospel. It is in a nutshell what Prayer is and must look like. The prayer of Jesus is centered on one thing: involving others and the needs of others. The most repeated words of this prayer are ‘they’ and ‘them’.
“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.” John 17:6-11
Jesus’s prayer is a prayer for others, a prayer that involves others and other’s needs. It is a prayer of unity, love and solidarity. This prayer of Jesus should also be our prayer and our manner of life.
It is seven days to the Feast of Pentecost . What will ‘ready’ us best for the Spirit to dwell in our midst and lives? What might open the floodgates of the Spirit to work in us?
Refuse looking out only for self. Embrace an attitude of living and a manner of prayer that involves others and ‘care’ for the other and the needs of others. Be never indifferent to the plight of others (especially the poor). Be ready to even suffer that the well-being of others might be never overlooked.
When we do this, we can confidently pray: Come Holy Spirit come...and He will.
Have a good week. Fr. Anthony
View the below video for another Reflection on the readings.
We would like to come together in the most accesible way we can as a Catholic and Christian community.