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7th Sunday Of Easter C

Celebrating 100 years

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Cycle C

Q268: It has been almost 2,000 years since Jesus died, and since he prayed for unity (John 17:20-26). Isn’t it futile to dream about “unity” if it hasn’t happened by now?

The Church began to spread the Good News, and add believing members, after the gift of the Holy Spirit was bestowed and received on Pentecost (which we celebrate next Sunday). This Good News — that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who came to dwell among us and bring us peace — is spread by preaching, teaching and witnessing to His presence in our lives, and by the example of our living the gospel values.

This same Holy Spirit does not guarantee that all will come into the Church who hear the word. However, the Holy Spirit does guarantee that what we call the “Church,” those who do believe and become true Christian disciples and true followers, will remain faithful until the end of time. And this can happen only because of the promises of Christ. Jesus passed on the leadership of his Church to Peter, by giving him the “Keys” to the Church he promised to build. To be united includes giving the assent of faith to whatever Peter (the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church) officially teaches.

Unity is elusive. But we do not stop striving to attain unity simply because it is slow in coming. It is the will of God that we have unity, as expressed in Jesus’ prayer today. Whose fault is it that we are not united in Christ? It is the mandate of Christ, not just a nice wish! Therefore, Christians have an obligation to renew their efforts daily to seek this “oneness.” Where do we start? Pray for that person you dislike. Pray for unity - both for and with those with whom we need to be united. And “reach out” - ecumenical awareness also extends to “outreach” to the poor and needy, for it is in unselfish loving service that our Christian witness is most powerful.

Know Your Catechism! “Unity” in the life of the Holy Trinity is the ultimate goal of all human life (CCC #260). There are no time limits on the prayer and work of Jesus (CCC #2749), who has completed the work of the Father. Now it us up to us, his faithful followers, to continue his work by imitating his love and unconditional forgiveness to all (CCC #589). Unity follows a life truly lived in the fullness of the truth of Christ — a fullness that subsists in the Roman Catholic Church (CCC #830). Dwell securely in the virtue of Hope (CCC #1820).

A young man named Saul

When St. Stephen the deacon was arrested by the Sanhedrin for preaching that Jesus was the Messiah, he was stoned to death for "blasphemy". Though Saul threw no stones, he volunteered to watch the cloaks of the executioners, and thus became an accomplice in Stephen's martyrdom (Acts 7: today's second reading). Not long afterward, however, Our Lord appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus and called him into His service. Thus Saul the lyncher turned into St. Paul the Apostle.

Paul was not the only terrorist in history who had a radical change of heart. Joseph Picot de Limoelan (1768-1826) was a Frenchman who attended the Royal Military School in Paris and received his military commission just before the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789. Being a royalist by conviction, he resigned from the French Army and joined as a Major-General the insurgent army that battled the revolutionary government. When Napoleon Bonaparte became head of the revolutionary government, Joseph did not hesitate to conspire to assassinate him. On December 24, 1800, he and his fellow conspirators rigged up a cart full of explosives intended to kill Napoleon when he came by. This "infernal machine" did explode, but Bonaparte was untouched. Limoelan then took flight to Savannah, Georgia under the name of Joseph Picot de Cloriviere.

As an exile, Joseph began to realize that violence solves nothing, and that he was called to higher things. So he entered the seminary at Baltimore, and on August 11, 1812, he was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. His first assignment was a difficult one. He had to hold at bay the Irish leaders of St. Mary's, Charleston, S.C. who were battling their archbishop. In 1818 Archbishop Marechal finally appointed the 51-year-old priest to a quieter post - the chaplaincy of the Visitation Convent at Georgetown. Here he was able to do solid priestly work. He spent much of his own money on Georgetown Visitation Convent, the oldest Catholic girl's school in the original United States. He also helped found St. Joseph's School in Washington.

The lion had indeed become a lamb, as Saul had become St. Paul.

-Father Robert F. McNamara

Q. 424: I'm not excited about becoming a Martyr like Stephen (Acts 7:55-60). Is it part of being a Christian to look forward to martyrdom?

My sister and I are of “kindred spirits.” I still vividly remember when we were confirmed together (I was age ten) how she really and truly longed to be a martyr for the Catholic faith. Not me! I had no such desire whatsoever! Of course, her calling even at that early age was to become totally committed to Jesus Christ (she became a nun: Adorers of the Precious Blood of Christ, Wichita).

First, let's remember why Deacon Stephen became the first martyr of Christianity. It is such an important event that its celebration takes “pride of place” on December 26, immediately after the solemnity of the Nativity of Jesus Christ. This is because Stephen imitated our Savior in three ways: he preached the Christian Truth, he defended the Christian Truth, and he died a martyr for the Christian Truth.

Martyrdom is not something that most people would like to experience! We aren't all saints of the caliber of Ignatius of Antioch, who wanted his friends to stop interfering on his behalf; for the sake of the Good News he wanted to let the lions do what the lions were going to do to him in the coliseum in the year 107 AD. Martyrdom is a Gift from the Holy Spirit. It stems from the grace of the conviction that nothing can stand between the martyr and the love of Christ (so eloquently stated by St. Paul). Pope John Paul II firmly pointed out that it was an honor characteristic of Christians to obey God rather than men, even accepting martyrdom as a consequence (Veritatis Splendor, #76). We can't scrape up this courage by ourselves; it is a gift from the Holy Spirit.

So no, we don't have to “look forward” eagerly to martyrdom. Simply recognize that when the time comes that you are requested to deny Jesus Christ and/or his values, the Holy Spirit is with you (Baptism, Confirmation) and will provide you with the courage you need at that time.

KNOW YOUR CATECHISM! The Church has taken great pains to preserve the records of those who persevered to the end in witnessing their faith. The acts of these martyrs form “the archives of truth written in letters of blood” (CCC #2474). Pray to the Holy Spirit to grace you with the gifts of courage, peace, and a forgiving heart whenever you need to defend your faith.


Page last modified on October 17, 2007, at 05:23 PM