The Seventh Sunday of Easter (year
C)
I wrote a song which we sang at
Mass this morning. The text combines some of the second reading (I am the Alpha and the Omega) with lines
from the last section of John 17, the section in which Jesus prays for us.
Whenever I read John 17 (which I
encourage you to read today), I want to cry out with the Psalmist: Too wonderful for me this knowledge, too
high, beyond my reach! To think of it! Before Jesus was taken away to be
crucified, He prayed to His Father. He prayed for us. He prayed that we
would be with Him, that we would see the glory He had from the Father before
the foundation of the world! Considering the power of that prayer, what could
possibly get to us that would be more precious or more filled with hope?
And by the way, this is the next
section of Ephesians 1:17 that I’ve been commenting on the past few days. Paul
prays that God grant us a spirit of wisdom and understanding that we might see
(grasp) what are the riches of his
glorious inheritance in the saints. John 17 does a good job explaining what
some of those riches may be.
Anyway, to get to the song. For
what it’s worth, I’m giving you the text below. By next weekend I will have an
mp3 (sound file) of the music, because I am having it recorded this week. For
today, however, I think the text will provide you with adequate food for
reflection. You’ll find it all included in the last part of John 17.
I am the Alpha and Omega.
I am the first and the last,
the beginning and the end.
I am loved by my Father.
He has given me glory
before the foundation of the
world.
I pray for you, my faithful
beloved,
to be with me and to see my
glory.
before the beginning of the
world.
The Father’s love for me
will be in you,
you and me, as one.
God bless you.