7th Sunday of Easter
17th May 2026
Lectionary Readings: Acts 1:12-14; Ps 27:1, 4, 7-8;
1Peter 4:13-16; John 17:1-11a
Theme: Joy and Confidence in Mission, towards the Glory that Jesus Envisioned
Approaching the end of the “Last Supper” account and, as a prelude to the passion, the gospel of John records the intimate prayer of Jesus: “Father, glorify your Son so that the Son might glorify you … I glorified you on earth … now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory I had before the world existed” (17:1, 4-5). The full text of that prayer is a celebration of the profound union between the Father and Son, into which Jesus has drawn his disciples, by making the Father’s name known to them, and giving to them the words that the Father has given to him. They have received those words and kept them, and, most crucially, they have believed that Jesus was sent from the Father.
Five times in the eleven verses of this gospel passage, and again twice in the selection from 1Peter, the word “glory” appears, in various forms, lending an aura of finality and transcendence to these readings in the liturgy for this Sunday of the Easter Season. God’s glory encompasses God’s nature, presence and attributes, conveying both majesty and creative power. In the Hebrew scriptures, Kavod, the translation of “glory,” denotes a litany of praise: honor, reverence, holiness, justice, mercy, authority, compassion and covenantal faithfulness. Jesus clarifies that term for his disciples in stating that he has glorified the Father “by finishing the work you gave me to do.” We might hear in that statement a call for the disciples now to glorify God by fulfilling the mission that Jesus bequeaths to them.
The passage from Acts presents the disciples making their way back from Mount Olivet to the upper room in Jerusalem, immediately after the ascension of Jesus. In naming the eleven apostles individually, the text reverberates with each one’s personal call to discipleship and now to the mission to which they are sent by the risen Jesus. Details of the text reflect their commitment to community, in conveying that they remained there for some time, constantly devoted to prayer, with certain women including Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers, though the text does not specify who the latter might be.
1Peter is an exhortation that offers guidance and vision for the new community, to sustain them until the time when Christ’s glory will be fully revealed. One can sense here a context of persecution, yet it is accompanied by the assurance that the Spirit of God rests upon them, enabling them to glorify God even in their suffering. The letter affirms that to suffer as a Christian is not a disgrace; in bearing Christ’s name, the Christian transforms suffering into a means to glorify God, because one’s suffering is a sharing in the suffering of Christ, and hence can be even a reason for joy.
Joy tempered by suffering that is sustained by communal prayer, and confidence in the glory that Jesus envisioned, is the spirit of these final weeks of the Easter season. Next Sunday, the liturgy will celebrate Pentecost, initiating a whole new chapter in the life of this community.
For Reflection and Discussion:
1. In reflecting on the presence of the Church in society today, what most speaks to you of the mission of the Church that gives meaning to your experience of discipleship and suffering and prayer?
Bibliography: Levine, A-J. and Bretler, M.Z., editors, The Jewish Annotated New Testament (Oxford University Press, 2011); Libengood K.D., “The Problem(s) of Reading 1 Peter after Supercessionism,” (A History of World Religions 14, 2017: 206); https: bible hub: Noss, D. and Grangaard, B., “What Defines the Glory of God?”
This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Diane Willey, Canada, Bat Kol Alumna 2005, 2006
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