The Sunday in Transition between Ascension and Pentecost : From the Parakletos We Have with the Father to Another Parakletos – the Seventh Sunday of Paschaltide (A)

As some dioceses transfer the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, which is on Thursday of the sixth week of Paschaltide, to the Seventh Sunday of Paschaltide, followed by celebrating Pentecost on the eighth Sunday, the celebration of the Seventh Sunday of Paschaltide may be forgotten by some.

The Seventh Sunday of Paschaltide falls between Ascension and Pentecost, the Second and the Third Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Therefore, this last Paschaltide Sunday before Pentecost Sunday reflects how the disciples remained together, getting ready to receive the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, to be born anew as the Ekklesia, which means being called upon.  And, it is the original Church, as One Body of Christ with many parts (1 Corinthians 12:27; cf. 1 Corinthians 6:15; Romans 12:5; Ephesians 5:30; Colossians 1:18).

Wait! The body of the risen Christ has ascended into heaven. Then, how come there will be the body of Christ again?

A good question about the Christological mystery upon Paschal Mystery, which covers from the virgin conception to ascension of Jesus through his birth, death, and resurrection! And it deserves some explanation.

The whole body of the risen Jesus certainly ascended to heaven, where he is reunited with the Father. But, this reunification is on the level of physicality. Even Christ had been away from the Father to be on earth with the disciples in the human flesh of Jesus of Nazarene, the son of Mary, he had been with the Father as one. Thus, whether Christ the Son was physically with the Father in heaven or not for physically being with the disciples on earth, he remained with the Father all the time. And the Father-Son oneness remains immutable regardless where the body of Christ may be found. This is a very important Christological and theological truth to remember for us to appreciate Ascension and Pentecost in relation to John 14-17, Jesus’ Last Supper Discourse and Prayer. 

Jesus first publically revealed his Christological identity of oneness with the Father toward the end of his Good Shepherd discourse in response to those who were blind to recognize the messianic authority of Jesus.  Then, he reiterated this Christological identity with the Father during his Last Supper Farewell Discourse and Prayer (John 14-17) again and again to reveal Trinity by introducing the Holy Spirit as another Parakletos, while Jesus Christ himself is the Parakletos, which literally means one who is called to stay besides. He introduced the Holy Spirit as another Parakletos so that his Christological identity as being one with the Father can be understood in the context of Trinity. Thus, Trinity was introduced and reflected  in his  discourse and prayer at Last Supper.  And he did it all to unite the disciples, us, to him, who is one with the Father in Trinity. Therefore, the Holy Spirit, as another Parakletos can come to us after Ascension.

Until Ascension, the Parakletos was found in the human body of Jesus, before and after his death and resurrection. Upon Pentecost, the disciples, who were promised by Jesus to be accompanied by another Parakletos (John 14:16, 26), have become the Ekklesia, the Church. Both Parakletos and Ekklesia are called being, because both of these New Testament Greek words share the common derived word, “kaleo”, which means “to call”, associated with “keleuo”, which means “to command”. Now, therefore, the disciples are called (commanded) to become the one body of Parakletos, who is Christ (1 John 2:1) with many functioning parts, loaded with many gifts of the Holy Spirit, as reflected in 1 Corinthians 12.

Therefore, the Seventh Sunday of Paschaltide reflects this critical period of transition from the physical presence of the Parakletos to the physical presence of new Parakletos, whose body is the Ekklesia, born with another Parakletos, the Holy Spirit, on the day of Pentecost.  Through the Holy Spirit, another Parakletos, we become the Ekklesia, the very body of the Parakletos, the Christ. And, it is only possible as, we, the disciples become one with Christ, who is one with the Father, as one body (John 14:20; 15:1-9; 17:21).  And, we celebrate this transitional Sunday prayerfully, reflecting Jesus’ Last Supper prayer in John 17.

For Cycle A, the Gospel Reading for the Seventh Sunday of Paschaltide is drawn from John 17:1-11a. Though the physical presence of the risen Christ has departed the earth, we read this in remembering his presence on earth. As the entire John 17 has been known as Jesus’ high priestly prayer, this Gospel reading to mark the last Paschaltide Sunday before Pentecost, after Ascension reflects the climax of his ministries as the eternal high priest in the Melchizedek’s order (Hebrews 5:6, 10; 7:17, 24; cf. Psalm 110), to whom the Father calls as His Son to glorify him (Hebrew 5:5; cf. Psalm 2:7), reflected in His voice upon his Baptism (Matthew 3:17//Mark 1:11//Luke 3:22). And, he is the high priest of mercy and faithfulness in service of God (Hebrews 2:17), offering up himself for our sins (Hebrews 7:27), being made perfect among sons of God, among those who were appointed as judges and ordained as high priests (Hebrews 7:28; cf Psalm 82:6).

Jesus begins his prayer with these words, “Father, the hour has come”(John 17:1). It means that the time for his glorification through his death, resurrection, and ascension, has begun, so that the Father, who sent him to the earth on his priestly mission, is glorified. It also signals the coming of trials not only for Christ himself through his passion and death but also for the disciples, and us, who are to follow the way of Jesus as they have done. Therefore, Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17 before his arrest is to ensure that his disciples can ensure all trials while they carry on his mission works. And for us, likewise.

First, Jesus reflects that the glorification of the Father is brought by the consummation of his mission (John 17:4), and this mission is completed through connecting those ministered by him to the Father through eternal life (John 17:2-3). Jesus began teaching about eternal life when he was speaking to Nicodemus (John 3:15), indicating that it may be given to us through his Son, Christ, as a sign of His love (John 3:16). He also taught on eternal life through the Living Bread of Life, which is him (John 6:51). He also taught that eternal life is given through the Good Shepherd (John 10:28). And, he has revealed that it is he himself (John 14:6). That is why he called us to be with him (John 14:20), as the branches are securely attached to the vine, because being one with the eternal life enables us to be fruitful (John 15:1-10).

Then, Jesus specifically prays for the disciples, us, his sheep – those whom given to him by the Father (John 17:9; cf. 10:29). And, we, as the disciples, are the ones, to whom Jesus revealed the Father (John 17:6) through him (John 14:9-21, 23-16:16, 17-28, 31-33). And we are from God the Father (John 17:7) and also of Jesus’ because of our belonging to the Father (John 16:15).

In his prayer to the Father for his disciples, us, as the hour for his glorification is imminent, his return to Him is nearing, upon his death and resurrection, having completed all his earthly priestly mission, except for his passion, death, and resurrection, to fulfill the Scriptures (Isaiah 52:13-53:12), Jesus , Christ the Son, the Parakletos, was asking for the Father’s care for them and us through another Parakletos, the Holy Spirit coming to the world on Pentecost, just as He sent the Son to the world out of His love (John 3:16). This way, before he departs on Ascension, he knows that his beloved disciples, with whom he is one as he is so with the Father, always have the Parakletos.

 Let us now meditate on these words of Jesus’ prayer for us, being confident that we are always with the Parakletos, as we also pray during this transition period to become one body of the Parakletos, called the Ekklesia.

And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are (John 17:11)