*SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR C (SUNDAY AFTER THE ASCENSION)* *WORLD DAY OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS* *THEME; THE FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIAN UNITY IS FORGIVENESS* Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the seventh Sunday of Easter, on which day we also commemorate the occasion of the World Social Communications Sunday. On this Sunday we are reminded that it is important for us to make good use of the social communications, the social media and other means in our world today to elevate the Good News and the truths of the Gospels, the teachings of Our Lord and the Christian truths in a world where many did not know the Lord and where many, even those within the Church, do not really know, understand and appreciate what they all believe in, our faith in the One, True God. That is why we are being reminded again of the great opportunities and the many wonderful things that we have been given through this mission we have in our capabilities to communicate about the Lord and His truth in our society today. In our first reading this Sunday, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the account of the time when St. Stephen, one of the first seven Deacons of the Church was persecuted and martyred by the mob gathered in the presence of the Sanhedrin or the Jewish High Council. At that time, the Sanhedrin had been intensifying their efforts to silence the disciples and followers of the Risen Lord, Whom they had condemned to suffer and die on the Cross, and yet, Whose Resurrection and the great courage shown by His disciples threw their plans and ideas into disarray. Hence, they resorted to using dirty tactics if we read through the earlier part of the account from the Acts of the Apostles, by using false witnesses and lies to try to implicate and accuse St. Stephen of wrongdoing. However, if we continue to read on the same account, St. Stephen, strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, firmly stood up for his faith in the Lord, and proclaimed the salvation of God throughout history and how everything had been accomplished perfectly in the same Jesus Christ that had come into this world and which many of the members Sanhedrin had rejected and persecuted, and crucified on the Cross. St. Stephen was facing many of those who were against him and wanted to see him silenced, and yet, he still courageously spoke out for his faith in the Lord, and he did not let his fears to overcome him. Instead, he fully trusted in the Lord and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and courageously proclaimed the Lord and His salvation. And that was how St. Stephen was martyred, in the midst of his courageous preaching and ministry, as he remained true to his commitment to the very end, standing up to his beliefs and doing his best, even amidst all those who rose up in anger against him. And even in suffering and death, St. Stephen continued to proclaim the Lord, as he showed those who persecuted him the true face of God’s love and mercy, as he forgave them all that they had inflicted upon him, asking the Lord not to hold those sins and wrongdoings against those who have attacked and persecuted him, just as the Lord Himself had done from His Cross. Thus, the examples showed to us by St. Stephen should indeed serve as a good example for ourselves to follow in our own lives as Christians, in how we communicate our faith in this world to one another. Then, from our second reading today, taken from the Book of Revelations, we heard of the great vision of St. John the Apostle which had come to its conclusion in what we heard from the passage. After the many visions on sufferings and tribulations that the faithful had to experience, the Lord also then showed St. John, who personally had to suffer many decades of suffering and hardships, that glimpse of reassuring hope by revealing to him what he and all the other faithful disciples and followers will enjoy in the end. And St. John saw all the true joy that will be found in the Lord, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, all the comfort and true happiness that will be found in Him alone, in the satisfaction of eternal life that surpass anything that can be found in this world. And St. John was told by the Lord to record everything that he had seen and witnessed so that everyone else can also believe and be strengthened in their faith, and that was exactly what he had done, communicating all that he had seen and compiled them all in his Book of Revelations, with the help of all those who have listened to his visions and accounts. Again, this is how all of us should communicate our faith as Christians, in proclaiming the truth of God, His revelations and ways to more and more people we encounter so that we may be encouraged in facing the trials, hardships and obstacles that may be found in our path. We must not lose sight on what is truly important, that is God and His assurance, and we who know this fact ought to communicate it well to everyone around us. Then, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, we heard of the prayer that the Lord Jesus made on behalf of His disciples and followers to His heavenly Father, praying for them that they all may be one and united with each other just as He Himself and the Father are One, and that they may be strengthened amidst the challenges and trials that they all may have to face in carrying out their faith and actions to fulfil what the Lord has entrusted to them. He prayed for all of them that they may have perfection in unity, and that none of them may be lost from Him, as He truly loves them all very much. And whatever the Lord has prayed for at that time still very much ring true to this day, to all of us who continue to follow Christ our Lord and continue to carry out His good works in our respective communities today. But more importantly, again linking to the same theme of the communication and social communication that is one of the focus of today’s celebrations, we see that the Lord Jesus Himself constantly prayed to the Father, as mentioned here in today’s Gospel and also in other occasions throughout the Gospels, and this highlights to us the importance of prayer in our faith life as Christians. For without prayer we will easily be swayed and pulled away from the path towards God, falling prey to temptations and all other pressures that may keep us away from God. But with prayer and especially a good and healthy prayer life, as the Lord Himself has shown us, we will be firmly rooted in faith and we will not lose sight on what is truly important in our lives. We will find that with God by our side, whatever challenges and trials we may have to face, all will be possible for us. Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all ponder upon these readings from the Sacred Scriptures and reflect upon our faith and relationship with the Lord, especially in how we have communicated with Him through prayer and other means. It is imperative that we should be constantly connected with God and be attuned to Him and His will. At the same time, it is important that we should also communicate our faith and belief to others around us, to fulfil what the Lord has commanded us to do, in all the things that He has entrusted to us, in proclaiming the truth and salvation in God to all the people of all the nations. We should be courageous and faithful like that of St. Stephen and our many other holy predecessors, in faithfully proclaiming God’s Word and truth to all. May the Risen Lord continue to be with us always and may He strengthen and empower us all with the resolve and courage to walk ever more faithfully in God’s Presence and in proclaiming His truth and Good News in our world today, amongst our communities and all those whom we encounter daily in life. May God bless our good efforts and endeavours, all the works we have done in His Name. May He grant us the wisdom and eloquence to proclaim His truth with sincerity and love, now and always. Amen. #easter2025