Prayer is also the heartbeat of the Christian life. In the first reading, we are told that after Jesus was taken up into Heaven, the apostles returned to Jerusalem, joined with Mother Mary and several other women in the upper room in continuous prayer. At the same time, they await the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to enable them to be witnesses to the ends of the world.

St. Peter, in the second reading, encouraged the early persecuted Christian community to reflect and gain insight into their suffering for Christ's sake, not as a curse or shame. In fact, it constitutes their blessing and builds confidence among believers that the Spirit of God is working in and through them.

The unity of the early Church in Jerusalem and in our present time is a sign of the oneness that Christ prays in today's Gospel. Christ desires that the Church be a communion on earth that mirrors the glorious union of Father, Son, and Spirit in the Trinity. We who remain as an Easter People are sustained and encouraged by the living hope that, whatever happens, we are to claim with confidence the promises of God revealed in the glory of Christ and his resurrection to be our experiences too. God will continue to restore us with creative gifts, to establish us firmly when we stumble, to give strength in times of weakness, and to build us up on the firm foundation of the community of faith. Our union with Christ in prayer and suffering deepens our intimacy with Him.