Readings:
Epistle: James 1:22–27
Gospel: John 16:23–30
As the sacred days of Ascension and Pentecost draw near, the Church, in her maternal wisdom, sets before us two profound texts for meditation on the Fifth Sunday after Easter, also known as Rogation Sunday—a day filled with supplication and the anticipation of divine guidance. The Epistle of St. James exhorts us to not merely be hearers of the word, but doers, and the Gospel of St. John reveals the intimacy of prayer in the name of Christ and the certainty of being heard by the Father.
“Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” (Jas 1:22)
St. James, the Bishop of Jerusalem and a relative of the Lord according to the flesh, pierces the conscience with this clear directive. There is no room in the Christian life for passive reception of the Word of God; it must bear fruit in action. St. Augustine, commenting on similar passages, warns:
“To hear and not to do is to build on sand. The house will fall when the floods come, because it lacks the foundation of charity in action.” (Sermon 179)
It is fitting that this exhortation is read on Rogation Sunday, a time when we prepare to process through the fields in prayer, asking the Lord to bless the fruits of the earth and avert calamities. But how can we truly seek blessings if we ourselves are not fruitful in obedience? St. James tells us that “pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation and to keep oneself unspotted from this world” (Jas 1:27). This is the faith that works through love (cf. Gal 5:6)—the living faith the Church Fathers constantly defended against sterile formalism.
St. John Chrysostom reflects:
“What is the profit, if you do not practice what you have heard? It is not enough to admire the truth. We must carry it out. It is not hearing but doing that makes the Christian.” (Homily on St. Matthew, 7)
“Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full” (Jn 16:24)
In the Gospel, Our Lord prepares the Apostles for His Ascension. He speaks of a new way of praying: not merely by asking the Father in a general sense, but by asking in His Name. This is a promise rooted in the mystery of His Passion, Resurrection, and soon, His glorification at the right hand of the Father. The Fathers saw in this passage the transformation of prayer brought about by the Redemption.
St. Cyril of Alexandria comments:
“He says that until now they had not asked in His Name, since the grace and power of the Name had not yet been perfectly manifested. But now, glorified in His Passion and Resurrection, the Son gives them access to the Father through Himself.” (Commentary on John, Book XI)
This is not mere formulaic invocation. To ask in Christ’s Name means to be united to His will, to pray in the Spirit, and to seek those things that bring forth the fruits of salvation. How does one know he is praying in Christ’s Name? When he prays not only with words, but with a life conformed to the Gospel.
As St. Bede the Venerable writes:
“The Lord does not say we shall receive anything we ask, but anything we ask in His Name. This means not only calling upon His Name, but praying in accord with His will.” (Homilies on the Gospels)
Rogation and Response: The Church at Prayer
This Sunday ushers in the Minor Rogation Days, traditionally observed with processions, litanies, and the singing of the Litany of the Saints. These days are not superstitious attempts to force blessings from heaven, but expressions of deep humility before God, recognizing our dependence upon His providence for both material and spiritual sustenance.
Yet what good are our prayers if they are not accompanied by amendment of life? Just as a farmer must labor before the rains can bring fruit, so the soul must be tilled by obedience and watered by prayer. St. Gregory the Great wisely observes:
“What avails it to pray for a good harvest, if we do not weed the field of our soul?” (Homily on the Gospels, II.29)
We return, then, to St. James: “Be ye doers of the word.” Let our Rogation processions be matched by inward repentance, our litanies by works of mercy, and our supplications by the keeping of God’s commandments.
Practical Spiritual Reflection for the Week:
- Examine your prayer life: Are you asking “in Jesus’ Name” with trust, humility, and alignment to His will?
- Examine your actions: Where are you merely a hearer, and not yet a doer?
- This week, attend the Rogation processions if possible, or pray the Litany of the Saints daily leading up to Ascension.
- Perform one corporal or spiritual work of mercy with particular intention for the sanctification of your daily work and the fruitfulness of your spiritual labors.
As the Church prepares to celebrate the Ascension of her Head and Bridegroom, may we be found laboring faithfully on earth, bearing fruit in word and deed, so that our joy may be full in Him.
Domine, doce nos orare — Lord, teach us to pray… and to live accordingly.
—Catechismus Catholicum