7th Sunday of Easter Year C (2025)

In most dioceses in the United States, the observance of the Solemnity of the Ascension is moved to the following Sunday, superseding the 7th Sunday of Easter. See readings and resources for the Ascension of the Lord Year C instead.

Mass Readings for the 7th Sunday of Easter Year C

• First Reading – Acts 7:55-60: “Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and Stephen said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’”
• Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 97: “The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.”
• Second Reading – Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20: “Behold, I am coming soon. I bring with me the recompense I will give to each according to his deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
• Gospel – John 17:20-26: “Holy Father, I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.”

Themes for the 7th Sunday of Easter Year C

The readings for the 7th Sunday of Easter Year C speak of our longing for God and God’s longing for us. In the first reading St. Stephen becomes the first martyr. In the second reading Jesus calls to his bride, the Church. And in the gospel Jesus prays for unity.

• Prayer
• Community
• Hope in adversity
• The Church as the Bride of Christ
• Eucharist

See the Homilies and Reflections section and the More Thoughts section for further expansion on these readings and some reflection questions for the 7th Sunday of Easter Year C.

Understanding the Book of Revelation

Understanding the Book of Revelation can be difficult. But it is really describing our communal worship at Mass. Every time we participate in the Eucharistic celebration we are actually taking part in a liturgy where heaven intersects with earth.

Catholic Prayers

Prayers bring us closer to God. We pray to change our own hearts and bring them into alignment with the heart of God. We pour ourselves out to God and know that we are heard. We also let God speak to us. See a collection of prayers on this site.

St. Stephen, Protomartyr

St. Stephen was the first martyr, which is why he is called Protomartyr. He was a deacon in the early Church. He was accused of blasphemy and stoned to death. His execution was witnessed by Saul of Tarsus who later became known as St. Paul.

Does It Last? A Lesson Plan on the Eucharist

This lesson plan on the Eucharist will help youth understand that the material goods of this world will pass away. In the end, our union with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist will last.

Come Lord Jesus!

Friends, on this Seventh Sunday of Easter, the Church gives us the privilege of hearing the very last words of the Bible. If you’re reading poetry, a novel, or even a great work of history, the last words are of tremendous importance. We hear today a kind of coda or denouement after the great climax of the biblical story, and it gives us a clue as to the identity of the Church.

The First Martyr

Jeff Cavins reflects on the readings for the 7th Sunday of Easter Year C. We hear the story of St. Stephen, who imitates our Lord by offering himself as a complete sacrifice.

The Spirit and the Bride Say, “Come”

From Bishop Robert Barron. With the disclosure of the heavenly Jerusalem, the Biblical narrative effectively comes to a close—and that’s true. But what we find today, in the very last words of the entire Scriptural corpus, is a kind of liturgical coda, a final prayer, a call and response between the Lord and his Church.

Perfection as One

From Scott Hahn. Jesus is praying for us in today’s Gospel. We are those who have come to believe in Him through the Word of the Apostles, handed on in His Church. We, too, are to commend our spirits to the Father, to pray and offer our lives in love for our brethren, awaiting His coming in judgment. We renew our vows in every Mass, coming forward to receive the gift of His life.

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let the hearer say, “Come.” Let the one who thirsts come forward, and the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving water.