2nd Easter Sunday (year C)

(Rev 1:9-11a.12-13.17-19)

Revelation 1:9 I, John, your brother and companion in tribulation, kingdom, and constancy in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony given to Jesus.

The writer is John. Just as many Old Testament prophetic writings begin with the account of the call of their authors, so too John places at the beginning of his book the task that has been entrusted to him and that empowers him to write. It is he who receives God's revelation, and he takes the floor directly in the first person. John is "brother and companion in tribulation, kingdom and constancy in Jesus". He is "brother" because in Christ he is one with the other disciples. In Christ we are all children of the one God and therefore all brothers to one another. It is the body of Christ that makes us one in Him. This presents the context in which the message was born: Revelation is in essence a message about the tribulation, and it is a message of hope addressed to a persecuted community.

John is a "companion", i.e. he is in fellowship with them, "in the tribulation", because he too is persecuted like them, together with them. He does not write from outside the persecution, as a free man, he writes from inside the persecution. According to one tradition, John emerged safe and sound from a barrel full of boiling oil without the slightest burn, and so was banished into exile by the Emperor Domitian, Titus's successor and his germane brother.

He is a companion 'in the kingdom', the 'basileia', kingship. There is a pride, a dignity, a kingship that is structural in the Christian life. John too, like them, belongs to that kingdom of priests constituted by God. Tribulation and kingship seem to contradict each other. We are not triumphant and yet we recognise ourselves in being dignified, proud, free even in the most dramatic events. John points to the kingship of the Christian life as a way of standing in all the most desperate situations with kingship of life.

He is a companion 'in constancy in Jesus', because he wants to persevere to the end like Jesus. He is Jesus' beloved disciple. He accompanied Jesus to the cross. Now John is loving Jesus in persecution, in pain and suffering. He is loving him in constancy, that is, in perseverance to the end. Constancy is the ability to hold on, to bear the burdens, the ability to persevere even where the load becomes heavy. Awaiting the glorious event of the manifestation of the kingdom, patient endurance is the specific virtue of the persecuted. Incorporated into Christ through baptism, Christians become sharers in his passion while waiting to participate in his own glory.

John is in exile. The place of his exile is the island called Patmos. It is a rocky island of about 26 square kilometres, about 100 km south of Ephesus, part of the Sporades. On the island there is still a cave where the apostle is said to have received these revelations. Eusebius, the church historian, writes that after the death of Domitian, the Roman senate recalled all those who had been exiled, and John from Patmos went to Ephesus. He also says that John survived until the reign of Trajan. In fact, the use of the past tense, 'I was on the island' suggests that he was no longer on Patmos when he wrote down his visions. The island is a beautiful figure of the Church of Christ. Just as an island is continually buffeted by the waves of the sea, so the Church is plagued by persecution. The apostle is exiled to this place of punishment 'because of the word of God and the testimony given to Jesus'. John presents himself as a witness to Jesus. He is the witness of Jesus who imparts courage to all the other witnesses of Jesus, so that they may persevere in their testimony to the end.

The word 'witness' evokes the atmosphere of a trial or a public debate: one bears witness to something that has happened and something that one has personally experienced. Testimony by hearsay is not valid. Christian witnessing is also linked to suffering, to paying in person: witnessing means martyrdom. By deciding to take Christ's side, the witness must know that he will be involved in his rejection by the unbelieving world. This is the aspect that Revelation emphasises most. John knows that only those who have had the strength to go all the way, like Jesus Christ, will enter his kingdom. That is why he does not shy away from helping his brothers. The disciple of Jesus can only be persecuted for one reason: "because of the word of God and the testimony given to Jesus", that is, he can only be persecuted because he is a true, authentic, faithful disciple of Jesus. Whoever makes this choice will always be opposed by the world. This, however, is the choice of eternal life.

Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books

- Revelation - exegetical commentary

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

Catholics and Protestants compared - In defence of the faith

The Church and Israel according to St Paul - Romans 9-11

(Buyable on Amazon)

17 Last modified on Monday, 21 April 2025 20:48

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Argentino Quintavalle

Argentino Quintavalle è studioso biblico ed esperto in Protestantesimo e Giudaismo. Autore del libro “Apocalisse - commento esegetico” (disponibile su Amazon) e specializzato in catechesi per protestanti che desiderano tornare nella Chiesa Cattolica.

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We may ask ourselves: who is a witness? A witness is a person who has seen, who recalls and tells. See, recall and tell: these are three verbs which describe the identity and mission (Pope Francis, Regina Coeli April 19, 2015)

Possiamo domandarci: ma chi è il testimone? Il testimone è uno che ha visto, che ricorda e racconta. Vedere, ricordare e raccontare sono i tre verbi che ne descrivono l’identità e la missione (Papa Francesco, Regina Coeli 19 aprile 2015)

There is the path of those who, like those two on the outbound journey, allow themselves to be paralysed by life’s disappointments and proceed sadly; and there is the path of those who do not put themselves and their problems first, but rather Jesus who visits us, and the brothers who await his visit (Pope Francis)

C’è la via di chi, come quei due all’andata, si lascia paralizzare dalle delusioni della vita e va avanti triste; e c’è la via di chi non mette al primo posto se stesso e i suoi problemi, ma Gesù che ci visita, e i fratelli che attendono la sua visita (Papa Francesco)

So that Christians may properly carry out this mandate entrusted to them, it is indispensable that they have a personal encounter with Christ, crucified and risen, and let the power of his love transform them. When this happens, sadness changes to joy and fear gives way to missionary enthusiasm (John Paul II)

Perché i cristiani possano compiere appieno questo mandato loro affidato, è indispensabile che incontrino personalmente il Crocifisso risorto, e si lascino trasformare dalla potenza del suo amore. Quando questo avviene, la tristezza si muta in gioia, il timore cede il passo all’ardore missionario (Giovanni Paolo II)

This is the message that Christians are called to spread to the very ends of the earth. The Christian faith, as we know, is not born from the acceptance of a doctrine but from an encounter with a Person (Pope Benedict))

È questo il messaggio che i cristiani sono chiamati a diffondere sino agli estremi confini del mondo. La fede cristiana come sappiamo nasce non dall'accoglienza di una dottrina, ma dall'incontro con una Persona (Papa Benedetto)

From ancient times the liturgy of Easter day has begun with the words: Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum – I arose, and am still with you; you have set your hand upon me. The liturgy sees these as the first words spoken by the Son to the Father after his resurrection, after his return from the night of death into the world of the living. The hand of the Father upheld him even on that night, and thus he could rise again (Pope Benedict)

Dai tempi più antichi la liturgia del giorno di Pasqua comincia con le parole: Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum – sono risorto e sono sempre con te; tu hai posto su di me la tua mano. La liturgia vi vede la prima parola del Figlio rivolta al Padre dopo la risurrezione, dopo il ritorno dalla notte della morte nel mondo dei viventi. La mano del Padre lo ha sorretto anche in questa notte, e così Egli ha potuto rialzarsi, risorgere (Papa Benedetto)

The Church keeps watch. And the world keeps watch. The hour of Christ's victory over death is the greatest hour in history (John Paul II)

Veglia la Chiesa. E veglia il mondo. L’ora della vittoria di Cristo sulla morte è l’ora più grande della storia (Giovanni Paolo II)

Before the Cross of Jesus, we apprehend in a way that we can almost touch with our hands how much we are eternally loved; before the Cross we feel that we are “children” and not “things” or “objects” [Pope Francis, via Crucis at the Colosseum 2014]

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