6th Sunday of Easter - May 17, 2020

6th Sunday of Easter - May 17, 2020

Reflection

This Sunday's Gospel comes from a very profound and rich monologue of Jesus during his last meal with the disciples. The monologue focuses on one of the deepest themes in the Gospel of John - that of remaining or abiding. Just as Jesus abides in the Father, he now asks his disciples to abide in him.

To abide means to accept or act in accordance with. But the original Greek term meno, leans closer to dwelling and unity. It speaks of the privilege place of Jesus in the Father's heart - he is the Beloved and the Father is the lover. Now he extends this relationship to us.

To make this possible, he promises an advocate who will guide us towards a closer unity in the Son and the Father. The Spirit that binds the Father and the Son in love now opens himself to include the disciples.

The presence of the Spirit is easily known. A person filled with the Spirit is able to do wonders. He replicates the works of Jesus. He is exudes hope and joy. He defeats evil, sin and suffering. Our first reading demonstrates this in the works of Philip. And to confirm that Philip's works are really coming from Jesus and the Spirit, the Apostles came to the converted community and gave them the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit is an agent of unity. He unites the disciple to Christ. He unites the disciples to one another. Here we see the value of the Sacrament of Confirmation where the Christian is bound closely to the Christian community and the leadership of the Church through the power of the Spirit. In him there is one God, one Shepherd, and one Church.

What makes possible the entry of the Spirit into one's heart? It is through faith in Jesus as the Apostle Peter points out in the second reading. To sanctify the Jesus in one's heart means allowing Christ to take over one's heart totally. It is faith in Jesus that allows us to be empowered by the Spirit and gives us the grace to do wonders before all people. Continuing the line of thought from the psalms, the joy done by God from of old, has been renewed in Christ, and now is perpetuated by his disciples.

Let our prayer be this Sunday: Lord, through us filled with the Spirit, let all the earth cry out to God with joy!

First Reading

ACTS 8:5-8, 14-17

Philip went down to the city of Samaria

and proclaimed the Christ to them.

With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip

when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.

For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,

came out of many possessed people,

and many paralyzed or crippled people were cured.

There was great joy in that city.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem

heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,

they sent them Peter and John,

who went down and prayed for them,

that they might receive the Holy Spirit,

for it had not yet fallen upon any of them;

they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then they laid hands on them

and they received the Holy Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20

R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,

sing praise to the glory of his name;

proclaim his glorious praise.

Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

or:

R. Alleluia.

“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,

sing praise to your name!”

Come and see the works of God,

his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

or:

R. Alleluia.

He has changed the sea into dry land;

through the river they passed on foot;

therefore let us rejoice in him.

He rules by his might forever.

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare

what he has done for me.

Blessed be God who refused me not

my prayer or his kindness!

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Second Reading

1 PT 3:15-18

Beloved:

Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.

Always be ready to give an explanation

to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,

but do it with gentleness and reverence,

keeping your conscience clear,

so that, when you are maligned,

those who defame your good conduct in Christ

may themselves be put to shame.

For it is better to suffer for doing good,

if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered for sins once,

the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,

that he might lead you to God.

Put to death in the flesh,

he was brought to life in the Spirit.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 14:15-21.

Jesus said to his disciples:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

And I will ask the Father,

and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,

the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,

because it neither sees nor knows him.

But you know him, because he remains with you,

and will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

In a little while the world will no longer see me,

but you will see me, because I live and you will live.

On that day you will realize that I am in my Father

and you are in me and I in you.

Whoever has my commandments and observes them

is the one who loves me.

And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,

and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”