Fr. Eugene Lobo SJ –
Sixth Sunday after Easter May 14, 2023
Readings: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21
The theme of today’s readings is the proclamation of the Divine Presence of the Holy Spirit. The origin of this promise can be traced to the Old Testament Books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. In the days of the prophets, God had promised to make a new covenant with His people. He promised to put His law within His chosen people, writing it on their hearts, that He may be their God and they may be His people. He promised to put a new human spirit within His people, to remove their hearts of stone and to give them a heart of flesh. The gospel of today tells us of the concern of Jesus for his church. Jesus is about to leave the world and return to his Father as he promises to send them the Holy Spirit. He tells them that he will not leave them orphaned but his spirit will be with the church till the end of time.
Today’s First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles was an historical recount of the event surrounding the giving of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Samaritans. Because of the persecution, although the gospel was spreading, believers were scattered. So the Deacon Philip was on a mission to Samaritans which is the first crossing of the threshold into non-Jewish world. Accepting Jesus as the promised Messiah, many of the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit in their lives through the laying of the hands of Peter and John. This was the unique way in which the Samaritan converts were incorporated into the Church. They imposed their hands on the people, a symbol which they understood as a conveying of power. This symbol is used in the church even today at baptism, confirmation and ordination. This very special event can be viewed as the Samaritan Pentecost. The first Pentecost is documented in the Book of Acts when the disciples received the Holy Spirit. A third Pentecost took place when the Gentiles heard the good news and received the Holy Spirit.
In the second reading Peter stresses the essential dimension of Christian Commitment and highlighting the cost of living virtuously. It is addressed to Christian converts who were suffering for their beliefs as a minority group in the pagan society. The advice on how to relate to a disbelieving culture still has its relevance. We have a responsibility to bring God in Christ to our world today, a world which is more often hostile to Christ and his values. Peter calls on them to use mildly the words of defense and at the same time to protest as a witness. They are to be prepared to defend their commitment to Christ, and your faith in him before anyone who demands. He asks on them to speak positively on behalf of someone in need, for God chooses to allow his word to be spoken by those whose hearts are open to receive the out pouring in love of his Spirit.
Today’s Gospel picks up where last Sunday left off. The context once again is the Last Supper. Jesus is preparing his disciples for his coming suffering and death but also for his Resurrection and Ascension. But he promises them that even afterwards he will remain with them but in a very different way from now. He tells them clearly that he is the way, truth and life. He explains that if they truly love him, they will keep his commandments. We note here Jesus stresses on the important word, namely “My Commandments.” Jesus is not speaking of the traditional, Ten Commandments or the other legal norms practiced by the Jews. The disciples are aware that they are still valid, but Jesus goes beyond them as he had explained to them in the Sermon on the Mount. He had told categorically that he was not here to do away with the Jewish law or the teaching of the prophets but rather to fulfill their inner potential.
Jesus calls the disciples to observe his commandment. Here he stresses on the word Love, a word commonly used and yet is a difficult one to put it into practice. Jesus says in the discourse that if we love him we will keep his commands and fulfill his wishes. To John there is only one test of love that is obedience. It was by his obedience that Jesus showed his love of God and it is by our obedience we must show our love to Jesus. We see in the world varying expressions of love such as the love between parents and children, between husband and wife, between friends and even between different nations. To Jesus, real love is not an easy thing. It is shown by obedience. This obedient, trusting love leads to two things: first it leads to ultimate safety and second it leads to a fuller and total revelation.
Jesus explains to the disciples that God’s love causes him to promise to give us “another” Advocate. He uses the word another since he himself is an Advocate and the other Advocate will come and continue the work of Jesus. The word Advocate is understood as an intercessor, defender, and a witness for the accused, a best friend and a comforter in distress. In general, the word refers to a person who comes to stand by us and protect and gives us support. The Advocate and who comes will be a counselor, a monitor, and a comforter. Jesus tells them that when the Advocate comes, whom he will send from the Father, he is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on behalf of Jesus.
The purpose of sending the Advocate or the Holy Spirit is to teach us everything, and to remind us of all that Jesus had said to the Apostles. Jesus again tells that the Holy Spirit was sent to testify on behalf of Jesus and the purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit was to prove the world wrong about sin, and speak on righteousness and judgment: about sin, because some did not believe in Jesus; about righteousness because Jesus was going to the Father and the Apostles would no longer see Him; about judgment, because the ruler of the world had been condemned. Jesus was with the disciples for a short time and had many other things to tell them. But they could not bear it while He was in the world. The Spirit of truth was sent so he could guide the disciples of Jesus into all the truth.
Christ promises that he would continue his care of his disciples. He tells them that he will not leave them orphans, or fatherless, for though he will be leaving them, he won’t leave them in isolation. He communicates to them that he will come speedily to them after his resurrection. He promises them that he will come daily to them through his Spirit and thus manifest his love, and place into them the abundance of his grace. Certainly he will remain with them till the end of time. Only those persons that see Christ with an eye of faith shall see him forever: the world sees him no more till his second coming; but his disciples have communion with him during his absence. He tells them that these mysteries will be fully revealed in heaven.
The Holy Spirit, the best gift in love that God can give, stands beside us, comforts us when we ask, helps us in difficult times and speaks on our behalf when we are in struggle. Although people with no religious faith comfort one another, our fellowship with the spirit is deeper and more awesome. That does not mean transforming speeches or great visions. The Holy Spirit is most often more quiet and simple and more available than people can believe. We must remember that all spiritual life, all holiness comes from the Father through Jesus by the action of the Holy Spirit. From time to time if we have the sensitivity to perceive it, we are aware of what is happening as we truly share the spirit with one another.
The Words of Jesus in the conclusion of today’s Gospel Reading are: “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” Through this declaration, we learn the condition that is required in order to share in the life of God. To partake in the life of God, we must also share in the love and obedience of Jesus that was manifested towards His Father during His earthly life.
During the American Revolution a man in civilian clothes rode past a group of soldiers repairing a small defensive barrier. Their leader was shouting instructions, but making no attempt to help them. Asked why by the rider, he retorted with great dignity, “Sir, I am a corporal!” The stranger apologized, dismounted, and proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers. The job done, he turned to the corporal and said, “Corporal, next time you have a job like this and not enough men to do it, go to your commander-in-chief, and I will come and help you again.” With that George Washington got back on horse and rode off.
Perhaps we have heard the fable of a domesticated eagle. Once a tribal who lived in a forest found an egg of an eagle, took it home and hatched it along with other chicken eggs. The eaglet started growing along with other chickens in the farm. It started eating mud, pecking and hopping here and there like the other chicks. But it never learnt to fly like and eagle. One day as it was scratching the ground for food it saw an eagle majestically flying high in the sky. The eaglet started looking at it and admiring its grandeur when other chicks came to the eaglet and said, look that one is the eagle, the king of birds. You and I are chickens and we cannot fly like that eagle. Leave him and alone and come let us go search for our food. The poor eaglet then on thought it was a chicken and lived like a chicken and never learnt to fly.