Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year A.
May 21, 2017
1st Reading: ACTS 8:5-8, 14-17
Philip went down to the city of Samariaand 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 themand they received the Holy Spirit. The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm: 100:1B-2, 3, 5
R/.Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
2nd Reading: 1 Peter 3:15-18
Beloved: Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanationto 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. The word of the Lord.
Gospel: 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 Fatherand you are in me and I in you.Whoever has my commandments and observes themis 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.” The gospel of the Lord.
SUNDAY REFLECTIONS:
On this, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, we begin to turn our eyes toward the coming of the Holy Spirit. In this passage above, Jesus speaks of asking the Father to send another Advocate to be with us always. This Advocate is the Holy Spirit. We are currently living in what we may call the “Age of the Holy Spirit.” This is the age that Jesus spoke about with His Apostles. Therefore, it’s good to look at the coming of the Holy Spirit in the way Jesus revealed it. First, regarding the title, “Spirit of Truth,” we should ponder whether we are able and willing to accept the full Truth that comes with receiving the Holy Spirit.
If we are of the world, embracing worldly ideas and values, then we will not be able to accept the Holy Spirit. However, if we are able to see the errors of our world and the many false values within it, we will more easily be able to reject those values and embrace the Holy Spirit and the many truths that the Spirit reveals. Furthermore, if we are open to the coming of the Holy Spirit, we will receive the greatest Advocate we can have in life. The Holy Spirit is THE Advocate, meaning, the only helper we need. Becoming consumed by the Holy Spirit provides us with every grace necessary in life.
Pray with me: Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen. Jesus, I trust in You that You alone will heal our sick brethren and set them free. May the souls of our faithful departed brethren rest in perfect peace, amen. Have a blessed and fulfilled Sunday.