HOMILY FOR THE 6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR A
1. Summary of of ideas of today’s 6th Sunday of Easter Year A readings
The Holy Spirit whom the Risen Christ will send occupies the center of this 6th Sunday of Easter Year A readings.
- In the Gospel (Jn 14:15-21), Our Lord wants us to consider 2 important ideas in our life as Christians.
- He promises to the disciples that he will ask the Father to send us another Defender, an Advocate, who is always with us, the Spirit of truth. The Holy Spirit always lives with us and is with us because through faith and baptism we have received and come to know Him.
- If we love him, we should keep his commandments.
2. God seeks to be with us always! The Promise of the Holy Spirit
In the Gospel, Jesus said: “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.”
Do we realize how much Our Lord loves us?
- He does not want to leave us as orphans after his Ascension into heaven. Rather, out of love for us, he always seeks to be with us. That is why he promised to send the Holy Spirit, which occurred in the day of Pentecost and which we have received during Baptism.
- When a beloved person dies: all we have left of him or her are pictures, memories, things which we treasure and cherish, and remind us of our deceased loved one.Jesus however sent us the Love between Him and the Father to remain IN us. Rom 5:5: God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. GOD’S LOVE IN US AND NOT ONLY WITH US, but IN US, that is, PROVIDED THAT we do not drive Him away through mortal sin.
- WHEREVER THE HOLY SPIRIT IS, THERE IS ALSO THE FATHER AND THE SON. GOD IN OUR SOUL IN GRACE!
- And GOD SENT the HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR SOUL to be “another Advocate or paraclete” for Jesus himself is God’s Advocate (cf 1 Jn 1:21; Heb 7:25). which means “consoler” “called to be beside one” to accompany, console, protect, defend and above all, to teach us and help us grow in our LOVE FOR GOD, not only in words, feelings, but in deeds, with our life. That is why, we need to deal with the Holy Spirit often everyday and be reminded ourselves of him.
- Do you know a prayer to the Holy Spirit? As a GREADESCHOOLER every Monday morning all the elementary students in my school would gather in the grandstand and recite the prayer “Come Holy Spirit”.
- It would do us good to pray to the Holy Spirit daily, knowing that He is the love which proceeds from the Father and the Son; the Sanctifier, i.e., it is He who makes us holy, divinizes us in all our faculties and actions, and shapes us to be other Christs, Christ Himself (St. Josemaria).
- HOW TO REMIND OURSELVES OF THE Holy Spirit? By making use of the symbols which represent him:
- These symbols are: dove, fire, clouds, imposition of hands, oil.
- We could also ask for his gifts and fruits when our personal situation requires. For example, when we don’t know how to deal with a problem, we ask for wisdom and counsel to shed us his light, guidance, his consolation, and his help.
3. Genuine love for God expresses itself in deeds and in the faithful obedience of His Will.
In the Gospel, Jesus said: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments (Jn 14: 15).”
- Genuine love for God and for others expresses itself in deeds and in the faithful obedience of His Will.
- Authentic love for God means wanting what He wants and rejecting what He rejects.
- Jesus wants us to understand what love for God consists in: in the obedience of His Word and commandments; and this includes everything He taught through His Church.
- As Catholics, we cannot just choose among the Commandments and teachings of Jesus and His Church what we want to live, as if we are in a restaurant, choosing the meals we wish to order.
- He asks from each one of us coherence between our faith and love on the one hand, and between our faith and life, on the other, for genuine love expresses itself through deeds and not just sweet words nor sentiments. St. John reminds us not to “love in word or speech but in deed and in truth” (1 Jn 3:18), and in another, he teaches us that “this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments” (1 Jn 5:3).
Our Lord promises a reward: “And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him (Jn 14:21).”
Dear brethren in Christ, let us thank the Most Holy Trinity for their immense love for each one of us, seeking always to be with us and in us through the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in our soul in grace, to transform us into other Christs, to accompany, console, help and defend us amidst the difficulties we face in our earthly journey. Let us correspond to God’s enormous love by abiding and keeping His commandments. As the Solemnity of Pentecost is fast approaching, let us prepare for it by invoking the Holy Spirit many times during the day.
Mary, Daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, pray for us!
A Blessed Sunday and week ahead! Fr. Rolly Arjonillo
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