Readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
St. Philip begins his missionary activities immediately following the death of St. Stephen. We hear many of the Hellenists were scattered following the deacon’s witness against the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. St. Philip goes with them into Samaria and proclaims the arrival of the Messiah in Christ. The Word is spreading through the persecution of Saul.
We note the omission of verses 9-13. From a historical perspective this passage speaks of the conversion of Simion the magician, important for the community in that it differentiated the signs being done by the Apostles and those believed to be sorcerers by the local inhabitants of the region This important distinction is qualified in Acts 8; 6-7; “With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.”
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Psalm 66 is a song of thanksgiving. As it continues today the selection starts with part of the community blessing of the Lord and follows with the second and third strophes being individual response to the communal prayer. In the final strophe, v.20, we see the usual action of the person who has been rescued coming forward to teach the community what God has done.
Reading II 1 Peter 3:15-18
Speaking again to the persecuted Christian community, St. Peter tells them to always be ready to bear witness to their faith but to do so without condescension, with love. Witnessing in this way with “gentleness and reverence” and not being defensive or vehement, their attackers will look cause the Christians to look the victims giving no one a reason to punish them. In this way they were to follow the example of Christ who “suffered” (many sources read “died”) for all mankind, the righteous and the unrighteous.
Gospel John 14:15-21
The farewell speech of the Lord continues with the promise of the Holy Spirit – the Paraclete. We note he says “another advocate”; Jesus himself is the first advocate (in St. John’s Gospel the term used synonymously with spokesman, mediator, intercessor, comforter, and consoler). Jesus says this gift is “The Spirit of truth” (from the Quamram or Dead Sea Scrolls- a moral force put into a person by God.). This promise is made because the disciples are becoming worried and are afraid of being left without Jesus’ guidance. In addition to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he leaves his peace, not just the greeting “Shalom” but an inner peace that conquers fear.
Reflection:
As always on the Day of the Lord, we are asked to be imitators of Christ. Taken as a statement like; “All you need to do to earn a place in heaven is imitate Jesus of Nazareth and do what he asked people to do.” It sounds so easy, just this one thing. Yet, even with the practical advice given in Holy Scripture, we find living the commandments of Christ to be the hardest thing we have ever attempted.
We are constantly faced with opportunities to fall from grace. It is like walking a tight-rope, one moment of inattention, one false step and we loose our balance and fall. With deeper understanding of the message of Jesus we see how hard it is and may think, “Why try? There is no way I can be like that.”
Into our questioning and doubt comes the Lord with help for us. Through St. John he tells us (as he told his disciples) that even though he is going home – the join his Father in heaven, he is not making us orphans. He is leaving us with a “New Advocate”. He, who is both man and God, leaves us God, indwelling as a guide and counselor. We feel it as that inner voice guiding us, that warning voice telling us where not to go, that consoling voice that gives us hope.
Strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit, we should be convinced that what is asked of us by God’s perfect expression of love is possible, a reasonable expectation by the one who created us and should know. Even though we still doubt (who, after all, has seen the Holy Spirit? (AKA “Holy Ghost”)), we are called onward by the voice of Jesus “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me.”
Ironically, it gets easier with that statement. If we love the Lord and know what pleases him, it becomes a matter of keeping our love for him in the back of our minds constantly. Like one we are desperately in love with is always on our mind; not to the point of distraction (that is obsession) but always near by.
Still, it is not easy what the Lord asks, commands! But he did not leave us without resources so we only need to reach for that strength and it will be there. We pray today for the strength to call on that font of hope and wisdom left to us by the Prince of Peace.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is “Blessing Christ” by Raffaello Sanzio, 1506
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
St. Philip begins his missionary activities immediately following the death of St. Stephen. We hear many of the Hellenists were scattered following the deacon’s witness against the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. St. Philip goes with them into Samaria and proclaims the arrival of the Messiah in Christ. The Word is spreading through the persecution of Saul.
We note the omission of verses 9-13. From a historical perspective this passage speaks of the conversion of Simion the magician, important for the community in that it differentiated the signs being done by the Apostles and those believed to be sorcerers by the local inhabitants of the region This important distinction is qualified in Acts 8; 6-7; “With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.”
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Psalm 66 is a song of thanksgiving. As it continues today the selection starts with part of the community blessing of the Lord and follows with the second and third strophes being individual response to the communal prayer. In the final strophe, v.20, we see the usual action of the person who has been rescued coming forward to teach the community what God has done.
Reading II 1 Peter 3:15-18
Speaking again to the persecuted Christian community, St. Peter tells them to always be ready to bear witness to their faith but to do so without condescension, with love. Witnessing in this way with “gentleness and reverence” and not being defensive or vehement, their attackers will look cause the Christians to look the victims giving no one a reason to punish them. In this way they were to follow the example of Christ who “suffered” (many sources read “died”) for all mankind, the righteous and the unrighteous.
Gospel John 14:15-21
The farewell speech of the Lord continues with the promise of the Holy Spirit – the Paraclete. We note he says “another advocate”; Jesus himself is the first advocate (in St. John’s Gospel the term used synonymously with spokesman, mediator, intercessor, comforter, and consoler). Jesus says this gift is “The Spirit of truth” (from the Quamram or Dead Sea Scrolls- a moral force put into a person by God.). This promise is made because the disciples are becoming worried and are afraid of being left without Jesus’ guidance. In addition to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he leaves his peace, not just the greeting “Shalom” but an inner peace that conquers fear.
Reflection:
As always on the Day of the Lord, we are asked to be imitators of Christ. Taken as a statement like; “All you need to do to earn a place in heaven is imitate Jesus of Nazareth and do what he asked people to do.” It sounds so easy, just this one thing. Yet, even with the practical advice given in Holy Scripture, we find living the commandments of Christ to be the hardest thing we have ever attempted.
We are constantly faced with opportunities to fall from grace. It is like walking a tight-rope, one moment of inattention, one false step and we loose our balance and fall. With deeper understanding of the message of Jesus we see how hard it is and may think, “Why try? There is no way I can be like that.”
Into our questioning and doubt comes the Lord with help for us. Through St. John he tells us (as he told his disciples) that even though he is going home – the join his Father in heaven, he is not making us orphans. He is leaving us with a “New Advocate”. He, who is both man and God, leaves us God, indwelling as a guide and counselor. We feel it as that inner voice guiding us, that warning voice telling us where not to go, that consoling voice that gives us hope.
Strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit, we should be convinced that what is asked of us by God’s perfect expression of love is possible, a reasonable expectation by the one who created us and should know. Even though we still doubt (who, after all, has seen the Holy Spirit? (AKA “Holy Ghost”)), we are called onward by the voice of Jesus “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me.”
Ironically, it gets easier with that statement. If we love the Lord and know what pleases him, it becomes a matter of keeping our love for him in the back of our minds constantly. Like one we are desperately in love with is always on our mind; not to the point of distraction (that is obsession) but always near by.
Still, it is not easy what the Lord asks, commands! But he did not leave us without resources so we only need to reach for that strength and it will be there. We pray today for the strength to call on that font of hope and wisdom left to us by the Prince of Peace.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is “Blessing Christ” by Raffaello Sanzio, 1506
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