Sixth Sunday of Easter

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 2746-2751: Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper
CCC 214, 218-221, 231, 257, 733, 2331, 2577: God is love
CCC 1789, 1822-1829, 2067, 2069: Love of God and neighbor fulfills the Commandments
CCC 2347, 2709: Friendship with Christ

“Dead Christ Supported by Two Angels”
by Giovanni Bellini, 1460

Readings for Sixth Sunday of Easter [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
 
When Peter entered, Cornelius met him
and, falling at his feet, paid him homage.
Peter, however, raised him up, saying,
"Get up. I myself am also a human being."
 
Then Peter proceeded to speak and said,
"In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him."
 
While Peter was still speaking these things,
the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.
The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter
were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit
should have been poured out on the Gentiles also,
for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God.
Then Peter responded,
"Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people,
who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?"
He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
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Commentary on Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
 
This is part of Peter’s speech to the Cornelius and his family (Gentiles). Peter has clearly been influenced by the universal salvation through Christ preached by Paul. He proclaims that God is for everyone not just the Israelites. He then launches into the Good News which he starts with a description of the baptism of the Lord ( Acts 10:34-38) and how the Holy Spirit descended. Even as he recounted this, the Holy Spirit descends upon those gathered and Peter has the entire household baptized.
 
“This scene is reminiscent of Pentecost. There the Holy Spirit came down on the first disciples, Jews all of them. Now he is given to Gentiles, unexpectedly and irresistibly. It is as if the Lord wanted to confirm to Peter everything he had so far revealed to him about the admission of Cornelius to the Church. The centurion and his family are baptized on Peter's instructions, without first becoming Jews through circumcision.” [5]
 
CCC: Acts 10:35 761; Acts 10:48 1226
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Responsorial Psalm: Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
 
R. (cf. 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
 
Psalm 98 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. We see in this selection how God is praised for the strength he lends his people, and the salvation he brings to those who are faithful. The psalm rejoices in God’s salvation. The Lord has revealed his compassion toward the people and they sing his praises in response. As the Hebrews saw this as salvation for the people of Israel from its enemies, we see the deeper expression of God’s love as he sent his Son for salvation and justice for the whole world.
 
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Reading II: 1 John 4:7-10
 
Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
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Commentary on 1 Jn 4:7-10
 
This wonderful selection from St. John’s first letter is a summary of the apostle’s major contribution to our understanding of God as revealed through his Only Begotten Son. The exhortation to love one another is repeated frequently throughout the author’s Gospel and his letters. The idea that “God is love” is central to our understanding of God and Christ. In this short passage we see not only a glimpse of God’s intent in sending Jesus to the world as a proof of his love for us through “expiation of our sins,” but also our own imperative as Christians to love one another in imitation of him.
 
“John begins his appeal for love, as a demand which is laid upon every believer who seeks to live as a true child of God, by reminding his readers of the dominical command to “love one another” (see John 13:34–35; 15:12, 17). Characteristically, this ethical injunction is closely linked to a supporting theological statement about the origin of love itself and of the one who loves. Theology and ethics belong together throughout 1 John.” [6]
 
CCC: 1 Jn 4:8 214, 221, 733, 1604; 1 Jn 4:9 458, 516; 1 Jn 4:10 457, 604, 614, 620, 1428
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Gospel: John 15:9-17
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love.
 
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another."
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Commentary on Jn 15:9-17
 
The discourse on the union of Jesus with his disciples continues. His words become a monologue and go beyond the immediate crisis of Christ’s departure. In this passage Jesus focuses on the chain of love from the Father, through the Son, to his adopted sons and daughters.

There is much made of the use of the difference in the Greek words for ”love" used in this discourse. When Jesus says “No one has greater love than this,” the word agapao (intimate, selfless love) is used, while when he says “You are my friends,” the word phileo (casual "friendly" [brotherly] type of love) is used. St. John uses the two words synonymously, so the message is clear – reiterated at the end of the passage – "Love one another."

St. John also distinguishes the disciples' new relationship with God saying, “I no longer call you slaves…I have called you friends.” Jesus designates the disciples “friends of God.” This designation is supported and defined in other places in Sacred Scripture. It separates the disciples from Moses, Joshua, and David who carried the designation “Servants of the Lord” (see Deuteronomy 34:5, Joshua 24:29, and Psalm 89:21). Calling them “friends” of God establishes the same relationship as that enjoyed by Abraham (see James 2:23): “Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called 'the friend of God.'" [7] The clear reference was that they, like Abraham, would be patriarchs of the New Covenant.
 
CCC: Jn 15:9-10 1824; 15:9 1823; 15:12 459, 1823, 1970, 2074; 15:13 363, 609, 614; 15:15 1972, 2347; 15:16-17 2745; 15:16 434, 737, 2615, 2815
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Reflection:
 
This simple command to his disciples (“love one another as I love you”) is the most difficult thing ever asked by God of humankind.  If it were asked of mother and child – it could be possible, at least most of the time.  If it were asked between two siblings, it might be possible if they were close to each other.  But to ask it of friends, even very close friends, and ask that it not just be applied among themselves but to others as well- that is incredibly difficult. 
 
What Jesus commands his disciples (the emphasis is added because it is not a request or suggestion), is to love one another as he loved them.  That love is not a simple hug and slap on the back.  That is an “I lay my life down gladly for you in spite of all your faults” love.  That is the give-the-other-cheek-with-humility love that does not seek to give guilt.  That is the love that allows one person to tell another the most painful truth without giving offense and that truth being accepted without anger, but with thanks.  Christ’s love is the love that transforms the lover into something more than human, some creation that is linked to God, intimately.
 
God the Father, through his Son, Jesus who is the Christ, with the Holy Spirit, commands us to love one another!  If we are to accomplish this and thereby remain in him and he in us as Scripture says, we must draw on the strength and wisdom that flows from him.  We must do this, knowing that our love cannot be perfect as his love for us is perfect.  But we can imagine, can’t we?  We can envision how much he loves us.  We see it in the sacrifice of the Mass.  We feel it in the sacrament of reconciliation.   We can understand it intellectually.  That means we can work toward that kind of love for one another.
 
In the opening statement of this reflection, it was said that the kind of love Christ commanded was possible between family members.  It is at a deep level.  That is, a mother at some deep level will love her child and siblings will love each other at some deep level.  But too frequently, love and trust are violated, and because of the depth of feeling, a rift occurs, hatred shows its ugly and destructive face and damage is done in a depth proportionate to the love that existed before.  We must look inside our own familial relationships and find the damage there. This must be the first step in trying to follow Jesus’ command to love one another.  Pray for the strength to repair those damaged feelings and see if love cannot rule there once more.
 
As always these reflections apply first to me and so I am making my pledge to love my family as God loves me.  That means my children when they do mean and hurtful things or when they are just inconsiderate (since my wife is perfect, I don’t need to worry about her) but I will try to expand that command to reach all the relationships I have at work, at church, in my social life.  In that way I can approach the command Jesus gives us:  "This I command you: love one another."
 
Pax
 

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The Picture used is “Dead Christ Supported by Two Angels” by Giovanni Bellini, 1460
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 789.
[6] Stephen S. Smalley, 1, 2, 3 John, vol. 51, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1984), 236.
[7] St. John synthesizes Isaiah 41:8 and 2 Chronicles 20:7 in which Abraham is called God’s friend.