SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022
SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
First Reading: ACTS 15:1-2, 22-29
Responsorial Psalm: PSALMS 67:2-3, 5-6, 8
Second Reading: REVELATION 21:10-14, 22-23
Gospel: JOHN 14:23-29
The Gospel today is set at the last supper. The context is the imminent departure of Jesus through the loving gift of himself in death. His death must not be the cause of consternation and fear but a cause of joy because he is returning today to his father and our father and will open a new relationship marked by the indwelling of the Holy Trinity; the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in the heart and soul of the disciple.
The gospel tells us, love Jesus and keep his word and Jesus will come to you and live with you. He said to the one who love Him and keep His word, “my father will love him and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” Isn’t that amazing? How consoling! God will make His dwelling in our heart and soul. Why does he want to make His dwelling in us? Because He loves us. Only love can make Him want to dwell in us. He loves us with the most perfect and universal love. He desires the deepest and most intimate relationship with us. That is why He wants to make your heart and your soul his dwelling place.
His presence within us will not immune us from troubles and difficulties. On the contrary, keeping His word will attract more trials. But in the midst of all these, we will have peace, the peace of Christ. The peace that the world cannot give. The peace of Christ flows from His oneness with the Father and the peace He gives us is intimately connected with His presence in our heart and soul. The Holy Spirit will be with us as our Advocate. Advocate is the one who stands by us in trials, the one who speaks for us, supports us and defends us. He will help us to understand all things and see the love of God even in our trials.
Jesus is a fullness of the revelation of the Father. In His physical absence, the Holy Spirit will be the living or rather the ongoing revelation of Jesus and the Father, teaching and clarifying all the truth He had revealed. In the first reading, we see how a dispute that threatened the very foundation of Christianity was easily settled by the guidance of the Holy Spirit who also guided Paul and the apostles in their apostolic missions. The Holy Spirit continues to guide the church in this difficult time.
Happy Sunday
Rev. Fr. Chidi Onwuka MSSCC