6thSunday of Easter (Cycle A, Year I)
Community Word:
The Holy Spirit empowers us to do the works of Jesus.
Theme:
We are empowered by the Holy Spirit when we remain in Christ and live in Him.
Promise:
“… Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal to myself to him.”(Jn 14:21b)
Reflection:
Especially for close friends or family members, saying goodbye is not easy for both the person going away and those being left behind. This is the scenario in the gospel in the 6th Sunday of Easter.Jesus is telling his friends that he is now leaving them to be reunited with his Father, after being with them for a good three years of companionship, discipleship and intimacy; especially after an episode of his passion, death and resurrection that challenged the faith of his disciples. His friends are not ready to let go of their Lord whom they come to believe as the true Messiah. But Jesus tellsthem that even if he is no longer physically with them, he is in them in spirit and tells them: “you will see me because I live and you will live…you are in me and I in you,” (Jn 14:19b, 20b).
Although Jesus left to his disciples the mission to continue his works, he promised that his Father will give them another Advocate, the Spirit of truth to enable them to keep his commandments and to spread the gospel of salvation and reveal him to the whole world.
Through the apostles of Jesus, the awesome task of continuing Christ’s mission has been passed on to us as the modern day believers and disciples of Jesus. St. Teresa of Avila has captured this given responsibility in her famous poem,”Christ has No Body” –
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which He looks, with compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good.
Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, you are His eyes, you are His body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which he looks, with compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Jesus does not forsake us or leave us to face every challenging moments of our mission without his help.As he promised, the Holy Spirit guides, strengthens and brings us safely through the adversities we face in this life. He enables us to “sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts,”so that we maybe elevated above all persecutions and obstacles in doing the works of Christ. The only requirement is to remain in Christ and live in Him. The key is to be faithfully in love with him by being humble, obedient and patient in doing his will and keeping his commandments: “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.” (Jn 14:15-16).
The fruit of true love for Jesus is our ever deepening affection for him manifested by our obedience to his instructions. God’s will may seem burdensome and may appear to limit our personal freedom and growth. But as Christians, we know that true freedom comes only from following God’s loving commandments designed for our happiness, for our physical and spiritual well-being as well. This obedient love ushers us into a divine and loving relationship with the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. For this week, the Lord gives us this promise: “… whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him,” (Jn 14:21b). In this light, it is the role of the Holy Spirit to defend us before the Father and render us worthy and righteous before God.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you called me to love others as you love me. Use me to bring your love and compassion to everyone whom I will meet in my life’s faith journey. Help me to be fruitful in this world and to care for those who are lost, forgotten and suffering.
Reflection Questions:
1. In what ways can you reveal God’s love in your family, workplace and our community?
2. What are your struggles in keeping God’s commandments and how do you plan to overcome them?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
May 21, 2017 (Sun) – Acts 8:5-8, 14-17/Ps 66:1-7, 14, 20/1Pt 3:15-18/Jn1 4:15-21
May 22, 2017(Mon) – Acts 16:11-15/Ps 149:1-6,9/Jn 15:26-16:4
May 23, 2017(Tues) – Acts 16:22-34/Ps 138:1-3,7,8/Jn 16:5-11
May 24, 2017(Wed) – Acts 17:15,22-18:1/Ps 148:1,2,11,-14/Jn 16:12-15
May 25, 2017 (Thur) – Acts 18:1-8/Ps 98:1-4/Jn 16:16-30
May 26, 2017 (Fri) – Acts 18:9-18/Ps 47:2-7/Jn 16:20-23
May 27, 2017 (Sat) -Acts 18:23-28/Ps 47:2,3,8-10/Jn 16:23-28
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Rea6d your Bible daily!”
