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Contemplating today's Gospel

Today's Gospel + homily (in 300 words)

Sixth Sunday of Easter (A)
View 1st Reading and Psalm
1st Reading (Acts 8:5-8.14-17): Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed or crippled people were cured. There was great joy in that city.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm: 65
R/. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth, sing praise to the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise. Say to God, «How tremendous are your deeds!».

«Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, sing praise to your name!». Come and see the works of God, his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.

He has changed the sea into dry land; through the river they passed on foot; therefore let us rejoice in him. He rules by his might forever.

Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare what he has done for me. Blessed be God who refused me not my prayer or his kindness!
2nd Reading (1Pt 3:1.15-18): Beloved: Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit.
Versicle before the Gospel (Jn 14:23): Alleluia. Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, and my Father will love him and we will come to him. Alleluia.
Gospel text (Jn 14:15-21): Jesus said to his disciples, “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, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

“I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

Fr. Julio César RAMOS González SDB (Mendoza, Argentina)

Today, Jesus, just as he did with his disciples, says farewell as he returns to the Father to be glorified. It seems that this saddens the disciples who still look at him with a physical, human gaze, one that believes, accepts and clings only to what they see and touch. This feeling, which also exists today in many Christians, prompts the Lord to assure them that "I will not leave you orphans" (Jn 14:18), for He will ask the Father to send us "another Advocate" (Helper, Intercessor)— "the Spirit of truth" (Jn 14:16-17). Furthermore, although the world will not "see" Him, "you will see me, because I live and you will live" (Jn 14:19). Thus, trust and understanding in these words of Jesus will awaken love in the true disciple, which will be clearly shown in "keeping his commandments" and "observing them" (cf. Jn 14:21). And even more: whoever lives that way will be loved in the same way by the Father, and He - the Son - will love his faithful disciple and manifest Himself to him (cf. Jn 14:21).

How many words of encouragement, trust, and promise come to us this Sunday! Amidst daily concerns - where our hearts are overwhelmed by the shadows of doubt, despair, and fatigue for things that seem to have no solution or have come to a dead-end - Jesus invites us to always feel His presence, to know that He is alive and loves us, and at the same time, promises to those who take the firm step of living His commandments to reveal Himself in the fullness of new, resurrected life.

Today, Jesus is revealed to us as alive and present, in the teachings of the Scriptures we hear, and in the Eucharist we will receive. May your response be that of a new life surrendered in living His commandments, particularly that of love.

Thoughts on Today's Gospel

  • “The real and true life is the Father, who through the Son in the Holy Spirit pours forth His heavenly gifts to all; and through His love to man, the blessings of the life eternal are promised without fail to us men also.” (Saint Cyril of Jerusalem)

  • “Christian does not mean mainly adhering to a certain doctrine, but rather joining one’s own life to the person of Jesus. The Spirit teaches us the single indispensable thing: to love as God loves.” (Francis)

  • “What the Father gives us when our prayer is united with that of Jesus is ‘another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth’ (Jn 14:16-17). This new dimension of prayer and of its circumstances is displayed throughout the farewell discourse. In the Holy Spirit, Christian prayer is a communion of love with the Father, not only through Christ but also in him.” (Catechism Of the Catholic Church, Nº 2615)

December 15th
Third Sunday of Advent (C)

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