6th Sunday of Easter

Today’s Second Reading, from the First Letter of Peter  (1 Peter 3:15-18), tells us to sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts, but what does that mean? In our relationship with God, how do we accomplish this? “If you love me, you will keep my commandments,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel (John 14:15-21). That is how he will know that we love him. What he asks of us is not always easy, but Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to help us. Specifically, Jesus promises that he will send “another Advocate.” Jesus is the first Advocate, for he interceded for us with the Father. He will send the Holy Spirit as another Advocate. The Greek word used by the evangelist John is “parakletos” which is usually translated into English as “advocate” or “counselor.” It appears five times in the writings of John and was commonly used as a legal term for an attorney who defends the case of an accused person in a courtroom. In Jesus’ usage, the Holy Spirit is seen to be the Person called to our side, to offer strength and support and understanding. The Spirit of truth will help us to remember and to understand what Jesus taught. That Spirit will give us the courage to bear witness to our faith and will also provide us with the words we need to defend ourselves when we suffer for our faith.      

In the First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 8:58, 14-17), when the people of Samaria accepted the Gospel message from Philip, Scripture tells us that “There was great joy in that city.” When we love Jesus, when we keep his commandments, then we, too, can be a people of joy. From this joy, we can offer a defense of our faith when it is needed, remembering the instruction from the First Letter of Peter to do so “gently.” Pope Francis, many times, has urged us both to share the love of God in our hearts through lives of prayer and service, and to be mindful not to do so simply to change people’s opinions. The First Letter of Peter includes an emphasis that our conscience should be clear, and that we should live upright lives. Keeping God’s commandments and loving him is not only the greatest               defense of our faith, but is also our sacred obligation.  

May we have a renewed intention to love God in ever greater ways, and may the Holy Spirit give us strength and fill our hearts with joy.