Word to the Wise
Sunday, May 25, 2025 - 6th Sunday of Easter - C
[Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Rev 21:10-14, 22-23; John 14:23-29]"Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.... I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. [John]
Those who attend both Sunday and daily Mass may be forgiven if they say, after hearing this Sunday's first scripture from the Acts of the Apostles and the gospel from the Gospel According to John: "Didn't we hear all of this earlier at daily Mass?" Yes, they did. But it doesn't harm to hear it again and look at it from a new perspective. As it is, there is much more to come from the Last Supper discourse, which seems to be a collection of themes of faith and understandings of Jesus that show longer years of reflection than the other three gospels. The Gospel According to John was composed nearly 60+ years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Acts of the Apostles, although composed earlier, reflect the rapid spread of Christianity and its interaction with local circumstances far beyond Jerusalem!
Important themes that appear in the gospel scripture for today include the assurance of God's presence in the hearts of believers even if Jesus is about to leave. There is the promise of the "Advocate" - the Holy Spirit - whose coming we will celebrate before long at Pentecost. And there is the gift of Christ's PEACE which we celebrate at every Mass before receiving physical communion with him - a gift that unfortunately turns into a polite ritual gesture in many places.
Christ gives himself to us, and is present to us, in more than the Body and Blood we consume at Eucharist. We are challenged to give his presence and peace to others. He says that "this is how all will know you are my disciples - that you love one another." We are bearers of the love of the Holy Trinity dwelling within us. It is a big challenge, given human frailty and temptations, but the challenge has not been withdrawn nor have we been excused from it. In the days ahead, both at Sunday and daily Mass, the Last Supper Discourse will continue to teach us about the challenge. AMEN