Sixth Sunday of Easter (A)

May 17, 2020

Readings:

First Reading: Acts 8: 5-8, 14-17

Psalm 66 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3: 15-18

Gospel reading according to John 14: 15-21

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Homily: The Advocate (The Holy Spirit)

Love can only be shown and felt when we keep what was told us, when we observe what was commanded us to do. Love is the measure of one’s obedience and even beyond to the commandments.  Without love, we cannot follow what was said to us because we do not give any importance to the one who gave the words or the commandments told us to do.  “Jesus said to his disciples: ‵If you love me, you will keep my commandments′” (John 14: 15). Jesus gave his disciples the commandments to “love one another as I love you,” (John 15: 12) and in another gospel, he said: “Love God with all their hearts, with all their minds, and with all their strength, and to love their neighbors as they love themselves.” There is no greater commandments than this.  This also is corresponding to offer or lay down one’s life for one’s friend.  By doing this, we show to Jesus how much we love him when we keep his commandments.  When we obey Jesus’s commandments and keep them by translating them into action, we will do no wrong or commit any mistakes for his commands give us the right way, the truth and the life in relation to one another.

To strengthen the love towards him, Jesus, when  he  goes back to the Father, will ask God the Almighty Father to send an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, the One who will constantly support, guide, lead and remind the disciples (we also) to do what Jesus had had commanded them (us) to keep and do.  “‵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′” (John 14: 16-17).  When he comes to the Father, he will ask God to send down another Advocate like him, the Holy Spirit, to be with his disciples all the times.  This Advocate, this Holy Spirit will not be accepted by the world, for the world is full of sins, corruptions, hatred and malevolence, wickedness; that is why also that the world cannot accept the light – Jesus Christ, for it is used to live in darkness.  The world never sees it or knows it.  The disciples knew already the Advocate for many times Jesus taught them about it.  He also gave it (breath) to them after his resurrection and when he appeared himself to them in the cenacle, in the upper room.

Jesus could not settled even when he is in heaven.  (Hindi rin mapapakali si Jesus kahit na nasa Langit na siya.)  “‵I will not leave you orphan; I will come to you′” (John 14: 18).  He cannot forget what he has own and given to his Father what he has own. He also could not tolerate the disciples to miss him or make them orphans.  He promised that he will come back to take them to where he is.  But for the meantime, the Spirit of truth, the Advocate will be their companion in their daily lives.

He has to go back to the Father for he has accomplished what the Father has commanded him to do.  “‵In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live′” (John 14: 19).  After his death and resurrection the “world” will not see him, only the disciples can see him alive, in flesh and bone.  For forty days, he will be accompanying his disciples and will train, teach many more things he did not say or do, while he was not yet undergoing passion and death on the cross, to be done when he leaves them.

The time will come and it is already comes that the disciples understand that Jesus and the Father are one.  He is in the Father and the Father is in him.  “‵On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you′” (John 14: 20).  They will realize also that whatever Jesus has spoken and done came from the Father.  They will know also that Jesus is in them for he taught them all about the things that the Father wanted them to learn. 

Again, Jesus repeated his command to his disciples. “‵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′” (John 14: 21).  The true disciple of Jesus is the one who keeps his commandments and put it into practice.  When he does this, the Father will love him also as well as Jesus.  And his commandment is this: love one another as I love you! Love and you will be loved by God the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ and your neighbors.