Sixth Sunday of Easter May 14, 2023
Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John
14:15-21
Roald Amundsen, the great Norwegian
explorer who discovered the South Pole took a homing pigeon with him on his
trip. He told his wife that if he reached the end of the world, he would
release the pigeon. His wife sat for hours, all alone in their big house
looking up the sky for the promised pigeon. One day she looked out the bedroom
window and saw the pigeon circling in the sky above. “He’s alive!” she cried,
“My husband is alive!”
As Jesus gets ready to leave his disciples,
he promises to send them the Paraclete who is often depicted as a dove. But
there are enormous differences between the pigeon that Amundsen sent to his
wife and the Paraclete that Jesus sent to his disciples. The pigeon is merely a
sign that the traveller has reached his destination. Beyond that the pigeon can
do nothing more. The Paraclete that Jesus sent to his disciples, on the other
hand, means to them everything that Jesus himself meant for them while he was with
them. Jesus was a Paraclete to the disciples, and he promised them “another”
Paraclete: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete”
(John 14:16).
Today's readings suggest the proclamation
of the Divine Presence of the Holy Spirit. The gospel of today tells us of the
concern of Jesus for his church. Jesus
is about to leave the world and return to his Father as he promises to send
them the Holy Spirit. He tells them that he will not leave them orphaned but his
spirit will be with the church till the end of time.
Today's First Reading from the Acts of the
Apostles was an historical recount of the event surrounding the giving of the
gift of the Holy Spirit to the Samaritans. Because of the persecution, although
the gospel was spreading, believers were scattered. So the Deacon Philip was on a mission to
Samaritans which is the first crossing of the threshold into non-Jewish
world. Accepting Jesus as the promised
Messiah, many of the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit in their lives through
the laying of the hands of Peter and John.
This was the unique way in which the Samaritan converts were
incorporated into the Church. They
imposed their hands on the people, a symbol which they understood as a
conveying of power. This symbol is used in the church even today at baptism,
confirmation and ordination. This very special event can be viewed as the
Samaritan Pentecost. The first Pentecost is documented in the Book of Acts when
the disciples received the Holy Spirit. A third Pentecost took place when the
Gentiles heard the good news and received the Holy Spirit.
The purpose of sending the Advocate or the
Holy Spirit is to teach us everything, and to remind us of all that Jesus had
said to the Apostles. Jesus again tells that the Holy Spirit was sent to
testify on behalf of Jesus and the purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit was
to prove the world wrong about sin, and speak on righteousness and judgment: about
sin, because some did not believe in Jesus; about righteousness because Jesus
was going to the Father and the Apostles would no longer see Him; about
judgment, because the ruler of the world had been condemned. Jesus was with the
disciples for a short time and had many other things to tell them. But they
could not bear it while He was in the world. The Spirit of truth was sent so he
could guide the disciples of Jesus into all the truth.
All of us seek for someone’s help in one
time or other. Remember! watching Karate
Kid? The coach was always there at the side of Macchio. It is consoling to
know that God is by our side at all moments of our lives. The Holy Spirit, the
best gift in love that God can give, stands beside us, comforts us when we ask,
helps us in difficult times and speaks on our behalf when we are in struggle. Although people with no religious faith
comfort one another, our fellowship with the spirit is deeper and more awesome.
That does not mean transforming speeches or great visions. The Holy Spirit is
most often more quiet and simple and more available than people can
believe. We must remember that all
spiritual life, all holiness comes from the Father through Jesus by the action
of the Holy Spirit. From time to time if we have the sensitivity to perceive
it, we are aware of what is happening as we truly share the spirit with one
another. May we have the awareness to live in the presence of that Comforter who
is at our side and we say:
“Come Holy spirit
Fill the hearts of the faithful
And renew the face of the earth.”
Happy Sunday
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