6th Sunday of Easter (B – White)
ANTIPHON (cf. Isaiah 48:20)
Proclaim a joyful sound and let it be heard; proclaim to the ends of the earth: The Lord is freed his people; alleluia.
INTRODUCTION:
The Gospel today, the last Sunday before Ascension, is part of Jesus’s farewell discourse. Jesus tells his disciples to get out of isolation, go forth, and bear fruit. In this Eucharist, we celebrate the mystery of Christ’s love. Because God has loved us first and has sent his Son, may we remain in that love, and love others in return.
FIRST READING (Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48)
The descent of the Holy Spirit on the pagan Cornelius and his family reveals to Peter that God’s love embraces even the Gentiles. True faith in God challenges us to go beyond our blood ties and narrow convictions and reach out to others.
WHEN PETER entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid him homage. Peter, however, raised him up, saying, “Get up. I myself am also a human being.”
Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.”
While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word. The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also, for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter responded, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?” He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
REPSONSORIAL PSALM (Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4; Response: cf. 2b)
R – The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
1. Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm. (R)
2. The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel. (R)
3. All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise. (R)
SECOND READING (1 John 4:7-10)
Christian love conquers selfishness, hatred, and prejudice because that love flows not from the human heart alone, but from the heart of God who has first loved us.
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
ALLELUIA (John 14:23)
R – Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
R – Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL (John 15:9-17)
JESUS SAID to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.”
REFLECTIONS:
JESUS’ VALEDICTORY to his disciples is riddled with the word ‘love.’ It is spoken nine times in today’s gospel, by somebody who will soon face a gruesome death on the Cross. Like any other person about to die, Jesus’ farewell teaching has a ring of urgency and reveals what he holds most valuable in life.
He speaks to his disciples about abiding in love. Earlier he presented this idea using the image of branches attached to the vine. The vine is rich in symbolism, especially for the Jews, because Israel is identified in the Old Testament to be the vine especially chosen and cared for by God (Is 5:1-2).
Jesus now identifies himself as the true Vine, and his disciples can remain attached to him by faithfully obeying his commandments. Jesus receives nourishment from the Father’s love, and it is the same love that Jesus communicates to his own disciples.
The word ‘love’ is oftentimes reduced to feelings or sexual interaction between persons. Feelings vary and can be erratic and cannot be a reliable basis of love. Sex, by itself, is not love but the expression of love between a married couple. Sex can stop, but true love cannot die. Jesus clarifies that the love he offers us is based on God’s initiative to love mankind. ”In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins” (Second Reading).
Jesus’ farewell teaching to his disciples on love acquires great significance in the light of what he is about to do for them and for his heavenly Father. The true Vine will be pruned on the wood of the Cross. Jesus’ self-offering at Calvary will be the culmination of a lifetime dedicated to loving those ignored and despised in Jewish society. it is the manner of loving that his disciples will take to heart, as they learn to welcome to their circle the lepers and the poor, the tax collectors and the prostituted women.
Peter and the Jewish Christians will also learn to welcome the pagan Cornelius and his household to the Christian fold. The Apostle will speak about the risen Christ and will summon the Holy Spirit for the sake of the pagans, giving occasion to the first en masse Christian baptism of pagans.
—oOo—
PASTORAL CATHECHESIS FOR THE YEAR OF THE CLERGY AND CONSECRATED PERSONS
by Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM
TOPIC: Priests: Humans and Holy
The Letter to the Hebrews (5:1) states that “every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God.” Priests and religious are truly to be “in this world, but not of this world”; they need to be deeply aware of both their “nothingness”/”humanness” as well as their “greatness”/”dignity.” Even in their weaknesses they are to manifest the overwhelming power and presence of the divine. The working of God‘s grace within human limitations is indeed a profound mystery.
Pope Francis says: “That is how we have to see ourselves: poised between our utter shame and our sublime dignity. Dirty, impure, mean, and selfish, yet at the same time with feet washed, called and chosen to distribute the Lord’s multiplied loaves, blessed by our people, loved and cared for. Only mercy makes this situation bearable… the mercy of God…is always ‘greater’ than our consciousness of our sinfulness.”
The priest or religious is to be “at the same time close to God and close to man; he is the ‘servant,’ who washes the feet and makes himself close to the weakest; he is the ‘good shepherd,’ who always cares for his flock.”
COMMUNION ANTIPHON (John 14:15-16)
If you love me, keep my commandments, says the Lord, and I will ask the Father and he will send you another Paraclete, to abide with you for ever, alleluia.
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The Mass Readings are taken from United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (www.usccb.org/bible/readings) and Reflections by Fr. Paul J. Marquez, SSP, is taken from the May 6th, 2018 edition of Sambuhay Missalette, printed in the Philippines by St. Paul’s Media Pastoral Ministry. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and does not necessarily reflect those of this blog page.
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