6th Week of Easter – Sunday C

Published on 24 May 2025 at 13:07

Gathering on this beautiful day in the Easter season, because every day we are given by God is beautiful no matter what – our readings remind us that Jesus, before His ascension, promised His disciples and us that He would send the Holy Spirit—the Advocate—to dwell within us and guide us. This gift of the Holy Spirit is central to our life as the Church and as individual believers. Now you see why this day is beautiful!

In the first reading from Acts, the early Church is grappling with a significant question: What must Gentile believers do to be saved? The apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit, recognize that salvation is not merely about adherence to the Mosaic Law but about the grace of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. The decision to send Judas and Silas with a letter affirming that it is the Holy Spirit who guides the Church reminds us that the Spirit is the source of unity, wisdom, and truth. It is the Spirit who helps us discern right from wrong and keeps us united in the faith, and that’s applicable to all of us, gentile or jew. So, what the gentiles must do to be saved, is what all those who follow Christ must do to be saved: obey his commands. Listen to his voice. Live by his words.

Our responsorial psalm calls upon all nations to praise God, recognizing that God's salvation is for everyone. This universal call underscores a fundamental aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work: to draw all peoples into communion with God, to make His ways known across the earth, and to inspire us to praise and worship Him in a unity of faith. In other words, he leads us into truth. He does not inspire one person to hold that God is Three Persons, and another to believe that Jesus is special, but not God. The Holy Spirit cannot inspire us to falsehood or erroneous belief.

In the second reading from Revelation, the foundation stones are inscribed with the names of the apostles, reminding us that our unity and faith are built upon the foundation of the apostles and their teachings, inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit, which have been preserved and safeguarded for us in the Church.

In the Gospel, Jesus assures His disciples—and us—that He will send the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, who will teach us all things and remind us of His word. The Spirit is the gift that sustains us in truth, peace, and love. Jesus tells us that His peace is not like the peace the world offers but a divine peace that calms our hearts and dispels fear. He also emphasizes that loving Him involves keeping His word, and through this love, the Father and Son will dwell within us.

As we look forward to Pentecost—just a week away—we anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit anew. Pentecost was originally a Judaic agricultural festival celebrating the harvest of wheat and also held profound religious significance as the anniversary of the giving of the Torah by God through Moses at Mount Sinai. That the Holy Spirit would descend on this Feast, planned by God from all eternity, is an indication that through Jesus, a new commandment has come to us – that we love one another as he has loved us. The Holy Spirit has been given to us countless times—through baptism, confirmation, and the ongoing grace of the sacraments, and each time it is to strengthen us for the journey of love which will last our entire lives. We are called to love and by love we are challenged and commissioned to live.

May the Spirit continue to guide us, empower us, and unite us as we look forward to the great feast of Pentecost. Let us rejoice in the gift of the Holy Spirit, who brings all nations into truth and unity, proclaiming everywhere and always, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.


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