Sixth Sunday of Easter Year A 2023

Title

I Will Come to You

Outline

I often meet Christians who feel alone

They feel disconnected from God, even abandoned

They feel detached from what God is doing in the world

Yet sometimes they do not see Jesus standing before them

In Acts we see obvious signs of Jesus

Philip proclaims Jesus “the Messiah” to the Samaritans

John chapter 4 tells us Samaritans believed in a Messiah

Philip both proclaims Jesus as Messiah and does the works Jesus did, freeing people from maladies and evil

They believe and are baptized “in the name of the Lord Jesus” but still the only experience of Jesus they have is through his representative, that is, the outward, missional works of Jesus through the Spirit in the deeds of the apostolic evangelist, the “great man of God.”

When the apostles Peter and John realize that the conversion of the Samaritans was genuine, they prayed for and laid hands on them - the chrism of baptism and confirmation. Now the presence of Jesus was in them through the Spirit whose 7 fold gifts filled them.

In 1 Peter we see another sign of the presence of Jesus

In this passage Christians are being maligned, condemned, and persecuted, but they respond with giving the reasons for the hope that is within them, doing so “with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear.”

Their suffering with a clear conscience and a Jesus-like response, due indeed to the Spirit within them, makes them a living presence of Jesus that puts their enemies to shame (although it may not stop the persecution. As 1 Peter says, “For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God.”

Jesus in John says that love leading to keeping Jesus’ commandments is another aspect of his presence

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” How will we do this? The Father “will give you another Advocate/ Counselor/ Paraklete to be with you always, the Spirit of truth.” But this inner guidance is Jesus, since the Trinity is one: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” And one aspect of this is the visible-to-us coming of Jesus in the Mass: “In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live.” So it is true that “you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you,” and we realize this via his presence within us and especially in the Mass.

That is why the repentance, deliverance, and instruction in reconciliation and the Mass is so important for keeping his commandments and experiencing his presence are one package, as Jesus sums up: “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.”

So, Sisters, Jesus is here through the Spirit

Yes, he is here with his mighty deeds in the gifts of 1 Corinthians chapter 11, but they are for evangelistic situations; they are, as Thomas Aquinas taught, outward directed.

He is experienced by every believer in the gifts of Isaiah chapter 11 when we are chrismated and the Spirit anoints us making us one with Jesus as prophet, priest, and king.

He is also experienced when the Spirit enables us to be one with Jesus in our responding as Jesus to persecution so that we are his living representatives.

Finally he is within us by the Spirit stirring up love for him flowing into obedience to his commandments and making us aware of his presence in the Mass and in our hearts. No wonder Thomas Aquinas meditated for hours, or so it is said, with his head on the Tabernacle. No wonder St Dominic often lay down on the floor of a chapel to sleep when too tired to continue active prayer, resenting in the presence of his Lord. And yet both of them were guided inwardly by that same Jesus as they did his ministry during the day.

Jesus has not left us as orphans. He is always around us and working through us. We have to take the time to become aware of his presence through meditation, for he is there and we are not alone.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 5-14-2023: Sixth Sunday of Easter

FIRST READING

Acts 8:5–8, 14–17

5 Thus Philip went down to [the] city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. 6 With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured. 8 There was great joy in that city.

14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit, 16 for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them and they received the holy Spirit.

Catholic Daily Readings 5-14-2023: Sixth Sunday of Easter

RESPONSE

Psalm 66:1

1 For the leader. A song; a psalm.

PSALM

Psalm 66:1–7, 16, 20

1 For the leader. A song; a psalm.

2 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;

sing of his glorious name;

give him glorious praise.

3 Say to God: “How awesome your deeds!

Before your great strength your enemies cringe.

4 All the earth falls in worship before you;

they sing of you, sing of your name!”

Selah

5 Come and see the works of God,

awesome in deeds before the children of Adam.

6 He changed the sea to dry land;

through the river they passed on foot.

There we rejoiced in him,

7 who rules by his might forever,

His eyes are fixed upon the nations.

Let no rebel rise to challenge!

Selah

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,

while I recount what has been done for me.

20 Blessed be God, who did not reject my prayer

and refuse his mercy.

Catholic Daily Readings 5-14-2023: Sixth Sunday of Easter

SECOND READING

1 Peter 3:15–18

15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, 16 but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.

18 For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit.

Catholic Daily Readings 5-14-2023: Sixth Sunday of Easter

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

John 14:23

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “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.

GOSPEL

John 14:15–21

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, 17 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. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. 21 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.”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 5-14-2023: Sixth Sunday of Easter

SUNDAY, MAY 14, 2023 | EASTER

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

YEAR A | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Acts 8:5–8, 14–17

Response Psalm 66:1

Psalm Psalm 66:1–7, 16, 20

Second Reading 1 Peter 3:15–18

Gospel Acclamation John 14:23

Gospel John 14:15–21

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