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Sixth Sunday – Year A – Easter
Readings: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; 1 Pet 3:15-18; Jn 14:15-21.
1/ Reading I: RSV Acts 8:5 Philip went down to a city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 And the multitudes with one accord gave heed to what was said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs which he did. 7 For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice; and many who were paralyzed, or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city. 14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; 16 for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
2/ Reading II: RSV 1 Peter 3:15 but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you yet do it with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than for doing wrong. 18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.
3/ Gospel: RSV John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father; and you in me, and I in you. 21 He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
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I. THEME: The Holy Spirit shall be with you forever.
To understand the important role of the Holy Spirit in our life, we can begin with the most important element of God’s creation, the living element, what makes all plants, birds of the air, fish in the sea, animals and human beings live. Though we don’t see this element with our eyes, but we can tell if a plant, a bird or a human being lives or dies. We call it “the breath” in animals and human beings.” Similarly for the spiritual beings, angels and human souls; since they are immaterial, they can’t be died; but what makes them alive is God’s spirit in them. In the Trinitarian life, it is the Holy Spirit that makes the Father and the Son always alive. Christ can’t be died spiritually because he always has the Holy Spirit within him. We can see that how the Holy Spirit is important for human beings, both corporally and spiritually. To help people to participate in the divine life, God bestows on them His Holy Spirit.
Sunday of the sixth week of Easter prepares us for the Holy Spirit’s descendance. Today readings help us to understand the important role and the characteristics of the Holy Spirit in our life. In the first reading, the author of the Acts differentiated between the two baptisms, the baptism in water by John Baptist for repentance and the baptism by the Holy Spirit for sanctification. In the second reading, the author of the First Letter of Peter emphasized two characteristics of the Holy Spirit. He is the principles of truth and of life. It is the Holy Spirit that resurrects Christ from his death. In the Gospel, Christ revealed for his disciples many things about the Holy Spirit: He is the Spirit of truth; he shall be always with people; he is another Paracletes besides Jesus to protect the faithful. Whoever has him, has also the Father and the Son.
II. ANALYSIS:
1/ Reading I: When Peter and John came to the Samaritans and laid hands upon them, they received the Holy Spirit.
We need to differentiate between the two baptisms: John Baptist’s and Jesus’ baptism.
1.1/ John’s baptism in water is for people to show their repentance: Many of the early Christians only knew the baptism of John Baptist which is for repentance. We can see this situation is reported by the author of the Acts as followed, “While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve of them in all” (Acts 19:1-7).
1.2/ Jesus’ baptism in water and the Holy Spirit is for the forgiveness of sins and the sanctification: To understand the baptism in the Holy Spirit, we need to examine Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan river, reported by St. Matthew, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”” (Mt 3:13-17).
Jesus doesn’t need the baptism in water for repentance because he has no sin; but he wanted to set an example for the faithful. One saint said he did so he could sanctify the water of Jordan River and all the water which the Church shall use to baptize people later. But he needs the Holy Spirit’s anointing so he can officially begin his ministry as the Messiah.
The Synoptic reported the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry after his baptism in the Jordan River and the event which he was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil. Lucas began Jesus’ ministry at Nazareth when he entered the synagogue and read the following passage of the prophet Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn” (Isa 61:1-2). Therefore, Jesus’ anointing by the Holy Spirit and his public mission are closely related. Jesus began his ministry as the Messiah: forgiving sins, setting free and sanctifying people.
According today passage from the Acts, “when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.”
Today Church still followed this tradition when she bestows the sacrament of Confirmation for the faithful by anointing, praying over and the laying of hands upon them. All these signs indicate that the confirmed faithful received the Holy Spirit and all his gifts to begin their divine life, and to begin the ministry of preaching the gospel and to witness for Christ.
2/ Reading II: By the Holy Spirit, Christ is resurrected.
2.1/ The Holy Spirit is the principle of life: The Jews have only one word, ruah, to indicate the human spirit, breath and wind. When God created the first human being in the second account of creation, the author said God “breathed” into the man’s nostril and made him to be a “living” being (Gen 2:7). Similarly, according to the author of the Psalm, when God withdraws people’s breath, they shall return to dust (Psa 103:29-30; Eze 37). Therefore, God’s spirit is the element that makes people alive. People can’t live without God’s spirit.
Christ, when carrying in himself a human body, must also be died; but he died to fulfill God’s will as the author of today passage pointed out, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”
The author of the Fourth Gospel described Jesus’ last moment as follows, “A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished;” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (Jn 19:29-30). The author didn’t say he died; but he “gave up his spirit.” This is the important moment, because Jesus promised his disciples that he and the Father shall sent another Paracletes to be with them forever. This moment was arrived when Jesus gave up his spirit for his disciples. Of course, the Holy Spirit shall be manifested publicly and magnificently on the Pentecost; but concerning the time, when Jesus was no longer present physically with his disciples, the Holy Spirit’s time officially began.
2.2/ The Holy Spirit helps people to live according to Christ’s truths: Christ revealed the Holy Spirit’s mission as follows: He is the spirit of truth. He helps people to recognize Christ’s truths and to lead them to the perfect truth. The author of the First Letter of Peter helps us to recognize this process as following:
(1) Firstly, to acknowledge the truth: “In your hearts reverence Christ as Lord.” Truth begins with Christ; he revealed the truths about God for people. These truths are recorded clearly in Scripture. A disciple of Christ must revere Christ is the truth and learn all of his truths under the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
(2) Secondly, to witness for the truth: “Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” Christ’s disciples witness for the truth not only by preaching the truth but also by living a truthful, joyful and charitable life.
(3) Lastly, to courageously live according to the truth: “Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than for doing wrong.” Doing good deeds are not always accepted by the world; sometimes are the cause for sufferings.
Christ’s disciples are also equipped persevere in sufferings by the Holy Spirit’s gifts.
3/ Gospel: “I will pray the Father and He will give you another Paracletes, to be with you forever.”
3.1/ He is the Spirit of truth whom the world can’t receive: The Greek noun “Paracletes” is difficult to translate into English because it has many meanings. According to the literal meaning, it can be a person who is called to help in emergencies. It can be the Advocate to safeguard his client before the court. It can be the Consoler when someone is in distress. It can be the Advisor when one needs to make a difficult decision. It can be a friend to encourage someone who is in desperate situation, etc.
To understand its concise meaning, we need to examine Christ’s role to his disciples because he is also called “the Paracletes.” Christ claimed himself as their Master, Lord, friend, the Good Shepherd, the consoler, the protector, etc. So, it might be good not to translate the term, but to keep it in Greek, the original language, to safeguard its many meanings.
The Holy Spirit, whom the Father grants for the faithful according to Christ’s intercession, shall be always with them to the end time. The time we are living in is the Holy Spirit’s time; we need to be conscious of his presence in our life. In order to have the Holy Spirit in our life, we must keep Christ’s commandments.
The Holy Spirit is the truth and the world can’t be received because it doesn’t know the truth; but Christ’s disciples know him because they heard the truths from Christ. The world used here to indicate people who don’t know or are indifferent with the truth.
3.2/ “You will know that I am in my Father; and you in me, and I in you”: Christ, though is no longer be with his disciples physically, is present with them in union with the Holy Spirit. Wherever the Holy Spirit is, the Father and the Son are also there. The Holy Spirit is the principle of life. He helped Christ to resurrect from death and bestows the divine life and his gifts for Christ’s disciples through the sacraments.
The Holy Spirit is the love that unites the Father, the Son and the faithful: Jesus said to his disciples, “In that day you will know that I am in my Father; and you in me, and I in you. He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
The love which Jesus mentioned here isn’t the sentimental love through passion; but the love which must be expressed concretely through the faithful’s obedience and keeping Christ’s commandments. The truthful love requires one to always do good deeds, to sacrifice and to persevere in suffering until the end. This is certainly difficult for human beings but can be done with the Holy Spirit’s graces and help.
III. APPLICATION IN LIFE:
– We must always be conscious to recognize the Holy Spirit’s presence in our life. He is the principle of life: physically, intellectually and spiritually.
– He is the truth and shall guide us to all the truths. He is the love that unites us with the Father, the Son and each other. He is also the Sanctifier who shall help us to be more like God every day.
– Our body is the Holy Spirit’s temple. Whoever live according to the flesh and the world is against the Holy Spirit’s way of life. He shall not dwell in those who live such a way.