CHRIST PRESENCING IN A NEW WAY

V/​ I will turn to you O God, 

R/​ to God who gives joy to my youth

V/​ Give me the Wisdom that sits by your throne; 

R/ that I may be counted among your children

Lord, in your all-providential plan, you have led me to this moment to rediscover me in your Word and Wisdom. Aid me to make this time of meditation and prayer enriching, transforming, and liberating for my well-being and others. Amen!

CHRIST PRESENCING IN A NEW WAY

By Fr. Luke-Dominic Onwe

Sixth Sunday of Easter Year C

Act 15: 21-27; Psalm 67 (66): 2-8; Revelation: 21: 10-14, 22-23; John 14: 23-29

25th May 2025

On this 6th Sunday of Easter, one thing particularly emphasised in all the readings is the presence and mission of the Spirit of God. The first reading presents the Holy Spirit as the guide of the apostles in deciding and continuing the ministry of Christ entrusted into their care. In the second reading, John, the author of the book of the Apocalypse, is led in the Spirit to see the vision of the new city that God is creating, where God dwells among men. The Spirit is the gift of God, which Jesus promises in the gospel today.

In the farewell discourse of Jesus, John presents Jesus nearing the end of his post-resurrection appearances; he is about returning to the Father, and like he did before his passion and death, Jesus informs his disciples and thus, prepares them for that reality of his departure. However, Jesus does not abandon, nor does he stop caring for the disciples; rather he promises them the Holy Spirit, whom he calls the Advocate: The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you. The advocate is one who stands in place of the accused, takes his place and defends him.

Why does Jesus promise an Advocate? We must understand that there is a continuation in the ministry of Jesus, the work of the Holy Spirit, the work of the apostles and the work of the Church. Jesus already knew that there would be persecutions for the Christians and his followers. Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace that the world cannot give, this is my gift to you.

Peace does not necessarily mean absence of war or conflict. As St Augustine puts it, Peace means ‘serenity of the mind, simplicity of heart and tranquility of soul.’ This is God’s gift to us. This peace is an effect of the presence of the Holy Spirit, that when faced with difficulties, they will be calm and untroubled.

This same spirit is still at work in the Church and indeed in the life of every Christian who has been configured in baptism to the image of Christ. It is the same Spirit that we see manifested in the resolution of the Council of Jerusalem in the first reading. The disciples were able to make decisions that had a universal consequence to the Church; and that is admitting the Gentiles to Christianity without first making them Jews, because Jesus is still present in their midst. That Spirit is still present in the Church in many ways: in the authority of the Church, when matters of faith and morals are defined, when the church celebrates the sacraments, when the church gathers to pray, the Spirit is still within us as individuals. But we need to pray and discern the Spirit of God as St. John encourages us to test every Spirit to know which is from God.

The good news today is that God has not left us alone like orphans; he has not abandoned us. He has left with us what is necessary for following him and for remaining united with him in his love, and by obeying his commandments. We have his powerful, caring and life-giving presence for us in the Holy Spirit. Let us be docile to that Spirit of God at work in us. And let us manifest it in our lives by our choices and decisions in life.