6th Sunday of Easter 2025
Acts 15:1-2, 22-29 Apoc 21:10-14, 22-23 John 14:23-29
While reading the Scripture Readings for today’s liturgy we might have a sense of history repeating itself – Salvation history repeats itself over and over as we celebrate our Eucharistic liturgy! The passage from St John’s Gospel follows the narratives where Jesus is revealing to the disciples that He is going to leave them. They have already been stunned by the betrayal of Judas and at the departure of Judas Jesus declares ‘Now has the Son of man been glorified’. There is reassurance for the disciples that the betrayer has been conquered and then Jesus continues His teaching of reassurance and hope with his words: “Do not let your hearts be troubled”; “I am the way, the truth and the life”; “I will not leave you orphaned”; “I will do whatever you ask in my name”. All this will be possible because “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name will teach you everything”.
Reflecting on the past couple of months in our Church we can find that things and events in the early Church were not very different to what we have been experiencing. We have journeyed with Pope Francis in his illness and suffering. We have hoped and prayed for him and for all his intentions. We have learned from his example and been touched by his compassion, even in the midst of his suffering. Pope Francis has reminded us that we are all part of the Body of the Church and that through real synodality we have involvement and responsibility to ‘love one another as we have been loved’. The 1st Council of Jerusalem, as described in our 1st Reading today, was a great example of the need to share our concerns, our hopes and joys with one another.
The sadness of Pope Francis’s death was felt not only in the Church but throughout the world. But, providentially, it occurred while we celebrated the Resurrection of the Lord – a reminder that life is but changed and that we are all called to share in the New Life and the glory that The Lord has won for us.
Surely we have experienced the promises of the Lord being played out for us over the last few weeks. “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send …” has moved among us and worked through the cardinals and through the Church at prayer. The editor of THE TABLET (17th May ’25) wrote ‘Pope Francis knew what he was doing’ in preparing the way for his successor to the Petrine ministry. ‘It safe to say had the Holy Spirit objected, his plan could have been thwarted’.
The whole world has witnessed the fulfillment of the promises of the Lord. The Holy Spirit has been sent and is moving among us “to remind us of all I have said to you”. We have been truly blessed in these days. Our Faith has been strengthened, and our Hope is re-ignited.
Each time the Risen Lord appeared after his Resurrection his greeting was the same ‘Peace be with you’, My Peace I give you’. Significantly, the first greeting of Pope Leo to all of us was also, ‘Peace be with you’.
We dare to believe that the peace of heart and mind, that we disciples have, will spread to all the world. ‘I believe, Lord, help my unbelief’ (Mark 9:24)