Homily – Sixth Sunday of Easter (A)

On this 6^th Sunday of Easter we are well into the Easter Season.  Yet, the Gospel, John 14:15-21 in our lectionary, takes us back to the events surrounding the Last Supper with the promise of an “Advocate” (John 14:16) that will never leave us as orphans (John 14:18).

An advocate refers to someone who supports us and one that we can call upon.  Other synonyms include counsellor, helper and comforter.  Today, Jesus is reassuring us of our helper in the third person of the Trinity named the Holy Spirit.  It is quite fitting that Jesus is calling upon the Holy Spirit in his hour of need as he enters his passion while simultaneously promising us the same person we can call upon in our aid as we approach the liturgical solemnity of Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit forms part of the Trinity as the bond of love shared between the Father and Son.  Situated before and after the promise of the Holy Spirit are references to love by keeping the commandments of Jesus and his Father.  Jesus is inviting us to enter into the space of the Trinity, sharing in this divine life and intimacy by keeping and living the commandments of loving God and our neighbour.  This kind of love is radical beyond feelings and emotions involving deliberate actions of seeking the good of the other.  Though it is difficult, God promises the Holy Spirit to assist us and in keeping them God will dwell in us and we in Him.

This Sunday we are also celebrating Mother’s Day.  Although it is not liturgical, it is still an important day to celebrate.  God promises us that he will not leave us orphans because of the Holy Spirit but he has also promised us mothers.  It has been said before “God could not be everywhere at once and so He made mothers.”  This statement may not be theologically precise but it does capture something about the gift of motherhood.  Mothers were there at the beginning as co-creators with the God of human life, our first teachers of love and somehow always our first point of contact as advocators, helpers, comforters and supporters in good times and in bad until the end.

Thanks be to God for our mothers!  Happy Mothers Day.

By Fr Ian Vergel