Sixth Sunday of Easter
Philip the Deacon travels to Samaria today in the Acts of the Apostles. He performs miracles that inspire faith in the local people. There is great rejoicing in the town, and many convert to Christianity. While this is a great event, it doesn’t complete the work of their conversion. Peter and John come to know about what has happened, and they journey to Samaria. They “imposed hands” on the people of Samaria so that they could receive the Holy Spirit. This completes their conversion.
The first letter of St. Peter was addressed to Christians suffering persecution in Asia Minor. Peter offers consolation to them. He encourages them to know why they are Christian, to “give a reason” for their hope in Christ. Peter also encourages them to keep their “conscience clear” so that no one would find some way to rebuke them for their conduct. This would show they truly lived a Christian way of life. This is a good rule to follow for dealing with adversity. If we present ourselves as living beyond reproach, we can rise above any adversity. The late Cardinal Bernadine of Chicago is such an example. He gained fame and prestige through years of service in the Church. Then in 1993, he was falsely accused of assaulting a youth. The media widely reported this false allegation as truthful. Cardinal Bernadine maintained his innocence, and he was eventually exonerated. He is quoted as saying that his honorary titles and distinction meant nothing once he was accused. All he had left was his integrity.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus gave his farewell discourse at the Last Supper. It’s important to note that the readings of Easter are not given in chronological order; so we are looking back at the Gospel reading. Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit, which the World will not know but the Apostles will know. “The World will not see me, but you see me as one who has life, and you will have life.” How do we see Jesus? The truth is that we don’t see Jesus as we would like to see Him. We want to see Jesus only in His glory, and the truth is we can’t while on Earth. However, we can see Jesus in the circumstances and events of life. Fr. Jean Pierre de Caussade wrote The Joy of Full Surrender. He states beautifully “any moment we can have communion with the love of God.” Christ comes to us in the present. He came first in humility and will come again in glory, yet we can have spiritual communion with Christ in every moment.
The Apostles followed this principle today when they responded to the needs of their times by serving the people of Samaria. We to can see God’s will in the events of our own lives, and we can respond positively, just as the Apostles did. We can keep God’s commandments and love God and our neighbor. This way we can find Jesus in every moment. How well do you respond to God right now? Do you believe that you can know Jesus in the present moment?
Reflection by Br. Matthew Marie, OSB
Posted in Daily Reflections, Lenten Resources