SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
26 MAY 2019
For
the third Sunday, we hear from the farewell discourse which Jesus gives at the
Last Supper. Unlike Saints Matthew,
Mark, and Luke, Saint John does not give an account of the institution of the
Eucharist at the Last Supper. His
theology of the Eucharist is found in an earlier chapter. Instead, Jesus washes the feet of his
disciples as a way of showing how they should love one another. He gives this farewell discourse to prepare
his disciples for his betrayal by Judas, his mock trial before Pontius Pilate,
his horrible death on Calvary, his burial, and his resurrection from the dead
on the third day.
He speaks
of his complete trust in the Father and urges them to imitate that trust, so
that their hearts need not be troubled.
He promises to give them two gifts.
The first gift will be the Holy Spirit.
Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the “Advocate.” In the ancient world, advocates were legal
scholars who protected the rights of their clients. They also served as “cheerleaders,”
encouraging their clients to continue without getting discouraged. The second gift will be the gift of
peace. The prophets of the Old Testament
promised that peace would be the hallmark of the Messianic Age. The peace that Jesus gives is not the absence
of conflict or troubles. The situation
following the Last Supper will be less than peaceful as soon as Judas hands him
over to be executed. They will better
understand the gift of peace when the risen Lord will break through the locked
doors of the upper room. The gift of peace
will replace their sense of grief and guilt caused by their running away from
the Lord in his darkest hour.
These same
two gifts, given to the disciples at the Last Supper, are given to us. As we prepare to celebrate the gift of the
Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we are very much aware of the presence of the Holy
Spirit now. It is through the power of
the Holy Spirit that the risen Lord is made present in the Sacramental life of
the Church, especially as we receive the Lord’s real presence in the Eucharist
under the forms of bread and wine. It is
also the Holy Spirit guiding the current successors of the Apostles: Pope Francis and the Bishops in union with
him.
We have
also received the gift of peace. Paul
and Barnabas exhibit that gift as they face the first huge controversy in the
Church. They have experienced the power
of the Holy Spirit when so many Gentiles responded to their preaching and came
to believe in the crucified Messiah, Jesus Christ. And yet, some very well meaning Jewish
Christians could not imagine believing in this Messiah without following the
Law of Moses that had always been so central to their lives of faith. Saint Luke puts the dispute very
diplomatically: “there arose no little
dissension and debate.” In other words,
the two sides are fighting like cats and dogs.
However,
they argue with respect for one another.
They listen to each other’s concerns. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the
Apostles agree that Gentiles are not required to follow the Mosaic Law. They also urge the Gentile Christians to be
charitable. Their Jewish brothers and
sisters have always found meat which is not kosher and unlawful marriages
offensive. Out of charity and concern, they
need to avoid these things.
There is
“no little dissension and debate” today in our Church. There is nothing wrong with having deeply
held beliefs. But, we must respect those
with whom we disagree. We must listen to
their legitimate concerns. We must
listen carefully to the authoritative teaching of the current successors of the
Apostles and trust that the Holy Spirit continues to work through them and
their ministry to the Church. We cannot
base our opinions on hateful blogs. Open
to the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and graced with the gift of
peace that the world cannot give, we continue to celebrate the resurrection of
the Lord during this Easter Season.
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