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(25th May 2025) Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter

READ: (Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Rev 21: 10-14, 22-23; Jn 14: 23-29)

REFLECT: The God of promises and God who fulfills promises…

Dear friends, we are in the Sixth Sunday of Easter. The liturgy spells out to us the promise of God in and through Jesus. We all know that promise is a declaration or an assurance that one will do something or that a particular thing will happen or take place. We all promise in different situation. Sometimes we keep promises and at times we do not keep up to the promise. However, it is important that we fulfill the promises we make, because it shows our commitment and dedication to a vowed task or responsibility. Someone has very beautifully said, “Promises are an affirmation of love, friendship, family and human connection. Promises are actions that affirm our love and connection with others. Whether that connection is through friendship, family or strangers, promises affirm that we want to pass on our compassion to others.” Yes, that’s true. We have people who make empty promises and people who make sure promises. There are people who never make promises too for fear of failing in promises. But we have a God who promises and fulfills it. Let us reflect the same with the three points of reflection.

1.     Promise of the saving Act:

Very powerfully, Pope Leo XIV has shared his insights on the following day of his election as Pope, “Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent.  Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure. Where it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied. Yet, precisely for this reason, they are the places where our missionary outreach is desperately needed.” Yes, the saving act of God is the need of the hour and we are to work for it as followers of Christ.

Saving act of God would mean a divine intervention through which God redeems, or saves individuals or people collectively. This concept is common and central to many religions. Definitely, we Christians have our own view, where we believe that God has sent his only Son Jesus to redeem us back to God, by the self-sacrifice offered by Jesus on the Cross for us. Indeed, the saving act of God is open for everyone provided we believe in God and profess and confess our faith in God. And that’s what we see in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

The First reading from the Acts of the Apostles very clearly specifies and makes us known that Paul and Barnabas chose Judas and Silas to continue the mission of Christ entrusted to the apostles. We see that the mission of Christ is continued and many more added to the faith of Christianity and people believe in Jesus. We hear about the debate about circumcision. However, we note that they come to a conclusion with power of the Holy Spirit and by discernment of the elders that circumcision is not necessary to be saved but faith in Jesus and respect towards customs and traditions of the Church and the people. Thus, the early Church community determines with the help of the Holy Spirit, not to impose the requirement of circumcision on Gentile Christians.

Yes, God does not force people rather loves them, seeks of good disposition and desires to be part of the saving act. God desires our free and loving participation, not just our obedience. When we respond to Him with open hearts, we become co-workers in His redemptive plan. We read in the book of revelation a God who knocks and is willing to dine with us if we call him in (Rev 3:20). Therefore, we have a God who always seeks our freedom and not force. True, divine love always honors human freedom. So what we need to do today is to nurture a heart of love and not fear, to be attentive to the needs of the other and read the word of God with openness. So that we would understand what the scripture teaches according to the context and situation we live. Let us pray that we may participate in the saving act of God without force but with love and obtain his blessings on us and all.

2.     Promise of light

We have several scriptural passages that speak about the promise of light. The Lord went before them in a pillar of fire to give them light (Exo 13:21); Arise and shine your light has come (Isa 60:1); the Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear (Psalm 27:1); light is addressed to the disciples of Jesus (Matt 5:14); All the more, we have in the gospel of  John, the promise of light is Christ himself who said in Jn 8:12 “I am the light of the world, one who follows me will never walk in darkness rather will have the light of life.” This promise indicates that Christ illumines the path to salvation; Christ dispels the darkness of sin, fear, and confusion; Christ as a light shines before us to guide, to guard and to take complete control of our lives on earth.

Somewhat in similar line of thought, we hear in the second reading from the book of revelation. The second reading from the book of revelation presents before us the vision of the heavenly splendor of Jerusalem described in a vision, where the son of man takes in spirit upon the mountain and showed the holy city of Jerusalem. The city did not need light because the glory of God was reflecting the light and was shining for all. There was no need for a temple because the almighty God himself was the temple, the presence of the tribes and twelve apostles are clear signs of heavenly court under the control of God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The temple is almighty God, no sun or moon needed to give light because the glory of God gives it light.

Yes, where God is full of life, light and brightness. There is no fear of darkness and devil; there is no room for doubt and double standard of living; there is no question of domination and danger for the presence of God is an assurance of love, service, safety and security. The Lord invites us to obtain his light for our lives. We need to realize that the Lord promises light of life to those who have God’s light in oneself. What we need to do is to believe that the light of God will make us walk towards the light of faith, light of love and light of service. Today, most of us are not able to shine the light of Christ within us. It is because we have not obtained the light of Christ or we have tendencies and inclination that deprive or dissuade us from obtaining the light of God or Christ within us.

Today we need to believe in the words of St. John in his epistle who said “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (1 Jn 1:5-7). Yes, the light of Christ within us creates impact in us, so that the other is inspired by the light of Christ in us. If we literally take it to heart that God’s presence is light and envelops brightness, then we who have the imprint of God within us should become light that dispels darkness, a light that shines for all to live a new life in Christ.  Today let us pray that we obtain the light of God to shine before others to inspire and ignite the passion to walk towards Jesus.

3.     Promise of Jesus

We hear in letter to Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly or steadily to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Heb 10:23). Yes, God has always been faithful to us in all things, although we have not been faithful to him in litter and greater things. what makes God to remain faithful to us is his love and compassion. God never wishes to see us struggling or striving. Even if we struggle or strive, let us be assured that God accompanies us or anchors us with his power and strength to withstand all problems and pains. Such is our God, who not only utters but fulfills all that he promises us. That’s what we see in the gospel reading of the day from John, the Evangelist.

We see here Jesus making a triple Promises that would associate us to be faithful to God and be close to his heart. The first promise that Jesus wishes us to fulfill and be faithful for is to love God, his word and Jesus himself. That’s why Jesus would say, “The one who loves me will keep my word and the father will love him too.” Surely, the presence of God is felt in God’s word; keeping the word of God is as equal as keeping God in heart. We see here that the Greatness of God the Father is acknowledged by Jesus.

The second promise that Jesus makes with us is to send Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. We are still more eagerly waiting to celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit, where the pouring forth of Spirit fills up all people. They were united one in mind and heart, although from different places. The language did not matter; the place did not matter but the spirit makes everything possible by the grace of God to be in union and communion with each other. So such an empowerment of Spirit we are going to obtain and that is what is promised to us by Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, who would animate our lives amply. The life that is filled or fueled by the Sprit of God has its power, dynamism and commitment of life as Christians. We need not do anything, by the fact that Spirit of God is in us and promised to us, we would be empowered to empower others. That’s the power of the Spirit of God and what we need to do is to believe in the power and diving dynamism of God’s spirit in our lives.

The third promise that Jesus makes with us is the promise of Peace which the world cannot give. That’s why Jesus would say, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not the world gives do I give to you.” Yes, Jesus does not give us the worldly peace that is temporary, illusory, momentary rather he gives us peace that heals the hurt, peace that restores relationships, peace that empowers and creates space of passion for compassion, peace that perseveres to love till the end genuinely, generously and joyfully.

As we all know that Pope Leo XIV after being elected as the leader of the Catholic Church, he invoked the words of the risen Christ, saying: “Peace be with you all! This is the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for the flock of God. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families, to all people, wherever they are, to all peoples, to all the earth. He described this peace as a disarming and humble and persevering peace, emphasizing that it comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally.” Yes, Jesus promises such peace that belongs to God and God who wishes to give us that peace, because he loves us unconditionally.

Today we need to understand that Jesus gives us this promise so that we may continue to be with God and manifest his love to everyone on earth without discrimination and favoritism. In all surety, we can believe in the promise of Jesus because he promised and foretold his disciples about his rising and so he did rise. Similarly, Jesus will surely fulfill what he promises, so today let us pray that we believe in the promise of Jesus and obtain life eternal.

RESPOND:

Do we believe in the saving act of God and make earnest efforts to become part of God’s salvation?

Do we believe that Jesus is the promised light and we who have the light of Christ have power to illumine the light of Christ to others?

Do we believe in the promise of Jesus and remain faithful to obtain the promise to fulfillment in life?

Let us believe in God of promises and the God who fulfills his promises to his people, because he loves us always. Amen.

God bless us all! Live Jesus!