OMELIE / Omelie EN

14 mag 2023

14/05/2023 - 6th SundaySunday of Easter - year A

14/05/2023 - 6^th SundaySunday of Easter - year A

Reading 1 ACTS 8,5-8.14-17 Psalm 65 Reading 2 1 PT 3,15-18 Gospel JN 14,15-21

The first reading is telling us about the preaching work carried out by Philip. He is preaching Jesus to the Samaritans, the very ones that used to refuse to welcome Him. Now they listen to the apostle's words, who, in addition to saying His name, lets them enjoy and savour His love by caring for the sick and possessed. The latter are healed or are freed by invoking the Lord Jesus’s name.

Jerusalem’s Church is informed of what is happening in Samaria and feels the need to come to Philip’s help, above all for him to be able to bring to completion his first preaching mission with the calling forth of the Holy Spirit, which the believers have to receive to have strength and perseverance in being witness of the faith in the risen Lord. Therefore, Peter and John come to him, not on their own initiative, but sent by the whole community. We can see in this intervention the way in which the Lord answers the Church’s unanimous prayer: He enjoys seeing that His people are united among themselves for the love of Him and He rewards them with the great signs of His divine presence, performing miracles, but, above all, sending His Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the gift Jesus promised during the Last Supper. He promises it to those who give Him their love, and He promises it as an Advocate. This is the announcement in today’s Gospel.

The Spirit will have the task to assist the believers in every situation, in the sufferings, in the doubting ones, in weakness, in difficult ones. The believers in Jesus in fact will not always have an easy life, on the contrary, they will be tempted and tested, because they will have to bear witness of Him. And witnessing the Father’s love and the salvation coming from Jesus is way stronger, recognisable and convincing during trying times, difficult moments and times of suffering. So the disciples need the Spirit, which convinces them that the main thing in life is not health or material wellbeing, but being with Jesus. This is the warranty of the Father’s blessing and His salvation.

The Spirit’s presence and work become for the disciples the certainty of the continuous presence of Jesus next to them, as the Lord and Master, as a friend and a brother. All our life will unfold in the Holy Spirit, in its light and the warmth of its peace.

We will always make sure not to sadden the Spirit with our sins and our disobedience, with the pride and the disregard for others, with unreasonable requests and jealousy. We will be careful to give time to Jesus Christ’s Spirit, adoring it in our heart, as Saint Peter is inviting us to do.

With interior life, practiced daily, we will be able to love the brethren, and also to answer with tenderness and respect to the people who do not understand, but they still would like to get to know our faith, because they find it rich in the fruit of serenity and peace, of life and interior richness. In this way the Holy Spirit, from the dwelling in our heart, can spread God’s warmth and light around us and attract others in the sweet whirlwind of salvation.

Everyone needs Jesus’s salvation. The Holy Spirit gives us love for all men of every people, gives us courage and generosity to offer us, so Jesus’s holy and lovable name can reach them, and, with it, the true peace and light of truth.

Let’s start with calling out the Holy Spirit, so it may come in us and spread in the whole Church, and the latter may be able to accomplish her task in the world.