OT XVII [A]: 1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12; Rom 8:28-30; Mt 13:44-52

Some time ago a magazine ran a story about teenagers who belong to the Santa Clara Swimming Club. Every morning they get up at 5:30 and hurry through the chilly air to an outdoor pool. There they swim for two solid hours. After a shower and a quick bite to eat, they hurry off to school. After school they return to the pool to swim for two more hours. At 5:00 they hurry home, hit the schoolbooks, eat a late supper, and fall into bed exhausted. The next morning the alarm rings at 5:30 and they start the whole thing all over again. When asked why she follows such a disciplined schedule, one girl said, “My only goal is to make the Olympic team. If going to parties hurts that, then why go? There is no such thing as too much work. The more miles I swim, the better, Sacrifice is the thing.” Today’s Gospel challenges us to show such whole-hearted commitment to keep the most valuable treasure of an intimate relationship with Jesus, accepting Him as Lord and Savior and doing his will.

 

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us that God’s Kingdom (the rule of God in us; our acceptance of Jesus as our God and Savior, then putting our Faith in him, and doing His will), is something of extraordinary value, like a hidden treasure or costly pearl, and that safeguarding it within us calls for total commitment. Jesus is not just one buried treasure, but a whole series of them, each one more marvelous than the one before.

 

The parable of the pearl makes the point that the sacrifice of everything must be made for this one thing of immense value. Those who have not sacrificed everything for it will not have this treasure and will come to know how much they have lost.

Frequent battles and foreign invasions encouraged the people of Palestine to bury their treasures, like money and jewelry in their fields. For example, the great religious treasure – the “Dead Sea Scrolls,” discovered in the caves at Qumran in 1947 – was hidden there over 2,000 years ago. Sometimes unclaimed and forgotten, the hidden treasures await some lucky finder. Jesus tells the story of one such lucky treasure-finder who sold everything he had in order to get ownership of the field. According to the Palestinian laws of that time, the mere finding of buried treasure did not entitle the finder to possession unless he also owned the property in which it was found. In the parable of the treasure in the field and in the parable of the merchant who sought fine pearls, we see the image of one who recognizes the value of the kingdom of God and gives everything to possess it. Matthew, a tax-collector, might have experienced something like this when he discovered the eternal value of the Kingdom preached by Jesus of Nazareth.  When he discovered Jesus and his vision of life, everything else became secondary. Having a personal relationship with Christ, that is, making Christ’s view of life one’s own, is the most beautiful, the most precious thing in the world. But most of the time, we are chasing false treasures like money, social status and pleasure. Jesus our true treasure may come to our lives unexpectedly through some daily experience as he did with Mathew.

In Biblical times, the pearl was probably the costliest and most sought-after gem. Jesus wants us to know that the Kingdom of God is worth all we have.  He has come to offer us God’s Kingdom, a unique pearl of the greatest price. The genuine disciples are those who respond to this opportunity with joy and selfless commitment, eagerly giving top priority to life in the Kingdom by doing God’s will, whatever it may be. The “treasures” and “pearls” of lasting value are the things of God.

In order to attain such treasure, we must “sell off” our own interests, ambitions and agendas and thus free ourselves to embrace the lasting values of the compassion, love and mercy of God Who reconciles us to Himself. This parable teaches us that, although we are baptized Christians, we still need to pursue the true and full meaning of the Gospel, which can escape us for many years.  We always need to understand more, to love more, and to serve more.

The parables speak of the total commitment and dedication which are the ideal of every follower of Christ.  What the parables really teach us is that, when one discovers Jesus and his vision of life, everything else becomes secondary.  That is what St. Paul meant when he said: “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8), and again “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 2:21). To have a personal experience of Christ and personal relationship with Him – in other words, to have made Christ’s view of life one’s own – is the most precious thing in the world.  “Life under God’s righteous rule is to be sought about everything else.”

 

Most of the time, we are chasing false treasures such as money, status or pleasure.  Often, we are locked into regrets over the past, or focused too much on the future.  As a result, the enriching present passes us by, and the treasure is never discovered.  Thus, the really valuable pearl of sharing in God’s life through Jesus here on earth and later in Heaven is never found. Let us always remember that Heaven is within the reach of all of us who try to do the will of God, following the ordinary vocations of life and enjoying this world’s joys and pleasures within the framework of God’s Commandments. Right now, it is for us to use the time given to us to go in search of the pearl of great price and to help others in their search.

 

 

 

 

 

OT XVI [A] Wis 12:13, 16-19; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43

A Bishop was sailing for Europe on one of the great transatlantic ocean liners.  When he went on board, he found that another passenger was to share a cabin with him. After unpacking his bags, he went to the purser and inquired if he could leave his gold watch and other valuables in the ship’s safe. He explained that he had just met the man who was to occupy the other berth in his cabin and he was afraid that the man might not be trustworthy. The purser smiled, accepted the valuables and remarked, “It’s all right, Bishop, I’ll be very glad to take care of them for you. The other man has just been up here and left his valuables for the same reason!” Today’s Gospel reminds us that we should not judge others hastily.  There is a lot of good in the worst of us and a lot of evil in the best of us. In other words, the best of us are still “weeds” in God’s garden.

 

The parable hints at why we should not treat others as “weeds,” i.e. evil or wicked. 1) Each one of us is a combination of wheat and weeds.  In each of us there are elements of the Kingdom of God and elements that are deeply opposed to it.  Even Paul recognized that struggle within himself (cf. Romans 7:21-25).  God told Paul that it was precisely through his weaknesses that He could reveal His glory.  “My power is made perfect in [your] weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Relying on the power of God, we, too, must learn to be patient with the evil ones. 2) The time for judgment is not yet come because the Kingdom of God is still in the growing stage. Now is the time to expect conversion, because with the help of God’s grace sinners can change. 3) Another reason we should avoid judgment is that we cannot draw a line which would neatly separate the good from the bad because everyone is a mixture of good and evil.

Bishop Sheen said in one of his radio speeches: “The history of the world would have been different if the Christian authorities had shown compassion, patience and mercy instead of expelling Hitler and Mussolini from the schools and Stalin from the seminary in disgrace as ‘weeds.’”

 

Christians often appear too self-righteous, suggesting that those who disagree with them are the “weeds” in the garden of life. Some are judged as being too radical and others as not being radical enough. Some are judged for embracing doctrinal errors, others for appearing not to have any doctrine at all. Some are condemned for not caring for the poor, others for caring too much for the poor.  We often forget that appearances can be deceptive.  The old saying, “If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it’s a duck,” may be true in the secular realm, but not in the Kingdom of God.  If one talks like a Christian, sings like a Christian, etc. it doesn’t necessarily mean he or she is a Christian. While we do our best to exercise right judgment as to what is or isn’t correct (John 13:35; I John 2:5, 3:10), the final determination will be made by God.

 

How often have we been a “weed” in the garden of the Lord? Would we, knowing what we know now, like to have been plucked up at those times?  God is so merciful that He allows evil to exist in order that what is good may grow. He allows evil to exist because He can turn it into good. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God can change even the ugliest thorn into a blossom of Faith. In God’s field we have two responsibilities: to grow in grace as we do His will, and to share His Word and love with others.

 

In the end, it’s enough to know that we are “seeds” who have been planted by the “Son of Man,” and that we’re part of a healthy harvest that will someday be reaped by the angels of God.

 

God wants us to take a good look into the field of our own lives to see what is growing there. Let us work with Him to pull out the “weeds” in our own personalities.  Then we need to start treating the so called “evil ones” as Christ did. Why did he not weed out Judas who betrayed him, or Peter, who denied him? Jesus saw the “weeds” in their lives, but he saw also saw the wheat. He knew that with encouragement the wheat could prevail. And often it did. “Even the most honest man has stolen something in his life, but this doesn’t mean that all people are thieves.” (Dostoyevsky)

 

Let us patiently and lovingly treat the “weeds” in our society as our brothers and sisters and do all in our power to put them back on the right road to Heaven, especially by our good example and our fervent prayer for their conversion.

 

 

OT XIV (A): Zec 9:9-10; Rom 8:9, 11-13; Mt 11:25-30

In 1863, the Civil War was raging, and the end was far from sight. Abraham Lincoln was out for a ride with his friend and aide Noah Brooks. Brooks, noticing the president’s obvious fatigue, suggested that he take a brief rest when they got back to the White House. “A rest,” Lincoln replied, “I don’t know about a rest. I suppose it’s good for the body, but the tired part of me is inside and out of reach.” Lincoln was acknowledging a very important truth. There are many sources of fatigue. Physical fatigue may be the most benign. There is fatigue that comes from stress, fatigue that comes from worry, fatigue that comes not only from worrying about the future but also worrying about the past, and fatigue that comes from trying to be something we are not. What we really need is not time off nor time away. Rather, what we need is time that is filled with meaning and purpose – time that is saturated with the grace of God.

 

During the Independence Day celebrations on July fourth, most Americans probably heard all or part of the Emma Lazarus’ poem inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…. Send these, the homeless tempest-tossed to me.” Today’s Gospel give the same message in a more powerful way: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

 

A yoke is fashioned for a pair — for a team working together. So we are not yoked alone to pull the plow by our own unaided power; we are yoked together with Christ to work with Him using His strength. By saying that his “yoke is easy” (11:30), Jesus means that whatever God sends us is made to fit our needs and our abilities exactly. The greatest burden we have is our constant engagement with the trivial and the unimportant, with the temporary and the passing, and with the ultimately uncontrollable and unpredictable.

 

The greatest feeling in the world is not any kind of bodily pleasure, but the supernatural rest of an encounter with Jesus Christ, especially in the sacraments of confession and the Eucharist. The absolution and forgiveness, which, as repentant sinners, we receive in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, take away our spiritual burden and enable us to share the joy of the Holy Spirit. The Eucharist offers us the greatest refreshment for our life.

 

It is a human tendency to mourn over our inabilities and blame God. We look at others’ talents, blessings, wealth, health and achievements.  In this despair we fail to appreciate our abilities and talents. When we are tested with trials we ask God Why me? And we fail to count the innumerable blessings that we have received.

Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983.

From the world over, he received letters from his fans, one of them conveyed: "Why does God have to select you for such a bad disease?"

To this Arthur Ashe replied: The world over--50,000,000 children start playing tennis, 5,000,000 learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam, 50 reach the Wimbledon, 4 to semi-finals, 2 to finals. When I was the one holding the cup, I never asked God "Why me?".

And today in pain, I should not be asking GOD "why me?".

If we can have this attitude   we will not feel that our life is overburdened with problems.  God has designed our life only according to our ability. When we compare our sufferings with that of others often we find our problems are nothing. It is very good to remember the quote, "I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.

 

The second part of Jesus’ claim is: “My burden is light.” Jesus does not mean that the burden is easy to carry but that it is laid on us in love, that it is meant to be carried in love, and that love makes even the heaviest burden light.

 

There is an old story which tells how a man came upon a little boy carrying a still smaller boy, who was lame, upon his back. "That's a heavy burden for you to carry," said the man. "That's not burden," came the answer. "That's my wee brother."

The burden which is accepted in love and carried in love is always light. A mother never feels bringing up a child a heavy burden.  A mother will never feel spending sleepless night with the suffering child a burden. So when we do things out of love what seems to be heavy burden for others will become joyful.  Modern culture, demands of the society and work pressure have turned little joys of family into a heavy burden.

Let us take a few minutes to reflect and see how the little burdens in family can be turned into acts of joy; how the little challenges at work can be made into joyful moments. These little acts will make our life happy and meaningful.

 

There is nothing quite like coming to the Lord and setting aside our burdens for a while – nothing quite like having our batteries recharged, our radiators cooled down, and our spirits lifted. Let’s unload the burdens of our sins and worries on the altar and offer them to God during the Holy Mass.

 

 

 

 

OT XII [A] : Jer 20:10-13; Rom 5:12-15; Mt 10:26-33

Our Scripture readings for today call us to preach Christ through our words and lives without fear. The first reading tells us how the prophet Jeremiah trusted in the power of God while he faced opposition for his prophetic ministry. In the Gospel, after having predicted future opposition and persecution, Jesus encourages his disciples to stand firm. Three times they are urged, “Do not fear!” “Do not be afraid!” Instead of shrinking from their task, they are to proclaim the Gospel boldly because they will be protected. Hence, Jesus commands his disciples not to fear their persecutors.

Jesus has two important thoughts about suffering. First, that here on earth there is no escape from it. Sometimes Christian preachers say that if we believe hard enough in Jesus, he will take away all our suffering. But Jesus never said that. Jesus told us that if we want to follow him, we will have to take up our cross every day. He told his Apostles not to be afraid of those who kill the body, but he didn't say that no one would try to kill them. In fact, all of Christ's first Apostles were martyred - except St John the Evangelist, who miraculously survived being boiled in oil. Therefore, following Jesus will not save us from suffering in this life. That's his first thought.

His second thought explains why he permits his followers to suffer. Suffering entered the world with sin, as St Paul reminds us in the Second Reading. So to save us from suffering, Jesus would have to eliminate all sin, but that would mean eliminating all freedom, since sin is freely chosen rebellion against God. But eliminating freedom would also eliminate the possibility of experiencing and giving love - we would become God's robots, instead of his children. So instead of eliminating suffering, Jesus transformed it, turning it into a channel of grace.

 

Sometimes we can think that the age of the martyrs ended long ago, and that in the modern world we really don't have to worry so much about suffering for Christ. But the twentieth century had more Christian martyrs than all previous centuries combined.

Just last a few months ago, violence broke out against Catholic priests and laity in Zimbabwe simply because they actively supported the opposition party in the recent elections. They organized, peacefully and legally, against the ruling party because of its ongoing violation of basic human rights. As a result, many have been kidnapped, tortured, and maimed by soldiers.

Faithfully following Christ and fulfilling our mission as Christians does not guarantee a suffering-free life here on earth - not even in our modern, enlightened world. But it does guarantee a meaningful life here, and a very warm, everlasting welcome hereafter. And all the saints agree that there is no greater joy on this earth than bearing crosses with love.

Today's Psalm tells us that God hears the cry of the poor.

Sometimes we wonder whether God really does hear the cry of the poor?

What about the abortions, suicides, child trafficking etc happening in our world right now. What about the countless victims of natural disasters, war, and poverty?

What about the agonizing moral and emotional suffering hidden in our own hearts and our neighbors'?

Is the Lord really with us? Is he really a mighty champion?

Yes.

Not a sparrow alights on the ground without the Father's knowledge. Every hair on every head is counted.

Jesus used those striking images so that there would be absolutely no doubt left in our minds: God is watching over all of us and guiding the course of history - nothing escapes his providential care.

God's Providence is real. It will never let us down. Every evil deed will be set right, and every prayer will be answered. Because God is a caring Father as we pray in the prayer our Father. And tomorrow/today is Fathers’ day in this country. God is the real Father and other earthly fathers have only derivative attributes. No earthly father is able to number the hair on the head of his children. But God the Father does. Therefore we need to have a full trust in God the Father as a little child does.  

A little girl had somehow received a bad cut in the soft flesh of her eyelid. The doctor knew that some stitches were needed, but he also knew that because of the location of the cut, he should not use an anesthetic. He talked with the little girl and he told her what he must do… and asked her if she thought she could stand the touch of the needle without jumping. She thought for a moment, and then said simply, “I think I can if Daddy will hold me while you do it.” So, the father took his little girl in his lap, steadied her head against his shoulder, and held her tightly in his arms. The surgeon then quickly did his work… and the little girl did not flinch. She just held on tight to her Father.

That’s a parable for us in our spiritual lives, and a graphic reminder that whatever we have to face, we can hold on tight to our Father… and He will see us through. There’s a word for that… it’s called TRUST or FAITH. It’s surely what Jesus had in mind when he said, “Unless you become like a little child, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” As we honor the earthly fathers this weekend let’s realize that we have only one Father who is true to its name. But we need to recognize the sacrifices of the fathers who try to imitate the Heavenly Father’s care. May the heavenly Father Bless them and their children honor them.

 

THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST [A] Dt 8:2-3,14b-16a; I Cor 10:16-17 Jn 6:51-58)

 

Today we celebrate Corpus Christi – the feast of  The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

At the last supper Jesus established the Sacrament of Eucharist and symbolically shared His body and Blood with His disciples. He also commanded them to do it till the end of the world, in His memory. Food gives energy for sustenance. The Spiritual food Jesus offered, gives energy for spiritual sustenance.

 

God performed wonderful miracles for his Chosen People, feeding them with manna from heaven during their forty year journey to the Promised Land. And yet, they were still constantly complaining, constantly forgetting about God's goodness and falling into disobedience, self-centeredness and self-absorption.

Our life too is a journey, and our destination is the eternal Promised Land of Heaven. And God provides us with an even more miraculous food, a more wonderful manna, to give us his own divine strength - strength we need every day in order to resist temptation and faithfully fulfill God's will. Our manna is the Eucharist.

We believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. And today, when we celebrate the Feast of Body and Blood of Christ, we proclaim that conviction aloud. It is not mere symbol as many non-catholic faith communities teach. So they do not have a reservation of the holy Eucharist in their churches and they put away the remaining hosts from their services along with the other unused ones, as if no change happened to them. Ever since the very beginning of the Church, she believed in the real presence and so had the reservation of the Eucharist.

The Council of Trent summarizes the Catholic faith by declaring: ‘Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ, and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation.’” Therefore, the bread and wine ceases to be bread and wine, although what we directly perceive, the appearances, remain the same, so that there is no perceptible change. In the transubstantiation the accidents, like color, smell, size or taste do not change. Only in the Eucharistic miracles which are rare incidents, that have taken place, the bread became visible flesh and wine tuned into blood. But in such cases the people could not eat or drink that transformed species where accidents also changed. They are kept for public viewing.  That is not the sole purpose of the Eucharist. When we went to Italy last year we saw the miracle that happened at Lanciano in the 700s. There are scores of other such miracles if you Google you can read many of them.

St Paul, in today's Second Reading, calls Holy Communion a "participation" in the body and blood of Christ. And this is why Jesus himself, in today's Gospel Reading, repeats six times - SIX times - that his flesh is real food and his blood is real drink. So it cannot be a mere symbol.

“He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in Him (Jn 6:56) and

“As I myself draw life from my Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from life.”

Jesus in the Eucharist is the everlasting fulfillment of the ancient prophecy that our Savior will be "Immanuel" - God with us.

Speaking of the Eucharist St. John Chrysostom says: Just as the bread comes from many grains, which remain themselves and are not distinguished from one another because they are united, so we are united with Christ.”  Just as numerous grains of wheat are pounded together to make the host, and many grapes are crushed together to make the wine, so we become unified in this sacrifice. Our Lord chose these elements in order to show us that we ought to seek union with one another, to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into Our Lord Jesus Christ and to work with Him in the process.  Christ is the Head and we are the Body.  Together we are one.  I eat the body of Christ and you eat the body of Christ and the Christ is one we are all one. If we ate dead body of Christ we could still remain separate but we eat the living body of Christ and hence we cannot be two.

This imposes a serious obligation on us Christians – to receive the Holy Eucharist only if we are determined to live in peace with one another. If there is disunity, if our hearts are filled with malice towards others, if we indulge in injustice, if we our thoughts are impure, we have no right to partake in the breaking of the Bread. The sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is the living bread of eternal life. Therefore, it is meant for those who are pure of heart. Justin the martyr taught “It is allowed to no one else to participate in that food which we call Eucharist except the one who is living according to the way Christ handed on to us.” St Augustine preached, “Before you receive Jesus Christ, you should remove from your heart all worldly attachments which you know to be displeasing to Him.

Today, let's thank our Lord for this indescribable gift, and let's ask for the grace to grow in ever more deeper appreciation of the Eucharist.

 

 

 

 

PENTECOST.

Acts 2:1-11; 1 Cor. 12:3b-7, 12-13; Jn. 20:19-23

The Easter season concludes with Pentecost Sunday, commemorating that day in the budding Church when the Father and the Son poured out the Holy Spirit in a special way on Mary and the Apostles and they took up the mission of proclaiming the Gospel throughout the whole world.

The Risen Jesus gives his apostles a foretaste of Pentecost on the evening of Easter Sunday. Entering the still locked Upper Room, Jesus greets them, sends them to carry on the mission given him by his Heavenly Father, and empowers them to do so by breathing upon them and saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” The gift of the Spirit would enable them to fulfill Jesus’ commission to preach the Gospel to all nations. Today’s Gospel passage also tells us how Jesus gave to the Apostles the power and authority to forgive sins. His, “Receive the Holy Spirit,”  was immediately followed by, “For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.”  These wonderful words, which bind together inseparably the presence of the Holy Spirit and the gift of forgiveness, are referred to directly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  But they have a much wider meaning.  Those words remind us of the Christian vocation we all have, to love and forgive as we have been loved and forgiven, in the world of today, which is often fiercely judgmental and vengeful. (In Jn 16:8 Jesus says of the Holy Spirit as:  And having come, He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment. Others will point out to us our mistakes, but the Holy Spirit will point out to us our Sins. If we are conscious of our sins then realize the Holy spirit is doing the work in us).

We need to be Spirit-filled Christians. Spirit-filled people acknowledge their weaknesses, ask for the strengthening, anointing and guidance of the Holy Spirit every morning, ask for His forgiveness every evening, and pass on that forgiveness to those who sin against them. Spirit-filled people are praying people. A mature prayer life makes us smart partners of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:27 Paul says: We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Paul encourages us, “Pray on every occasion as the Spirit leads. For this reason, keep alert and never give up; pray for all God’s people” (Eph 6:18). Spirit-filled people are praying and worshipping God in their families and parishes. Spirit-filled people are people who allow the Spirit to change their lives through their daily reading of the Bible and their frequenting of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist. Spirit-filled people speak words that heal, restore, make people happy and build people up instead of tearing them down.

We received the Holy Spirit at Baptism and at Confirmation. But we have to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us by praying to him every day. Otherwise we wouldn’t know the difference whether we have the Holy spirit working in us or not.

An old beggar lay on his deathbed.  His last words were to his youngest son who had been his constant companion during his begging trips.  “Dear son,” he said, “I have nothing to give you except a cotton bag and a dirty bronze bowl which I got in my younger days from the junk yard of a rich lady.”  After his father’s death, the boy continued begging, using the bowl his father had given him.  One day a gold merchant dropped a coin in the boy’s bowl, and he was surprised to hear a familiar clinking sound.  “Let me check your bowl,” the merchant said.  To his great surprise, he found that the beggar’s bowl was made of pure gold.  “My dear young man,” he said, “why do you waste your time begging?  You are a rich man.  That bowl of yours is worth at least thirty thousand dollars.”  

We Christians are often like this beggar boy who failed to recognize and appreciate the value of his bowl.  We fail to appreciate the infinite worth of the Holy Spirit living within each of us, sharing His gifts and fruits and charisms with us. But often we don’t make use of his assistance and gifts. On this major feast day, we are invited to experience and appreciate the transforming, sanctifying and strengthening presence of the Holy Spirit within us.  This is also a day for us to renew the promises made to God during our Baptism and Confirmation, to renew our profession of Faith, and to begin anew to practice it faithfully, every day.

Today, when the Holy Spirit renews his presence in us and in the world during this Mass, let's renew our commitment to becoming mature men and women of prayer, so that we can boldly advance the Church's beautiful and urgent mission.

EASTER VI [A]: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17, I Pt 3:15-18, Jn 14:15-21

In the second half of Eastertide we are encouraged to turn towards the season’s culmination in Pentecost by thinking of the Holy Spirit. This coming Sunday we celebrate the Ascension and the following Sunday the Pentecost. In today’s gospel John uses the term Paraclete for Holy Spirit, meanings that include such as Counsellor, Advocate, Mediator, Helper, or Comforter. In other words, a friend that we could all do with right now.

Jesus’ promised friend is like him: he is to be ‘another paraclete and in fact John refers to Jesus as a paraclete in his first letter (1 Jn 2:1). This Spirit is to be another friend, just as Jesus has been.
‘You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father’ (Jn 15:14-15).

The Spirit is a most needed friend and also one who allows the teaching and saving Lordship of Jesus to remain with his followers.

The Spirit’s presence allows all of us to see and know Jesus and experience his love and friendship. ‘Those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’ (14:21)

The risen Jesus’ continued presence in us and in the Church through the Holy Spirit gives meaning and purpose to all we are and all we do in his Name. As the Divine Advocate, the Holy Spirit will instruct us in Jesus’ doctrines and illumine our minds to receive deeper knowledge of our Faith. In addition, the Divine Advocate will enable us to defend our Faith powerfully and will guide us properly in our practice of true Christian love.

In this moment, when we need a light in the darkness and a friend when we cannot reach out and hold our loved ones, remember that the Spirit who ‘remains with and in you’ (Jn 14:17) is comforter, counsellor, and friend.

We need to be open to the Holy Spirit, our Paraclete. The purpose of the indwelling Holy Spirit is to help us grow towards maturity and wholeness. God, the Holy Spirit, helps us see the truth about ourselves, to discern the blocks that inhibit our growth, and to allow Him to transform us.  Like the Good Counselor He is, the Spirit enabling us to become stronger.  The Holy Spirit also comes to our aid and gives us the strength to make difficult and painful decisions.  The Holy Spirit actually lives in us, and we hear His voice counseling and guiding us in the way of truth.  Let us open the ears of our minds to hear Him and to obey His promptings.