User’s Guide to the Sixth Sunday of Easter
Sunday, May 25, is the Sixth Sunday of Easter. Mass readings: Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23; John 14:23-29.
The Gospel for today has a number of “sayings” of the Lord Jesus, which set forth the gifts that he, by his grace, is accomplishing. Let’s consider the wonderful gifts of grace.
Power
Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever loves me will keep my word.”
Keeping the commandments and mandates of the Lord’s word is the fruit of his love, not the cause of it. The Lord says that if you love him, the keeping of the commandments is sure to follow.
Note that we do not initiate this love, God does. Scripture says, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). If we let love have its way, it changes our heart and our desires.
Presence
“[Jesus says,] ‘and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.’”
One of Jesus’ great desires was to restore us to unity with the Father. If we will but accept the Father’s love and his shalom, offered through Jesus, we will have a tender and joyful relationship with our Abba, our Father. Jesus described his Father as a shepherd who leaves the 99 in search of the one. Do you grasp this? The Father loves you.
Perfection
“[Jesus says,] ‘The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.’”
The Holy Spirit teaches us and makes us mindful of all that Jesus has done for us and taught us.
Little by little, we are given a new mind, a new heart, and a new and better life.
The process may be slow, but we will be transformed by the renewal of our mind (Romans 12:2), for the Holy Spirit will bring to our mind all that the Lord is and all that he taught. Sow a thought, reap a deed; sow a deed, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny — and it all begins with the mind. One of the gifts of grace is the renewing of our mind, and it leads to total transformation.
Peace
“[Jesus says,] ‘My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.’”
For us, peace is access once again to the Father. It is being able to walk with him in love, in and through Jesus Christ. These are gifts of the Lord’s resurrected grace.
