6th Sunday of Easter – Year A
Today’s Gospel places us in an intimate and deeply human moment between Jesus and his disciples. These are not public teachings spoken to the crowds, but words shared privately with friends on the night before his passion. Jesus knows that their world is about to be shaken. They will soon face loss, confusion, fear, and uncertainty. So Jesus speaks to their hearts, not with explanations, but with promises rooted in love.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Jesus makes it clear that love is not simply something we feel; it is something we live. True love shapes our choices, our priorities, and our actions. It is expressed through faithfulness, especially when following becomes difficult or costly.
At the heart of today’s Gospel is reassurance. Jesus promises that he will not leave his disciples orphaned. Though he will soon, no longer be visible to them, he will not be absent. The Father will send the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, who will be with them, and remain in them. This is not a temporary gift, but a lasting presence, since God does not step away from his people; he draws us closer, as He dwells within our hearts.
This promise prepares us for Pentecost, when the Church will be reborn in fire and courage. The disciples who once misunderstood, doubted, and fled, will be transformed into bold witnesses of the truth.
The Holy Spirit will not change their circumstances overnight, but he will change them, giving them strength where there was fear, clarity where there was confusion, and hope where there was despair.
The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles shows us what this transformation looks like. Philip proclaims the Gospel in Samaria, and the people respond with joy.
Healing, reconciliation, and conversion takes place, and yet the Church recognises that faith is not complete without an openness to the Holy Spirit.
Peter and John are sent to pray over the people, and through the laying on of hands, the Spirit was received. From the very beginning, the Church understands that Christian life is not a single moment, but a relationship that must be continually nurtured and pruned.
There is a great mystery of hope in today’s readings. The Church has never relied simply on human strength or organisation. From her earliest days, she has trusted in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, especially in moments of uncertainty and challenge. Throughout every generation, Christ continues to be made present through the Spirit, in the Scriptures, the Sacraments, and the lives of all believers.
Yet the Holy Spirit never forces himself upon us. God respects our freedom completely. The Spirit comes gently, inviting us, rather than compelling us, waiting for a welcome from the knock of our hearts. All that is required is an openness of the heart, a willingness to listen, and the ability and courage to change.
Jesus offers freedom, healing, and peace, but he never overrides our choice to accept or refuse. Our free will is a sacred gift, and how we use it shapes who we are.
The Gospel also offers us a promise of peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” This peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God. It is a peace the world cannot give and cannot be taken away. It grows quietly in our hearts, even when circumstances remain difficult.
As members of Christ’s Body, we are called to build up a better world within our own community. When we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, we become instruments of God’s love, sometimes through words, often through actions, always through faithfulness. We become open to the truth by how we live, having hearts of compassion, as we serve others in charity.
The promise Jesus makes to us today, is not confined to the past. It is fulfilled each time we choose love. The Holy Spirit remains within us, quietly shaping, strengthening, and sending us out, so that the risen Christ may be made known in the world, for the salvation of souls.
Rev. Fr Philip Wrigley's Blog 