Sixth Sunday of Easter
29 May 2011
First reading Acts 8:5-8,14-17 3
Philip went to a Samaritan town and proclaimed the Christ to them. The people united in welcoming the message Philip preached, either because they had heard of the miracles he worked or because they saw them for themselves. There were, for example, unclean spirits that came shrieking out of many who were possessed, and several paralytics and cripples were cured. As a result there was great rejoicing in that town.
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, and they went down there, and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had not come down on any of them: they had only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Psalm or canticle: Psalm 65:1-7,16,20
Second reading 1 Peter 3:15-18
Reverence the Lord Christ in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have. But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience, so that those who slander you when you are living a good life in Christ may be proved wrong in the accusations that they bring. And if it is the will of God that you should suffer, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong.
Why, Christ himself, innocent though he was, had died once for sins, died for the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life.
Gospel John 14:15-21
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘If you love me you will keep my commandments.
I shall ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you for ever,
that Spirit of truth
whom the world can never receive
since it neither sees nor knows him;
but you know him,
because he is with you, he is in you.
I will not leave you orphans;
I will come back to you.
In a short time the world will no longer see me;
but you will see me,
because I live and you will live.
On that day you will understand that I am in my Father
and you in me and I in you.
Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them
will be one who loves me;
and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I shall love him and show myself to him.’
Reflection
As I write, my thoughts are torn between what has transpired this morning and the message of the readings and the Gospel. I was troubled by my health issues. I was never hypertensive but three days ago, I palpitated a lot, my head ached, and the back of my head ached worse. When I recounted the event this morning, my doctor dismissed the possibility of hypertension but advised me to have FBS, SGPT, SGOT, test for thyroid, ECG and had my sprained ankle x-rayed. I asked her what is wrong with me but she told me what a doctor always say… we wouldn’t know until the results of the tests. So here I am, waiting for the next thing to happen.
I remembered the reflection assigned to me when I opened the laptop after a few days of abstinence. As always, I read first the Gospel and the first few lines struck me. It was the answer to my anxiety. “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit…” Then, I felt better and started typing. I guess that is just how we, human beings are. We express our faith but sometimes our frailties take us over.
It also struck me when I recalled the times when big problems occur… these were also the times when I did work for God! And the latest is these reflections I am writing. Is God testing my faith? Is God trying to measure how much problem I can bear? Does He really have to? Well, whatever are His reasons for allowing things to happen, He only has this to say… “TRUST ME, I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING AND YOU HAVE ALL THE HELP YOU WILL NEED.”
Yes, Lord, I lift up everything to You especially when I do not know what to do anymore. Perhaps, I have been so self-righteous to think that there is a way out to all the problems of the world. I might have set You aside to look at what I can do with my life. Now, Lord, I am taking a step back to give You the floor. I have always been in the center stage… in the lives of my children, my students and the people I am with. You have always been so good to me. You gave me wonderful kids (of course with the reality trimmings), a good husband (even if he is far from perfect) and work that others wished they had. I am holding on to Your promise Lord. It is very difficult Lord to let go because as an adult, I have made things happen. Help me to have a child-like faith. Hold my hand as I follow You as I travel the rest of the way to the place which You prepared for me. Amen.
We are Disciples
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