Sixth Sunday of Easter

(05/10/2026) Gospel Reading: John 14:15-21

 

“The Counselor Will Be with You for Ever”

 

Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord,

and my Father will love him and we will come to him.

 

From the desk of Fr. Leo

     This story comes from a writing called the Acts of Thomas that goes back to about 100 years after the time of the Apostles. The story is imaginative and non historical-more like a parable. The story goes that after the  Spirit came on Pentecost, the Apostles divided up the different regions of the world, and by chance, St. Thomas was chosen to go to India.  Although he didn't want to go. Jesus appeared and persuaded him to go. St. Thomas had been a carpenter in his younger years. When he got to India, he met the king who was intent on building a place for himself.  St. Thomas discussed the project with the king and the king was convinced St. Thomas would do a great job of building a beautiful palace. So the king gave St. Thomas a large sum of money and went on a trip. St. Thomas  took all the money and gave it to the poor and never started building the palace. After a while, the king sent a messenger to ask St. Thomas how the palace was going and St. Thomas said it was coming along fine. He just needed some more money and St. Thomas again gave it all to the poor and did not even start on the palace. Shortly thereafter, the king figured the palace must be almost finished, and being eager to see it decided to come back home. When he king found out St. Thomas had given away all the money the king had given him and had done nothing on the palace, he had St. Thomas arrested and decided to have him put to death. It just so happen, while St. Thomas was in prison, the king's brother Gad dies. Gad's spirit was taken to heaven and an angel showed Gad a number of wonderful mansions he could choose for his eternal dwelling place. As Gad was considering which mansion to choose, he saw an exceptionally beautiful mansion on a lovely estate and decided he wanted that one. The angel said, “No,” that particular mansion was the palace St. Thomas has been building for the king. All the good works St. Thomas did with the king's money which was distributed to the poor went into the building that wonderful mansion. Gad  said he had to tell his brother, the king, before the king put St. Thomas to death. So Gad was allowed to return to earth for a short time to tell his brother, the king, about the mansion in heaven. Gad promised his brother a blessed afterlife if he became a follower of Jesus, which he did. Jesus said in this weekend's Gospel that He is going to prepare a place, but we must not forget we are preparing the place, too, by our good works. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: “Enter  by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14). The Gospel reminds us that at present we are living in two worlds. We have our everyday world of keeping a roof over our head and putting food on the table, and we have a world which we hope to be part of forever, a world where Jesus (together with us) is building a place for us to be able to enjoy our heavenly Father, His presence and his love, and the love of all our brothers and sisters, for all eternity.

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Meditation: What makes us both fully human and truly like God? Is it not unconditional love which is unselfish, undying, and wholly directed to the good of others? The love of God unites us in an unbreakable bond of fidelity, friendship, and community with others. Jesus loved his own until the very end of his passion and death on the cross (John 13:1).

The nature of love

From the very beginning of creation God said: it is not good that man should be alone (Genesis 2:18). We were created in love for love - to be a community of loving persons, just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are inseparably united in a community of unbreakable love.

John Henry Newman (1801-1890) said: We love because it is our nature to love, and it is our nature because God the Holy Spirit has made it our nature. Jesus speaks to his disciples of the inseparable bound of love between himself and the Father, and of their love for humankind. In Jesus we see the fulness of God's love and how God's love is directed to our well-being. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might have life through him (1 John 4:9).

Knowing God's love

How do we know that God truly loves each one of us? In the cross we see the proof of God's love for each of us and the incredible price God was willing to pay to redeem us from slavery to sin, death, and Satan. Jesus gave up his life that we might have life - abundant, everlasting life with God - a life of love and unity with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit forever.

Through the cross Jesus opened a new way of relationship for us as the adopted sons and daughters of God - his beloved children (Romans 8:14-17). Jesus calls his disciples to walk in his way of love through obedience to the will of the Father. True love is more than sentiment, emotion, or good intention. As important as these may be they are not the proof of sincere love. True love for God is expressed in obedience and obedience is expressed in love.

Jesus' best gift for us

Jesus promised to give his followers the best of gifts, the Holy Spirit as their Counselor and Helper. How does the Holy Spirit help us as the counselor? Counselor is a legal term for one who defends someone against an adversary and who guides that person during the ordeal of trial. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Helper who guides and strengthens us and brings us safely through the challenges and adversities we must face in this life.

The Holy Spirit is also the Giver of life - the abundant life which comes from God and which sustains us forever. The Holy Spirit also guides us in the way of truth, wisdom, and goodness. We can never stop learning because the Spirit leads us more and more into the knowledge of God's love, truth, and goodness. Jesus also promised his followers the gift of peace. Peace is more than the absence of conflict or trouble. Peace includes everything which makes for our highest good. Trust in God, faith in his promises, and obedience to his word lead us to peace and security in God's presence. That is why a Christian need not fear or be troubled by anything. The love of Christ brings immeasurable joy and consolation even in the midst of our trials and suffering. Paul the Apostle states,

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?... For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35,38-39).

Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the knowledge of Christ's immense love and with his gift of peace.

O God, you are the unsearchable abyss of peace, the ineffable sea of love, the fountain of blessings and the bestower of affection, who sends peace to those who receive it. Open to us this day the sea of your love and water us with abundant streams from the riches of your grace and from the most sweet springs of your kindness. Make us children of quietness and heirs of peace; enkindle in us the fire of your love; sow in us your fear; strengthen our weakness by your power; bind us closely to you and to each other in our firm and indissoluble bond of unity. (ancient prayer from Syrian Clementine liturgy)

read more at: http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org

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