💖 HOMILY - MAY 6 💖

First Reading - Acts 16:11-15

Gospel - John 15:26-16:4

The work of evangelization is not the merit of individuals who devote themselves to preaching and teaching but is the work of the Holy Spirit. The readings of today highlight the work of the Spirit as the protagonist leading and guiding the works of witnesses.

The first reading narrates a beautiful work of the Spirit in guiding Lydia to faith in Christ. The passage is keen to underline the work of the Lord to guide the work of preaching and thereby the acceptance of faith by people on hearing the word of God from them. Lydia appears as a devout lady who is touched by the preaching of Paul and she and her household accept faith in Jesus. However, this is also to underscore that the acceptance of faith happens under the guidance of the Spirit. Therefore, the role of the Spirit as the leading protagonist in the work of evangelization as promised by Jesus finds a visible form in the conversion of Lydia and her household.

In today's gospel, Jesus assures his disciples that he would not desert them. Instead, a powerful Divine Helper, the Holy Spirit, would come to them from Jesus and the Father in order to guide them and to strengthen them.

The role of the Holy Spirit as outlined in today’s Gospel: 1) As the Counselor or Paraclete or Advocate, the Holy Spirit would coach, defend, and strengthen the apostles in their sufferings and persecution and would guide them during their trials before the civil authorities. 2) As the Spirit of Truth, He would bear witness to Jesus and enable the apostles to bear witness to Christ heroically before the pagans. The Holy Spirit would give them an experiential knowledge of Jesus and an in-depth knowledge of Jesus’ teachings. “The mission of the Church is carried out by means of that activity through which, in obedience to Christ’s command and moved by the grace and love of the Holy Spirit, the Church makes itself fully present to all men and peoples in order to lead them to the Faith, freedom, and peace of Christ by the example of its life and preaching, by the Sacraments and other means of grace” (Vatican II Decree, Ad Gentes 5). Then Jesus foretells the nature of the persecution: 1) Excommunicating Jesus’ followers from synagogues; 2) Establishing the murder of Jesus’ followers (“heretics”), as a religious duty in defense of Judaism and, so, pleasing to Yahweh.

Dear friends, as the Divine Advocate, the Holy Spirit, living within us, continues to help us bear witness to Christ by assisting us to live transparent Christian lives. He gives us courage and perseverance when we meet adversities and challenges. As the Divine Teacher, the Holy Spirit, through our daily study of the Bible, helps us to know Jesus thoroughly, to love him personally, and to experience him intimately, so that we may live the ideals of Christ and convey them to others through our genuine Christian lives.