SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (Cycle C)
When the Church celebrates the Feast of the Lord's
Ascension on the following Sunday, the Second Reading and the Gospel Reading for
the Seventh Sunday of Easter may be read on the Sixth Sunday.
Readings:
Acts 15:1-2, 22-29
Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8
Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23
John 14:23-29
Abbreviations: NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), NABRE (New American Bible Revised Edition), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The word LORD or GOD rendered in all capital letters is, in the Hebrew text, God's Divine Name YHWH (Yahweh).
God reveals His divine plan for humanity in the two Testaments, and that is why we read and relive the events of salvation history in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Catechism teaches that the Liturgy reveals the unfolding mystery of God's plan as we read the Old Testament in light of the New and the New Testament in light of the Old (CCC 1094-1095).
The Theme of
the Readings: The Guidance of the Holy Spirit
The focus of
this week's readings is renewal, continuity, and the guidance of the Holy
Spirit. God the Holy Spirit dwells within the "new Israel" of the New Covenant
Church of Jesus Christ, having succeeded the "Israel of the flesh" that was the
Old Covenant Church. The Kingdom of the Church of Jesus Christ is One. The
Church is universal (catholic) and since the miracle of the Holy Spirit filling
and indwelling the Church at Pentecost, she is continually guided and renewed
in holiness by God's Spirit.
In the First Reading, the faith community of Jewish and Gentile Christians at Antioch, Syria, became embroiled in the Church's first great internal crisis that threatened to destroy the unity of the Body of Christ. The problem concerned what the Church should ask from Gentile converts: should they be required to submit to Old Covenant laws like circumcision and become Jews before becoming Christians, or has the New Covenant nullified the old rituals of the Sinai Covenant with a higher Law? In the Church's first great council, the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), God the Holy Spirit guided St. Peter and the assembly of Apostles, the Church's first Magisterium, in the decisions that continue the unity and growth of the Church today.
The Psalm Reading looks forward to the day when God will extend His gift of salvation to all nations. Today, as the heirs of the New Covenant in the community of the Church, we praise God for His gift of His eternal salvation which, in His mercy, He extends to all peoples of all nations and ethnicities on the earth.
In the Second Reading, the inspired writer of the Book of Revelation describes his vision of the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven. He sees the splendor of the heavenly Jerusalem descending to earth as a symbol of the unity of the earthly and heavenly Church from one perspective. There is no longer any need for light from the sun or moon since the New Jerusalem of the Church has the brilliant light of the divine indwelling of God and the Lamb, Christ the King.
The Gospel Reading is from Jesus's Last Supper Discourse. Reading it should magnify our faith and fill us with confidence. Just as God was with Israel, dwelling in the desert Tabernacle and later in the Jerusalem Temple, we have Jesus's promise that if we love Him and keep His word, we will never be alone. Nor should we ever be afraid because God the Son and God the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit, make their dwelling-place, not in any building like the Jerusalem Temple, but within every baptized Christian, making our bodies the temples of the Holy Spirit.
Ever faithful to her mission in the world, the universal Church of Jesus Christ continually renews herself to remain relevant to each new generation. She does this by reaching out and embracing every generation as guided by the Holy Spirit, but without compromising the continuity of the teachings entrusted to her by Jesus Christ. The message is always the same, but the means of sharing it changes over time to meet the needs of the faithful so that they might one day share St. John's vision of the unified Church of the heavenly Jerusalem.
The First
Reading Acts 15:1-2, 22-29 ~ The Council of Jerusalem
1 Some who had come down from Judea were
instructing the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic
practice, you cannot be saved." 2 Because
there arose no little dissension and debate by Paul and Barnabas with them, it
was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others should go up to
Jerusalem to the Apostles and presbyters about this question. [...] 22 The Apostles and presbyters, in
agreement with the whole Church, decided to choose representatives and to send
them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. The ones chosen were Judas, who was
called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers. 23 This is the letter delivered by them:
"The apostles and the presbyters, your brothers, to the brothers in Antioch,
Syria, and Cilicia of Gentile origin: greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some of our number who went
out without any mandate from us have upset you with their teachings and
disturbed your peace of mind, 25 we
have with one accord decided to choose representatives and to send them to you
along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ. 27 So we are sending
Judas and Silas who will also convey this same message by word of mouth: 28 'It is the decision of the Holy Spirit
and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, 29 namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed
to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful
marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.'"
This reading is a continuation of the first reading from last Sunday. The community of the Church at Antioch, Syria, was founded shortly after St. Stephen's martyrdom when the disciples began to spread out from the Jerusalem community into Judea, Samaria, and the Roman province of Syria (Acts 11:19-21). The Jerusalem church decided to send the disciple Barnabas to teach the Greek Gentiles of the newly formed community at Antioch, Syria, and Barnabas took Saul/Paul with him. They successfully taught the church at Antioch for a year. At Antioch, believers first called themselves "Christians" (Acts 11:22-26), and directed by the Holy Spirit, they sent Barnabas and Paul on the mission to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles in the Roman provinces in Asia Minor.
However, certain Jewish-Christians from Jerusalem came and instructed this vibrant, faith-filled community of Jewish and Gentile Christians that any Gentiles who had not submitted to the rite of circumcision in obedience to the ritual laws of the Jews "cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1). We can only imagine the upset this announcement caused in the Christian community at Antioch and Paul and Barnabas. They had baptized new believers across Asia Minor into the New Covenant in Christ without insisting on them first becoming converts to Judaism. The church at Antioch decided to send Paul, Barnabas, and several other community leaders to Jerusalem to consult with the Apostles and elders of the Church to settle the issue.
Peter and the Apostles responded by calling the Church's first council at the mother church in Jerusalem, the Christian community led by St. James, Bishop of Jerusalem. After debating the issues, St. Peter, in his role as the Vicar of Christ, addressed the council, saying that no additional burden should be placed on Gentile converts since "God who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the Holy Spirit just as he did us" (Acts 15:8). Guided by the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28), the Council decided that Gentiles could be welcomed into the Church by baptism alone, and Gentile converts did not have to be circumcised. However, they agreed with St. James, the bishop of the Jerusalem community, that all Gentile converts should observe some parts of the old Law to facilitate union with Jewish Christians and not cause scandal among prospective Jewish converts. They decided to send representatives of the Church with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch to deliver a letter stating that the Jewish-Christians who had caused the controversy were not acting with the authority of the Church, that baptism was sufficient, and conversion to the Old Covenant faith was not necessary. The Council decided to place only a few restrictions on the Gentile converts. The prohibitions included abstentions from:
Regarding the first prohibition, Gentiles eating meat sacrificed to idols could cause scandal among the Jewish brothers, who could interpret the act as a continued attachment to a false god. Paul would later write that for him, it had no meaning to eat meat sacrificed to what didn't exist, but in order not to cause a "brother" a spiritual crisis, he would gladly abstain (1 Cor 8:1-13). In the second prohibition, to abstain from blood in any form was a prohibition since the time of Noah (Gen 9:4) and continued into the Sinai Covenant (Lev 3:17; 17:10-12, 14; 19:26a; Dt 12:16, 23-27; 15:23). The penalty for violating the blood prohibition under the old law was excommunication (Lev 17:14). "Strangled animals" referred to pagan sacrifices since, under the old law, animals had to be killed humanely by cutting the jugular vein, so the animal died immediately. The only "blood" Christians should consume was the precious blood of the Resurrected Christ in the sacred meal of the Eucharist (Jn 6:53-56; Mt 26:28; Mk 14:24; Lk 22:20). Finally, the restriction on unlawful marriage probably pertained to those unions where the degree of kinship was too close, as in cases of incest. All the prohibitions are listed in the Holiness Code in Leviticus 20:10-21.
The impact of the Council's decision was the recognition of the New Covenant as a continuation of the corporate covenant relationship between God and Israel that was formed at Mt. Sinai. However, this acknowledgment in the sense of a profound renewal in the "new Israel" of the New Covenant Church in Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, transformed the law within the framework of the Old Covenant. The New Covenant that surpassed and transformed the old should not be a hindrance to bringing Gentiles into the covenant relationship with Christ through baptism by water and the Spirit. The Council of Jerusalem affirmed God's Divine Plan that the Kingdom of the Church gives the gift of universal salvation to create a worldwide family that includes the Gentile nations and is no longer a covenant with just one people. The action of the Church also shows that individual faith communities were not autonomous but under the jurisdiction, authority, and doctrinal direction of the one Church founded by Jesus Christ.
The Church has continued to handle controversy and issues in the same way by calling the leadership of the apostolic college of bishops together to form an Ecumenical Council of the worldwide Church. The last Ecumenical Council was Vatican II (AD 1962-1965), the Church's 21st such council. The Council of Jerusalem is not included in the count since it was considered a proto council at a time before the Church became worldwide. See the list of Ecumenical Councils, and a document on the Councils.
Responsorial
Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8 ~ God's Sovereignty is Over All Nations
The response is:
"O God let all the nations praise you!" or "Alleluia."
2 May God be gracious to us and bless us;
may God's face shine upon us. 2 So
shall your rule be known upon the earth, your saving power among all the nations.
Response:
5 May the nations be glad and shout for
joy; for you govern the peoples justly, you guide the nations upon the earth. 6 May the peoples praise you, God; may
all the peoples praise you!
Response:
8 May God bless us still; that the ends
of the earth may revere our God.
Response:
In one voice and as the heirs of the New Covenant in the community of the Church, we praise God for the gift of His salvation that He has not limited to one people but which, in His mercy, He grants to all the nations of the earth. He extended the promised blessing made to Abraham in the spiritual renewal of his descendants, the faithful remnant of Israel who became Jesus's Apostles and disciples to carry forth Jesus's message so that "all the nations of the earth shall find blessing" (Gen 22:18) in the Gospel of salvation through Christ Jesus. As St. Paul taught the Galatians, God did this so that the blessing of Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Gal 3:14).
The Second Reading Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23 ~ The New Jerusalem, City of God
10 The angel took me in spirit to a
great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of
heaven from God. 11 It gleamed
with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like
jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It
had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed
and on which names were inscribed, the names of the twelve tribes of the
Israelites. 13 There were
three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve
courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names
of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. [...] 22
I saw no Temple in the city for its Temple is the Lord God Almighty
and the Lamb. 23 The city
had no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gave it light,
and its lamp was the Lamb.
The inspired writer of the Book of Revelation describes his vision of the splendor of the holy city of the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven. What he sees is the earthly and heavenly Church from one perspective. The description is symbolic, and the New Jerusalem in the vision radiates the brilliant light that is the indwelling of God and the Lamb, Jesus Christ. With the repeats of the number twelve and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles, the inspired writer describes the continuity between the old Israel and the new Israel of the New Covenant Church and the themes of renewal and unity.
The Gospel
Reading John 14:23-29 ~ Love of God is rooted in Obedience to His Divine Will
23 Jesus answered and said to him,
"Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will
come to him and make our dwelling with him. 24
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you
hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. 25 I have told you this while I am with
you. 26 The Advocate, the
Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you. 27 Peace
I leave you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to
you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. 28 You heard me tell you, 'I am going
away, and I will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I
am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it
happens, so that when it happens, you may believe."
Jesus's discourse occurred at the end of the Last Supper and was His final teaching to His disciples, extending from John Chapter 14 to Chapter 17. Beginning in John 14:15, Jesus repeatedly uses the word "love" in His discourse. In verse 22 (not in our reading), the Apostle Judas, brother of James (Lk 6:16 and Acts 1:13; the Thaddaeus of Mt 10:3 and Mk 3:18), asked Jesus: "Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus's reply in verse 23 seems evasive, but He does explain why He does not reveal Himself to the world. In verse 23, Jesus told His disciples: "Whoever loves me will keep my word." "My word" refers to the entire Gospel message, and the "all I have told you" of verse 26 as distinguished from its separate teachings or commandments. Jesus told them, "and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him." The form Jesus's manifestation takes is God the Father's will, and it is the Father's will that Jesus makes Himself known only to those who love Him and keep His commandments.
In the Old Testament, Yahweh revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush (Ex 3:3-6), to His covenant people in the Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of Fire (Glory Cloud) on the wilderness journey (Ex 13:21-22; 14:19, 24; 33:9-10; Num 12:5; 14:14; Dt 31:15), in the fiery Theophany at Sinai in Exodus Chapter 19, and when God took possession of the desert Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem in the form of the Glory Cloud, in Hebrew the Shekinah (Ex 40:34-38; 1 Kng 8:10-11; 2 Chr 5:13-14). With the establishment of liturgical worship, Yahweh promised His people that He would make His "dwelling" in the presence of His covenant people: And I shall live with the Israelites and be their God, and they will know that I am Yahweh their God, who brought them out of Egypt to live among them: I, Yahweh their God (Ex 29:45 NJB). The people did not "see" Yahweh, but they witnessed His presence. Centuries later, in the 6th century BC, Yahweh promised His presence in a future and eternal covenant centered on the Messiah: David my servant is to be their prince forever. I shall make a covenant of peace with them, an eternal covenant with them. I shall resettle them and make them grow; I shall set my sanctuary among them forever. I shall make my home above them; I shall be their God, and they will be my people. And the nations will know that I am Yahweh the sanctifier of Israel, when my sanctuary is with them forever (Ezek 37:25c-27 NJB). Jesus of Nazareth, son of David (Lk 1:32-33), fulfills this promise.
Jesus speaks of dwelling with His New Covenant people. But how is that different from the Old Testament presence of Yahweh over the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies of the desert Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem? Jesus refers to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the tabernacle of the human body, which is the soul of every believer renewed by grace. He gives the promise of the New Covenant: the presence of God in each believer. What Jesus tells them recalls the prophecy made to the sixth century BC prophet Ezekiel: I shall make my sanctuary among them forever (Ezek 37:26c NJB). In his letters, St. Paul repeatedly refers to the indwelling presence of God for those who profess faith in Jesus Christ and are baptized into a new life, becoming temples of the Holy Spirit:
26 The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the
Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything and remind you of all
that I told you.
The "he" in Jesus's
statement is an important pronoun. Jesus is speaking of the third Person of the
Holy Trinity. It is theologically incorrect to speak of God the Holy Spirit as
an "it." Notice the promise Jesus makes concerning the ministry of the Holy
Spirit. In St. John's Gospel, he has already mentioned the promised gift of the
Holy Spirit earlier and will again on Resurrection Sunday. In verse 26, Jesus
promises that the Holy Spirit will help them remember what He has taught, and later,
He will give them a deeper understanding of those teachings. St. John wrote it
was only after Jesus's Resurrection that they understood the significance of
events or the manner in which Jesus fulfilled Scripture:
27 Peace I leave you; my peace I give to
you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be
troubled or afraid. 28 You
heard me tell you, 'I am going away and I will come back to you.' If you loved
me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater
than I. 29 And now I have
told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.
Shalom, "peace" in Hebrew and Aramaic, was both a greeting and a farewell (see Lk 10:5 and
2 Thes 3:16). In Hebrew, this word refers to the absence of conflict and also
to the health, wholeness, and integrity that comes from God. In preparing for
His exodus/departure from this life (crucifixion and death), Jesus was giving a
blessing to the disciples of His own personal "peace," a supernatural "peace"
that only comes from the indwelling of Christ in the soul of every believer.
The word "afraid" in verse 27 is in the Greek term deiliano, meaning "cowardly fear." It is from the same root word as the adjective used by St. Matthew for how the disciples felt in the storm on the Sea of Galilee in Matthew 8:26 (deilos). The One sitting on the throne in the Book of Revelation uses the same word for those who deny the faith through their fear of persecution. He says, But as for cowards (deilos), the unfaithful, the depraved, murderers, the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers, and deceivers of every sort, their lot is in the burning pool of fire and sulfur, which is the second death (Rev 21:8).
In verse 28, Jesus says for the Father is greater than I. But, if Jesus and the Father are One, how can the Father be greater than the Son? Jesus was speaking of Himself in His humanity, in His limited capacity as a human being. As the "Living Word of God," Jesus, in His divinity, has glory equal to the Father (Jn 17:5). Yet, He humbled Himself on our behalf and took on our humanity: Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross (Phil 2:6-8). In Jesus's humanity, God is greater; in His divinity, the Father and Son are co-equal (Jn 8:24; 10:30), and in His essence, He and God the Father are One (Jn 1:1-3, 5:23; 6:62, 10:30; 14:9). Also, see CCC# 460-476.
Verse 29: And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. Jesus's words in today's Gospel reading should magnify our faith and fill us with confidence and deepen our belief in Him. Just as God was with Israel, dwelling in the desert Tabernacle and later in the Jerusalem Temple, we have Jesus's promise that if we love Him and keep His commandments, we will never be alone. Nor should we ever be afraid because He and the Father make their dwelling place with us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Our very souls have become the Tabernacle of the One True God of the Ages, and we have become the heirs of the promises made to Abraham as the adopted sons and daughters of the Most High God!
Catechism
references (* indicates Scripture quoted or paraphrased in the citation):
Revelation 21:10-11 (CCC 865);
21:14 (CCC 765*, 857, 865, 869),
21:22 (CCC 586*)
John 14:23 (CCC 260); 14:26 (CCC 243*, 244*, 263*, 692, 729*, 1099*, 2466*, 2623*)
Christ's prayer at the Last Supper (CCC 2746*, 2747*, 2748*, 2749*, 2750*, 2751*)
The Holy Spirit as Advocate/Consoler (CCC 243*, 388*, 692*, 729*, 1433*, 1848*)
The New Law fulfills the Old (CCC 1965*, 1966, 1967*, 1968*, 1969* 1970*, 1971*, 1972*, 1973-1974)
The heavenly Jerusalem (CCC 865*, 869*, 1045*, 1090, 1198, 2016*)
Michal E Hunt, Copyright © 2013; revised 2022 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.