Father Riley's homily for May 17, 2020

EASTER VI - A - 20                         JOHN 14. 15-21

How often I have heard it said over the forty years of my ordination, the anniversary of which I celebrated this week, thanks be to God. “If I had only been around in Jesus’ day. It would have been much easier to understand what he was saying and teaching.”

However, the gospels say otherwise. Just last week our gospel reading had two of Jesus’ own disciples asking questions because they did not understand him.

Thomas didn‘t understand what Jesus meant by being the “way.” How can we know the way, he asked. Phillip did not understand what Jesus meant when he said he and the father were one. He wanted Jesus to show him the father then he would be satisfied.

“He was compelling,” as N.T. Wright, says in reference to Jesus, “but puzzling. Some even thought he was out of his mind.” Today’s gospel is yet another example of Jesus being misunderstood by those closest to him as he continues his final discourse to his disciples prior to the hour of his arrest.

He again makes several promises that were intended to give his friends hope in the light of his impending crucifixion. He promised to be around with his people from that day to this. He promised not to leave them comfortless but would send them the Spirit of truth. He told them they would do even greater works than he himself had done. All they had to do was to Love Him.

How is he around now? What are the greater works we are supposed to do? What does the Spirit have to do with it? What does Love have to do with it?

Because of the promised spirit, that is, the spirit of Jesus himself, Christians now are in a better situation than the followers of Jesus in his lifetime. They were sometimes able to do remarkable things even then; Jesus gave them the power.

But mostly they were following him in some perplexity, and when he wasn’t there, they couldn’t do very much (Mk. 8. 18, 28-29). Perhaps it was because the disciples were hearing all of this in the context of his impending death that they could not take it all in. Perhaps that is why they so easily misunderstood the meaning of his words.

Perhaps it was because they had not yet received the Holy Spirit. We see that after Pentecost, when the Spirit descended upon them, that they were able from that time forward to continue Jesus’ mission unimpeded and without fear. The Spirit has a lot to do with it as does Love.

“If you love me…” Jesus begins today‘s passage, “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another helper, that he may abide with you forever, the Spirit of Truth. He who loves me will be loved by my father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

The last three verses of today’s gospel present a wonderful circle of promises that are ours because of Jesus being with us by the Spirit. We will see him, plain to the eyes of faith. We live the new life because he lives in us and through the spirit; we know that he and the father are in each other, and that we are in him and he in us.

We are bound to Jesus and the Father by an unbreakable bond of Love. The Spirit teaches us the truth about the inner life of the father and the son, a truth, which turns to fire and love and invites us to warm ourselves with this inmost circle that cannot be broken.

The disciples heard these promises of Christ within the context of his telling them that he was about to be taken from them, handed over to evil men, and be crucified. It was a desolate time for them. As it currently is for many throughout the world today in the face of the deadly pandemic that continues to plague us.

Liturgically speaking, we are still in the great 50 days of Easter celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and the Hope of new life our belief in Him who died and rose again brings. We are Easter people. We live by Faith, Hope, and Love in the promises of God made manifest in Jesus.

Yet we don’t always understand Him. How does Jesus make himself known to us in times like these?

The answer is in our prayers, our obedience to God’s will, our trust in His providence, and in our love for God and neighbor put into action. The Church is the Body of Christ. We are his hands and feet. As St. Paul preached at Athens, “God does not dwell in temples made with hands.”  We are Church.

Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which was given to each of us at our Baptism, we have the power to do the things God has given us to do…to make disciples, to baptize, to teach, and observe all that Christ taught.

Although we are unable at this time to assemble as the people of God, we can continue to “work” through prayer. By His grace, we can remain faithful and show forth our love for Him by keeping his commandments.

The resurrection of Jesus is the great sign of Hope and Life in the midst of desolation and despair.  It was then. It is now. As Peter wrote, “He who was put to death in the flesh is alive in the Spirit."

It is the Spirit of Truth that prays for us and in us causing the words of Christ to come alive for us. Christ’s words bring us to God, into the circle of love that is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Because He lives, we who believe in Him live also.

The Risen Christ, the living spirit of Jesus, visits us in our desolation again and again, and lifts us up out of the darkness into the light of His presence. It is His presence that continues to encourage us to live the new life to which we have been called in fellowship with one another and in communion with our God.

We live, then, as Easter people by Faith, Hope, and Love, learning to love God in all things and above all things, so that we may obtain the promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. For God has prepared for those who love Him such good things that surpass our understanding.  AMEN+