DAILY GOSPEL

«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68

Sunday, 27 April 2008

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Today the Church celebrates : St. Zita of Lucca, St Liberale

See commentary below or click here
Saint Hilary : "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always"

Acts of the Apostles 8,5-8.14-17.

Thus Philip went down to (the) city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured. There was great joy in that city. Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the holy Spirit.

First Letter of Peter 3,15-18.

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 14,15-21.

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

Commentary of the day :

Saint Hilary (c.315-367), Bishop of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church
The Trinity 2,31-35

"I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always"

«God is spirit,» the Lord said to the Samaritan woman...; since God is invisible, incomprehensible and infinite, it is neither on a mountain nor in any temple that God is to be worshipped (Jn 4,21-24). «God is spirit,» and spirit cannot be circumscribed or contained. He is everywhere by force of his own nature nor is he lacking from any particular place; everywhere himself, he overflows in all things. Hence we must worship in the Holy Spirit the God who is spirit...

The apostle Paul spoke no differently when he wrote: «The Lord is spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom,» (2Cor 4,17)... So let those who deny the Spirit refrain from their disputes. The Holy Spirit is one, poured out everywhere, illuminating patriarchs, prophets and the whole chorus of those who played a part in setting down the Law. He inspired John the Baptist from his mother's womb and, finally, he was poured out upon the apostles and all those who believe so that they might know the truth conferred on them by grace.

What is the working of the Spirit in us? Hear the words of the Lord himself: «I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now... It is better for you that I go. For if I go, I will send an Advocate to you... the Spirit of Truth who will guide you to all truth,» (cf. Jn 16, 7-13)... Both the will of the giver and the nature and function of the one he gives are revealed to us in these words. For our weakness does not allow us to know either the Father or the Son; the mystery of God's incarnation is hard to understand. The gift of the Holy Spirit, who becomes our friend by his intercession, gives us light...

But this special gift, which is found in Christ, is held out in its fullness to us all. It lacks nothing but is given to each inasmuch as he wishes to receive it. This Holy Spirit abides with us until the consummation of the ages. He is our consolation as we wait, the measure of good things in the hope that is to come, the light of our minds, the splendour of our souls.

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