May 5, 2002

Father Owen's Homilies

Homily for the 6th Sunday of Easter, May 5, 2002

We have been reliving the roller coaster of emotions along with the followers of Jesus. They went from the huge expectations of Palm Sunday to the depth of despair brought on by Good Friday. The Resurrection raises them to the heights. They seem to have sensed that Jesus was going to leave them and return to the Father. I say this because of what we are told in the first and second readings. In them the Holy Spirit is at work as the apostles and believers spread the faith under the influence of the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel passage Jesus speaks of the Paraclete, the Advocate whom He will send when he leaves! Jesus tells the apostles, “You are my friends. I will not leave you orphans. Though I will be absent physically, we will be closer than ever.” Is this an empty promise?

I do not think the words of Jesus give us an empty promise for the following reasons:

1. Jesus remains with us in the Living Word of the Bible. When we listen to the voice of the page it is the Living Jesus who speaks to our minds and hearts.

2. Jesus remains with us in the Eucharist. When we eat his flesh and drink his blood he remains in us and we remain in him.

3. Jesus remains with us in the community of our parishes. Every time we come together to worship in the celebration of the Liturgy, our common Baptism makes us one in Jesus.

4. Jesus remains with us in the ministries of the Church. In the sacraments Jesus touches us in our own space and time.

St. Peter tells us that we ought to be able to explain the reasons for our hope in Jesus. We do it mainly by our willingness to wash the feet of our sisters and brothers as Jesus did at the Last Supper. We do it by our willingness to love one another as Jesus has loved us.