Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 9, 2021
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 56
Reading I
When Peter entered, Cornelius met him
and, falling at his feet, paid him homage.
Peter, however, raised him up, saying,
“Get up. I myself am also a human being.”
Then Peter proceeded to speak and said,
“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him.”
While Peter was still speaking these things,
the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.
The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter
were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit
should have been poured out on the Gentiles also,
for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God.
Then Peter responded,
“Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people,
who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?”
He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (cf. 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading II
Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord,
and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”
Reflection: THE COMMANDMENT OF LOVE
This is the most compelling passage in the entire Johannine literature, as it presents to us the treatise on love. In explaining to us the nature and significance of love, Jesus weaves out a communion and builds the school of Trinitarian Love. Without a doubt, 'love' has been the word that has been most defined, sought after, and written about in the writings, poetry, art, sculpture. Apart from the worldly perspective of love, on this sixth Sunday of Easter, Jesus teaches us the basics of love through this discourse. From 'eros' - passion that takes some form of 'possession' to 'philia' love that exists between those closely related, and Jesus helps us arrive at 'agape' the way and the way God loves us. Apart from the nature of being a discourse, Jesus leads his disciples to get this point clear: if they abide in him and obey his commandments, they will as well abide in his joy. Such love is divine and it leads to joy which is an intimate union with God himself. This love is active, constantly seeking the good of the other. Such love isn't just about being a nice guy or just being good to others. As Jesus continues this discourse on love with his disciples, he prepares them for the mission. The disciples need to be sent forth, and their obedience and love for the Master must bear fruit in their 'agape' love for others. As baptized Catholics, we have become the disciples of Christ, meaning that we embrace the nuances of such 'agape' love and manifest to the world a heroic form of love.