6th Sunday of Easter (C)

(Edited) Sunday Reflections (from) Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

6th Sunday of Easter (C), May 5, 2013

Liturgical readings
Acts 15:1-2, 22-29
Psalm 67
Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23
John 14:23-29

"We will make our dwelling place with him always."

The Holy Bible Confraternity Edition, (a special edition promoted by Pope Paul VI in the 1960s), presents this Sunday's gospel passage between two paragraphs with the following title headings:

• "His love for His disciples" (14:18-24)
• and "The Holy Spirit will teach all things" (14:25-31).

The theme of love was presented in the gospel of last Sunday's Eucharist. This theme of love is continued in this Sunday's gospel - linking its meaning to the Father, to the Holy Spirit, to the Lord's word, and to His peace.

What does the tradition of the Church say about God's love in the gospel of John? The mystery of God and His love presented in this Sunday's gospel is also taken up by St. Cyril of Alexandria (ca. 376-444 A.D.), one of the doctors of the Church in the 1st millenium, in one of his sermons for the Easter Season. The following quote from St. Cyril's sermon, which is a commnentary on the gospel of John, is found in the non-biblical readings of the breviary:

"...Christ sends the Spirit, who is both the Father's Spirit and his own, to dwell in each of us. Yet that Spirit, being one and indivisible, gathers together those who are distinct from each other as individuals, and causes them all to be seen as a unity in himself. Just as Christ's sacred flesh has power to make those in whom it is present into one body, so the one, indivisible Spirit of God, dwelling in all, causes all to become one in spirit."

Back to the text of the gospel, Jesus reminds all His followers not to be disturbed and fearful (John 14:27), for He will send the Holy Spirit to them. He repeats this same message of assurance and the promise of His indwelling love to all of us faithful in this Sunday's Mass and in the commentary of St. Cyril of Alexandria. So, whenever the events around us or in the news online cause much distress and fear, we only need to be reminded of the assuring message of Jesus, and remember what He promises. His Spirit will gift us with the prayer and faith to "bear with one another charitably, and to spare no effort in securing, by the bonds of peace, the unity that comes from the Spirit (Ephesians 4:2-3)."

Scripture quotes

• "We are sending you Judas and Silas, who will convey this message by word of mouth." (Acts 15)
• "May God have pity on us and bless us; may He let His face shine upon us." (Psalm 67)
• "The holy city had no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb." (Revelation 21)

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Commemoration of Saints (May 23)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Desiderius, bishop and martyr
• Guibert
• Leonitus of Rostov, bishop and martyr
• Ivo of Chartres, bishop
• Euphrosyn of Polotsk, virgin
• William of Rochester, martyr
• John Baptist Rossi [1]

May 23. The Catholic Church commemorates today 2 bishops and martyrs, 1 bishop, 1 martyr, 1 virgin, 1 Benedictine monk, and 1 priest [2].

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [May 23]

• Michael, Bishop of Synnada at Phrygia [3]

The canonization process

Saints, as we know them today, are raised to the altar of the Vatican through a process called canonization. The canonization process as we know it today — centralized, investigative, and papally controlled — was not born overnight but gradually developed over centuries. In the early centuries, especially before 993 A.D., the Pope was not involved in the process, except to approve the cult of Saints in Rome under his jurisdiction as Bishop of Rome. As to the other countries and regions outside of Rome, the Saints were proclaimed by the local communities among whom they had lived and died. And the local bishop of those communities approved of their sainthood [4].

It was during the time of the Catholic Reformation, particularly in the wake of the Council of Trent (1545–1563 A.D.), that the process became significantly more formalized. In response to Protestant critiques of saint veneration and accusations of superstition, the Catholic Church doubled down on discipline, doctrinal clarity, and institutional reform. The Council reaffirmed the legitimacy of honoring saints while calling for greater oversight in religious practices. This led to stricter procedures in canonizations, culminating in the establishment of the Congregation of Rites in 1588 A.D. by Pope Sixtus V. Saints like Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Ávila, and Isidore the Farmer were canonized under this new, more rigorous system — serving as models of reform - era holiness and orthodoxy [5].

This article was written with the assistance of AI (ChatGPT by OpenAI), May 20, 2025.

References: Books, Websites, Search results & AI Overviews

• [1] Pocket Catholic Dictionary, John A. Hardon
• [2] search results from Google and Google Gemini, May 23, 2025
• [3] Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
• [4] Lives of the Saints, Richard P. McBrien
• [5] chapgpt by openai, May 20, 2025

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5th Sunday of Easter (C)

(Edited) Sunday Reflections (from) Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

5th Sunday of Easter (C), April 28, 2013
Liturgical readings
Acts 14:21-27
Psalm 145
Revelation 21:1-5
John 13:31-33, 34-35

"This is how all will know you for my disciples."

The 13th chapter of St. John's gospel is divided into three parts by the Jerusalem Bible: "Jesus washes his disciples' feet" (13:1-20); "The treachery of Judas foretold" (13:21-32); and "Farewell discourses" (13:33-38). This Sunday's gospel passage is located between the second and the third parts. Its highlight is the new commandment the Lord gives. And the immediate context of this new commandment in John's gospel is a specific action of self-giving: Jesus washing His disciples' feet.

Jesus gives a new commandment: love. The commandment of love is higher than the Law. And it is more than just what the world presents love to be; for us Christians, love is also a Person. And the biblical truth that speaks of God as love, has become the Way, the Truth, and the Life: the person of Christ Jesus our Lord. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI expresses this truth of Jesus and Christian love in his first encyclical, "Deus Caritas Est":

"One can become a source from which rivers of living water
flow. Yet to become such a source, one must constantly drink
anew from the original source, which is Jesus Christ, from
whose pierced heart flows the love of God".

For many Catholics, the practice of charity is within the context of family life and professional work. To be charitable in these times of trouble and adversity is a call not easily heard. The call is sometimes drowned by noisy distractions within and without. But the Lord's call remains. We need not be a martyr like the Lord to make the practice of charity perfect. Just to bear patiently each other's burdens in work and life, and to be a healing presence to others, even in times of adversity, is already a noble direction both pleasing to God and man.

Scripture quotes

• "Paul and Barnabas gave their disciples reassurances, and encouraged them to persevere in the faith." (Acts 14)
• "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness." (Psalm 145)
• "He shall be their God who is always with them." (Revelation 21)

Paraphrasing the Gospel: John 13:31-33, 34-35

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