Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.”-John 14:23-29
During the season of Easter we hear much at holy Mass, whether on weekdays or Sundays, from the Savior’s parting discourse given in the intimacy of the Cenacle to his closest companions. Having celebrated on the feast of feasts the glorification of the Lamb of God who was slain, we look back at the Lord’s last words to understand what he meant by leaving us his glorious body, his immortal blood, his blissful soul, and his eternal Godhead, solemnly exposed and unveiled on Easter morning and dwelling on our altars under the sacramental signs.
In short, Easter brings us to the Last Supper, to the eucharistic sacrifice, to the gift the Lord gave us as his long-desired testament. Easter is the season of the Blessed Sacrament (think of all the first Holy Communions!), and indeed, if we look carefully, its full cycle ends with the final compliment of the Solemnity of the Lord’s Body in June.
This is the work of the Holy Spirit, who reminds us, as the Savior says, of what he told us. This reminding is principally found in the remembrance of the Savior’s work of redemption in the Mass. Indeed, the Mass and the enduring presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament are the Holy Spirit’s mission in the world.
The rite of the Mass reflects this fact most concretely and poignantly. At each celebration in the Roman rite we are reminded of Our Lord’s words from today’s Gospel lesson: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.” This takes place after the eucharistic prayer when the Savior’s body and blood lie in sacrifice on the altar. This reminds us that the Lord’s words in John’s Gospel are living: a message he constantly renews through his real presence.
At one and the same time, the Savior was accomplishing the thing he wanted to do the most—the institution of the Blessed Sacrament and all that that mystery entails—and facing his greatest woes and most fearsome trials. And yet he tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled!”
Our inner life and our meditations should seek to share in our Lord’s deep sentiments of union with us and his Father. This union is accomplished through the holy sacrament he left us. It is there, at Mass, at Holy Communion, and at our visits to him in the tabernacle, that we will understand the thoughts of his heart expressed at the Last Supper and fulfilled in his resurrection.
Surely each one of us wants to enjoy the peace the Lord leaves to us; surely each one would like to have an untroubled heart; and the proof that Jesus wants this also is that he never leaves us and is always present in the Blessed Sacrament.
I promise each and every one who considers my words here that if you began to visit the Blessed Sacrament each day, in the quiet of the church you will immediately begin to find the Lord’s words to be true for you. You will have his peace and your hearts will not be troubled; you will have insight and wisdom and protection from evil.
The Church enriches the practice of visiting the Blessed Sacrament with indulgences (a partial one in any case, and a plenary indulgence for at least half an hour) and for those who cannot make it to a church, a spiritual communion expressing our desire for the Savior’s body merits a partial indulgence.
Begin now this holy practice, the practice of the saints, and you will crown your Easter celebration with the Holy Spirit’s teaching in your inmost heart. You will find it to be true, the truest thing there is in this veil of tears before the joy of heaven and the future resurrection.
Here are the words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta to confirm mine:
The time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the best time that you will spend on earth. Each moment that you spend with Jesus will deepen your union with him and make your soul everlastingly more glorious and beautiful in heaven, and will help bring about an everlasting peace on earth.
And since all of us not only desire the peace of God but also protection from evils, consider here the priestly words of St. John Bosco:
Do you want the Lord to give you many graces? Visit him often. Do you want him to give you few graces? Visit him rarely. Do you want the devil to attack you? Visit Jesus rarely in the Blessed Sacrament. Do you want him to flee from you? Visit Jesus often. Do you want to conquer the devil? Take refuge often at the feet of Jesus. Do you want to be conquered by the devil? Forget about visiting Jesus. My dear ones, the visit to the Blessed Sacrament is an extremely necessary way to conquer the devil. Therefore, go often to visit Jesus and the devil will not come out victorious against you.
These are the irrefutable truths. May the Holy Spirit teach them to us in our inmost hearts as we seek out the peace-giving presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament of his love!