4th Sunday After Easter
Christ must soon depart, but He will send the Spirit; His Spirit teaches us and saves us!
Scripture Readings
Epistle.1 James 1:17-21.
Dearly beloved, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration. Of His own will He has begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be, as it were, the first-fruits of His creatures. You know this, my beloved brethren, but let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. For the wrath of man does not work the justice of God. Therefore, casting aside all uncleanness and abundance of malice, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Gospel. John 16: 5-14.
At that time Jesus said to His disciples: “I am going to Him who sent Me, and no one of you askes Me: ‘Where art Thou going?’ But because I have spoken to you these things, sorrow has filled your heart. But I speak the truth to you; it is expedient for you that I depart. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And when he has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of justice, and of judgement: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of justice, because I go to the Father, and you will see Me no more; and of judgment, because the prince of this world has already been judged. Many things yet I have to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will teach you all the truth. For he will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He will hear, He will speak, and the things that are to come He will declare to you. He will glorify Me, because He will receive of what is Mine and declare it to you.”
Reflection
Christ is indeed Risen! We are inching closer to end of Eastertide, however, and nearing the feast of the Lord’s Ascension. Liturgically, Jesus is still with His disciples and is among us. We ought to savor this precious time and bask in He who is Light.2 For soon, it must needs be that Christ ascend to the Father so that He make a home for us.3 May we pay heed to these dear words of the Word so that, when we are tempted in various trials, we may remember He who has taught us to love God and to always do His will.
Now! To the readings.
In our epistle selection for today, the Apostle James lets us know that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.” Such benevolent goodness towards us comes from God, who is “the Father of Lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration.” Because God is timeless and cannot be altered or affected by any force of this world, He can intervene on our behalf. Thus He makes us His children through His most Beloved Son, Jesus. Indeed, “[o]f His own will He has begotten us by the word of truth.” The Apostle then warns us to be on our guard against vice—that we would listen first before acting rashly or saying something we might regret. These are good precautions to take against the capital vice of wrath, which can endanger our souls. Christians are not men and women of wrath. No, such a vice “does not work the justice of God.” We are to put such foul behavior behind us, repenting of our rush to judgment. Instead, we imitate Christ, He who is meek and humble of heart.4 This, after all, is what St. James means when he concludes: “With meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
In today’s gospel selection from St. John, Jesus straightforwardly announces to His disciples that He will soon go away from them. No one asks of His destination, but rather all retain sorrow in their hearts. But Christ reassures His brethren that it “is expedient” for them that He go. For if He lingered, “the Advocate,” that is, the Holy Spirit, would not come amongst them. Therefore the Son of God must return to the Father so that they may send forth their Spirit. The function of the Spirit is also to teach, and make clear the things the disciples cannot now fully fathom. As Our Blessed Lord says:
But when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will teach you all the truth. For he will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He will hear, He will speak, and the things that are to come He will declare to you. He will glorify Me, because He will receive of what is Mine and declare it to you.
The departure of Christ, then, truly is not a cause for sadness. Rather, it is a cause for anticipation and great hope—the Holy Spirit is on the move to encounter Christ’s disciples. Without the Spirit, they will not be enabled to fully put into action the teachings of the Lord Jesus. They need the quickening and enlivening agency of the Third Person of the Trinity to truly preach the Gospel to all nations. Thus, when Our Lord departs us liturgically on Ascension Thursday, we ought to pray and beg for a greater measure of the Spirit of Christ. If we do so, we will see that Pentecost Sunday will mean all the more.
But Christ remains with us a little while longer. Come, let us attend to He who is Wisdom. Come, “let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!”5 Let us still kiss the feet which, though pierced, now stand in strength. Let us marvel at the great mystery of our salvation that is accomplished in the Resurrection. For He has been so good towards His people—and is still good, even though He will soon go away.
Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever!
Scripture readings from the traditional Roman lectionary were taken from the Saint Andrew Daily Missal, Regular Edition published in 1956.
I John 1:5, RSVCE.
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.
John 14:2-4.
“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.”
Matthew 11:28-30.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Psalm 95:6.