The liturgy of this Sunday, the sixth of Eastertide, immerses us in the sweetness of Christ’s promises: love, peace, and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Indeed, as we approach Pentecost, the Church invites us to contemplate how God continues to act in our world, in our hearts, and in His Church.
In the Gospel presented for our meditation, Jesus gives us a treasure: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” God wants to remain close. He wants to dwell in us, to make our hearts a living sanctuary. This presence rests on a response of love. To love Jesus is to keep his word, to live according to the Gospel by prioritizing forgiveness, humility, truth, and faithfulness. And He, Jesus, knows that this is not easy; that is why He promises the Advocate, the Holy Spirit who will teach everything and remind us of his words. He is not a Spirit of fear or constraint, but a Spirit of truth and light who will enlighten us in difficult moments and unite us to the Church in peace. This is, moreover, what we observe in the first reading: the apostles, following the crisis that prevailed, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, decide with wisdom and mercy.
In the second reading, Saint John gives us a magnificent vision: the heavenly Jerusalem, a city of peace, unity, without tears or division, where God dwells with his people. This city is not only for the future. It can already be born within our communities each time we choose peace rather than conflict, compassion rather than indifference, dialogue rather than division.
Let us ask the Lord to rekindle in us the love of his word, so that we may truly live it with a heart open to the Holy Spirit, and that we may be true peacemakers to spread it around us.
Sr Desirée NIANGORAN,
Community of Bonoua (Costa de Marfil)
Vicariate of Saint François Coll
