Sixth Sunday of Easter - Year A
May 21, 2017
Gospel: Jn 14:15-21
Jesus said to his disciples: "If you love me, you
will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you
another Advocate
(1) to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world
cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because
he remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans (2);
I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you
will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize
that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my
commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me
will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."
http://www.usccb.org
The difficult words
(1)An advocate is
someone who defends and speaks up for someone.
(2)Orphans are children who no longer have
their parents, eitherbecause they were abandoned or because their parents have
died.
This week’s spotlight
Philip, one of the Seven
The Seven are the seven men chosen as
"deacons" by the Apostles to help them serve the first Christian
community. They were Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and
Nicholas. They were the first deacons.
The Holy Spirit's names
In the Bible, the Holy Spirit has many different
names. In the Old Testament, he is called the Spirit of God, Breath of the
Almighty. Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of power. In the New Testament,
the Holy Spirit is called the Comforter, Paraclete, Advocate, the Spirit of
truth, of promise, of eternity, the Spirit of life, Spirit of grace, of wisdom... Each of these names helps
Christians to better understand, notice, and accept how the Holy Spirit is
working in their lives.
Reflection
The strength to love
In the Gospel, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit.
Jesus kept his promise when the Apostles received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
You received the same Holy Spirit at baptism. So, who is the Holy Spirit, and
how do we recognize his presence? You can tell the Holy Spirit is present by
noticing his movements in your heart. The Holy Spirit brings the truth. He is
present whenever you strive to be honest. He is your power: not for attacking,
but for love and forgiveness. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift. He gives wisdom,
understanding, knowledge, fortitude, counsel, piety, and reverence. The Holy
Spirit is near when your heart is filled with joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Above all, the Holy
Spirit is the love of God. Where there is love, there is the Holy Spirit. Come,
Holy Spirit!
Discussion questions
1.Who does Jesus promise God will send to help his followers?
2.What will the Holy Spirit come to do?
3.How do Jesus’ followers show their love for him?
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Father I
thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to open the gates of heaven, I also
thank you for the gift of your Holy
Spirit, who gives us the strength to love like you.
This week…
Recognizing the Holy
Spirit
In the evening, think about the different moments of
your day and choose the one that brought you the most joy and peace. It could
be some encouragement from your teacher; a smile from a person you have helped,
the beauty of a flower...
Pray to the Holy
Spirit
In your prayers, ask the Holy Spirit to breathe love
into you as you go through your day. If you are afraid of a person or a
situation that has been worrying you, put your trust in the Holy Spirit to
guide you.
Crossword Puzzle
Source: usccb.org
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