For Easter Vigil and the first three Sundays of Easter, the Gospel
readings are about how the disciples responded to the Resurrection of Jesus
(Matthew 28;1-10, John 20:1-9, John 20:19-31, Luke 24:13-35). Whether Mary Magdalene,
Peter and John, Thomas, or Cleopas and the other disciple, we reflected on our
own response to the Resurrection of the Lord to the disciples in these Gospel
narratives from the Easter Vigil to the 3rd Sunday of Easter.
Then, there was a shift in the direction of the Easter Gospel
readings on the 4th Sunday,
which is also known as the Good Shepherd Sunday. On this Sunday, the Gospel
reading is always on Jesus’ self-identification with the Good Shepherd in John
10, regardless of the liturgical year. For Year A, the reading is from John
10:1-10, for Year B, John 11-18, and for Year C, John 10:27-30.
With his self-identification as the Good Shepherd and the gate to
the Father in heaven on the 4th Sunday
of Easter, the Easter Sunday Gospel readings continue with Jesus’ own
Christological discourse to reveal his messianic nature during the Last Supper
for the 5th Sunday
(John 14:1-12) and the 6thSunday (John 14: 15-21).
Then, during the week of the 6th Sunday of Easter, the Ascension of the
Lord falls. That is why the 5th Sunday Gospel reading and 6th Sunday Gospel reading from John 14
allude to the looming absence of the risen Christ.
Another important shifting factor to be noted in the
Christological readings from John’s Gospel during the 4th Sunday, 5th Sunday, and the 6th Sunday of Easter to prepare for the
Ascension and the Pentecost is that the 5th Sunday Gospel and the 6th Sunday Gospels from John 14 are taken
from the Jesus’ Last Supper discourse.
During the Lasts Supper, Jesus began his long discourse to the
disciples, after Judas left, to prepare them not only for his impending death
but also for what follows his death: the resurrection, the ascension, and the
Pentecost, from John 13:31-16:33. The sequence of these events: the death of
Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, the ascension of Jesus, and the Pentecost,
descending of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples, mirrors the sequence of
Jesus’ first prediction of his death (Matthew 16:21-28) and thetransfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9), which was the Gospel reading for
the 2nd Sunday of Lent.
In the 5th Sunday
Gospel (John 14:1-12), Jesus identified himself as the Way, the Truth, and the
Life. This second Christological discourse by Jesus in John 14:1-12 for
the 5th Sunday
smoothly follow the first Christological theme, Jesus as the Good Shepherd and
the Gate to the Father in John 10:1-10 from the 4th Sunday.
Jesus’ messianic identification as the Way, the Truth, and the
Life, is a response to Thomas’ question, “Master, we do not know where you
are going; how can we know the way?” To this, Jesus said, “I am the way
and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If
you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and
have seen him”.
Thomas asked Jesus where he would be, because Jesus said, “Do
not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would
I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that
where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.”
Jesus’ self-identification as the Way was prompted by Thomas’
anxious feeling, perhaps, anticipatory grief, over a prospect of disappearance
of Jesus. A pastoral implication of this for our needs is that Jesus is the
Way, the Truth, and the Life, who shepherds us through turbulent times of
anxiety and stress in our life, as in Psalm 23. That is why Jesus said, “Do
not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me”(John
14:1), sensing his disciples’ anxiety upon giving the new commandment and
making his impending departure known to them toward the end of the Last Supper.
When Jesus indicated about his departure to prepare dwelling
places for the disciples, Thomas began to feel anxious with anticipatory grief.
And, he indicated Jesus to tell him where he is going.
The answer Jesus gave to Thomas was his self-identification as the
Way, the Truth, and the Life. Namely, Jesus is telling the disciples that he is
the Way to Salvation, the Truth of Salvation, and Life into Salvation, as he is
the Way to the Father. To put the Good Shepherd and the gate perspective from
the 4th Sunday Gospel,
it means that Jesus shepherds us to the Father and is the gateway to the
Father. And, he is the only way to the Father. Of course, connection to the
Father means salvation, as where the Father is, where salvation is.
Then, Jesus began to add the Holy Spirit in his Christological
discourse, in addition to his relationship with the Father, in the Gospel
reading for the 6th Sunday,
making his departure more evident.
A very important shifting factor to be noted here is that the Holy
Spirit is introduced, as another Advocate (parakletos) in Jesus’ ongoing
Christological discourse to reveal his messianic quality in addition to the Father-Son
union in his identity.
In the 6th Sunday
of Easter Gospel reading (John 14:15-21), we can discern the Trinity, as all of
its elements are in place: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In
this, Jesus indicate that the Holy Spirit as “another Advocate
(Counselor)”(John 14:16), in place of his physical presence upon his body’s
departure, the Ascension. This suggests that Jesus the Son, is the first and
original Advocate (Counselor). Additionally, this also suggests that the 6th Sunday of Easter Gospel reading also
prepares us for the Trinity Sunday, which follows the Pentecost Sunday.
What the 6th Sunday
Gospel (John 16:21-15) teaches us is that God the Father in heaven, has given
us Himself incarnate, in the human flesh of Jesus the Christ, the Son, as the
first "parakletos". I prefer to use the original Greek
word for “advocate” in English translation. It is because this original Greek
word, "parakletos" gives another important insight, not
probably drawn from the English translation, “advocate”. Perhaps, the closest
English translation of "parakletos" is a comforter and a consoler, who is
sent and has come to be with you. To me, “advocate” seems like rather a bit
distant translation of"parakletos". However, translating
"parakletos" as
“advocate” offers an image of the Holy Spirit as the Good Shepherd. Given that
Jesus identifies the Holy Spirit as his successor to be with the disciples
after his departure, upon his Ascension, and that Jesus has already identified
himself as the Good Shepherd, translating "parakletos" as “advocate” also makes sense in this
contextual flow in the Easter Gospel readings from the 4th Sunday to the 6th Sunday.
It is also important to note that love is an important theme for
the 6th Sunday of
Easter Gospel narrative (John 14:15-21). As a continuation of his Last Supper
discourse (John 13:31-16:33), which Jesus began with “Mandatum Novum”(new
commandment) (John 13:34), he reiterated “Mandatum Novum”, which is to
practice “agape”, not only with one another but also including him and
the Father. Jesus further teaches that the coming of “parakletos” is
Father’s response to the disciples’ practice of Jesus’ “Mandatum Novum”
in light of Luke 10:27, loving God to the very best of ourselves in order to
love one another as neighbors, as loving ourselves.
Secondly, the 6th Sunday
of Easter Gospel reminds us, in John 14:17, that “parakletos” is the
Spirit of Truth (as Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6)). In the following verses,
Jesus further teaches the love that characterizes “parakletos” – the “agape”
that is Jesus’ “Mandatum Novum”, stemming from the Father-Son unity,
which is characterized with “agape”, the self-sacrificing love to the
point of “kenosis”(self-emptying for the sake of an object of love).
Therefore, Jesus assures that the disciples will not be left alone like orphans
even though his physical presence will soon cease with the Ascension. It is
because of the very nature of “parakletos”, coming to be with, as Jesus
said, “I will come to you”(John 14:18). The world, “parakletos” is
composed of “para”(close, besides) and “kaleo”(making a call).
Thus, this Greek word used for the Holy Spirit that Jesus promises as another
Advocate, and his replacement while he returns to the Father until Parousis, is the being, who
comes to us to be right besides us. And, the mission of “parakletos” to
be with us on Pentecost is to remind us that the Son, Jesus, is in the Father,
as we are in him (John 14:20). Jesus also teaches that following his “Mandatum
Novum” in John 13:34 in light of Luke 10:27 will be loved by the Father
(John 14:21). Because being loved by the Father as we practice Jesus’ “Mandatum
Novum”, and because Jesus loves his Father (John 14:21), we are known to
the world that we are the disciples of Jesus the Christ (John 13:35). Thus, the
6th Sunday of Easter
Gospel reading also indicates our sacramental nature that we receive upon the
coming of “parakletos”.
But, for the “parakletos” to be poured upon and infused
into us on Pentecost, the body of Jesus has to ascend and to return to the
Father, who is the source of “parakletos”, evolved from “ruah”,
which blew over the waters when God’s Creation began (Genesis 1:2).
This is where Ascension falls on the week of, in fact, on Thursday
of, the 6th Sunday of
Easter, always.
The Ascension is the consummation of the mission of Jesus to the
world, as the first Advocate. The period between the Ascension and the
Pentecost is the transition period. But, through his words in the Gospel
narratives of Sunday Gospel narratives through Easter, our first Advocate,
Jesus has prepared us for this transition until another Advocate, the Holy
Spirit arrives on Pentecost.
In the first reading for the Ascension (Acts 1:1-11), which
describes how the Ascension took place, Jesus is, once again, assuring the
disciples of the Pentecost to come soon after his departure. In this, he tells
that the Pentecost is the baptism with the Holy Spirit for the disciples (Acts
1:5) to give them the power so that they can be a witness of Jesus to all
over the world from Jerusalem (Acts 1:8). This suggests that the Holy Spirit is
not only another Advocate, who teaches (John 14:26), but also the power to
spread the witness of the risen Christ throughout the world. Therefore,
right before his Ascension, Jesus is assuring the missionary nature of the
Pentecost.
The Gospel reading for the Ascension (Matthew 28:16-20) further
goes along with Jesus’ teaching on the missionary nature of the
Pentecost from the first reading.
Though this Gospel reading’s setting is shortly after Jesus’
resurrection, we remind ourselves, once again, that we, the follower of Christ,
are commissioned to go on our mission to make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
and catechizing them to observe all of his teaching, especially his “Mandatum
Novum” (Matthew 28:19-20). In fact, this also leads to “charismatizing” those whom we
make the disciples by baptizing and catechize, so that they also receive the
power, the Holy Spirit, to join us in our evolving mission.
There is an analogous connection between the Resurrection and the
Ascension, as Matthew 28:16-20, a resurrection narrative, and Acts 1:11, an
Ascension narrative, are used to celebrate the feast of the Ascension. It is
that Jesus commissioned the disciples in Galilee to make the disciples of all
nations upon his Resurrection (Matthew 28:19-20) and commissioned them on Mount
of Olives near Jerusalem to go proclaim the Good News of the glorified Christ
to the ends of the earth right before his Ascension (Acts 1:8).
This really reminds us of what Catholic Mass is about – its
Pentecostal nature upon the Resurrection and the Ascension of Jesus, in
addition to the Eucharistic nature, of Mass, as it always concludes with a
commissioning statement pronounced by the presiding priest, “Ite, Missa Est!”
(aplolysis).
With this, the Church is emptied after Mass, as we come out,
nourished by the Eucharist, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, commissioned anew
to make more disciples of all nations, bearing our witness of Christ, the Good
News, to the ends of the earth – so that everyone will be baptized, catechized,
and “charismatized”, to be shepherded by the Good Shepherd, the Chris,
in “parakletos”, to the Father!
Though there is a bit of grief for not seeing Jesus in flesh upon
the Ascension, the scripture readings for theAscension Mass sure gives us fresh
inspiration. And, it is what Jesus wants us to experience, as he did for the
disciples.
Though many Catholic dioceses in the United States celebrate the
Ascension, which is always on the Thursday of the week of the 6th Sunday of Easter, on the following
Sunday, the 7th Sunday,
we do have the designated scripture readings for the 7th Sunday of Easter. It is important that
we read and reflect these words, whether your diocese or archdiocese cerebrates
the Ascension on the Thursday and celebrates the 7th Sunday or not.
The 7th Sunday
of Easter Gospel (John 17:1-11a) is taken from the last long prayer of Jesus in
thegarden of agony, Gethsemane, shortly before his arrest to be tortured and
killed. Jesus began his Passion with this intense prayer to prepare his way to
the Calvary, the Cross, the tomb, and the Resurrection. It is also to shepherd
us to salvation, to the Father in heaven, to the dwelling places in the
Father’s house.
Given the flow of the themes from the Sunday Gospel readings
during Easter, as I indicated above, Jesus made this prayer not only to prepare
himself for his way into the Calvary and to the Cross but also for us to
receive new “paraklete” on the Pentecost, after his Ascension.
It is important to note here that the 7th Sunday of Easter gospel reading ends
with Jesus’ statement, “I am coming to you”(John 17:11). Jesus’
statement of this nature, expressing his desire to be with us, is also found at
the end of the Gospel reading for the Ascension, “I am with you always,
until the end of the age”(Matthew 28:20). Such sentences are also found in
the 6th Sunday of
Easter Gospel, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you”(John
14:18) and in the 5th Sunday
of Easter Gospel, “I will come back again and take you to myself so that
where I am you also may be” (John 14:3).
This indication of Jesus’ desire to stay with us, regardless of
his physical presence in the world, is extremely important to appreciate the
nature of “parakletos” as “para”(being intimately close) and “kaleo”
(making a call). Throughout the Gospel readings from the 5th Sunday on, Jesus has been consistentlyreminding
us not only his “parakletos” nature as the first Advocate but also the
same nature of the Holy Spirit, which is now called another (second) Advocate,
“parakletos”.
Therefore, we are about to conclude the 50 days of Easter from the
Resurrection, with the Pentecost, though the Ascension, as we now come to
better understand the “parakletos” nature of Jesus and the Holy Spirit –
the comforter, consoler, advocate, the power, the teacher, as well as the Good
Shepherd (John 10:11) the Gate to the Father (John 10:7), the Way, the Truth,
and the Life (John 14:6) – the eternal life of the resurrection (John 11:25).
As not only physical being but also spiritual being of all of these
qualities, Jesus is always coming to us, to close to us, as our “parakletos”,
as in flesh, the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and as in the Holy Spirit, always.
We also now better understand that the “parakletos” nature of Jesus, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit is a reflection of the Father’s “agape”, which
binds the Son with the Father consubstantially (John 10:30). Therefore, as we
are about to conclude Easter with Pentecost, we are also ready to celebrate the
Trinity Sunday, which follows the Pentecost Sunday.
As we prepare ourselves to complete Easter, reflecting on the “parakletos”,
in Jesus, the Son, and in the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father in heaven, let us
listen to this beautiful Catholic hymn by David Haas.
This hymn begins singing, “I
will come to you in the silence”.
Given that now is the transition time between Ascension and Pentecost,
it is a good time to listen and sing this hymn, as we wait for and prepare ourselves for Pentecost. We know Jesus has assured us of the coming of
second “parakletos”, the Holy Spirit,
we still may feel anxious during this “waiting period”, though we are now
definitely hopeful. As anxiety and hope are mixed in us, we take a lesson from
the disciples in terms of how they spent this time.
The first reading for the 7th Sunday (Acts 1:12-14)
tells that the disciples spent this anxious and hopeful transition time between
Ascension and Pentecost praying and praying in the Upper Room in
Jerusalem. They were praying perhaps
silently while waiting to receive the descending Holy Spirit from the Father in
heaven. Perhaps, this is like a quiet incubation period – getting ready for
actions, called mission.
Let us be comforted and empowered by our “parakletos” to be
sent out to make the disciples of all nations with “Ite, Mass Est”!
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