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 6^th Sunday of Easter, Year C: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: “If a man loves me, he will keep my word.”

Readings: Acts 15: 1-2.22-29; Rev 21:10-14.22-23; Jn 14:23-29

Dear friends in Christ, last Sunday, we learnt from Christ that the genuine identity of His followers is love. This Sunday, the sixth Sunday of Easter, the readings revisit this theme of love due to its significance in our world and the essential role that Christians - all of us who declare our love for Christ - must take in this expression of love. Furthermore, the readings encourage us to remain receptive to the influence and direction of the Holy Spirit in our discussions and choices within the church and our families.

As Christ was giving His final instructions to His disciples in today's gospel, He told them how they could show their love for Him and the world in His physical absence. He stated, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word... whoever does not love me does not keep my words." In this statement, Christ established a link between the declaration of love for Him and the adherence to His commandments. Thus, the expression of love for Christ must be accompanied with obedience to His teachings. Without the latter, the former cannot hold true. This implies that those who claim to love Jesus must validate their profession of love through obedience to His words and a life that conforms to his teachings. The connection between love for Christ and compliance with His teachings must remain evident in our concrete decisions and actions. This is the expectation that Christ has for each of us. Our task today is to evaluate if our private and public lives reflect our love for Jesus and his teaching.

In reality, Christ did not demand anything extraordinary from His disciples or from us. It is evident that a child who disobeys their parents cannot genuinely claim to love them. Thus, obedience to our parents or superiors, particularly in their absence, serves as one of the means to express our love for them.

The first reading presented us with a situation that challenged the disciples of Christ to demonstrate their love for Him and adherence to His teachings through their specific choices/decisions. A dispute arose between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians regarding the Jewish practice of circumcision and the acceptance of pagans into Christianity. Some Jewish Christians insisted that pagan converts must undergo circumcision prior to being accepted as Christians. Circumcision was the gateway to the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 17:9-14). However, in reality, requiring pagan adults, who wished to embrace Christianity, to be circumcised would subject them to significant physical suffering and distress.

Consequently, guided by the Holy Spirit and Christ’s command to love others as oneself and to treat others as one would wish to be treated, the apostles relieved the pagan adults – the new converts to Christianity – from the obligation of circumcision, only asking them to adhere to the fundamental Christian practices. They declared, “It has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than the necessary things.” This is love in action.

Dear friends, the apostles understood that it is not the mark of a good Christian to subject other people to hardships and unnecessary pains. The essence of Christianity is love, and our mission is to share God's love with all of humanity, rather than causing others undue pain and sorrow. Therefore, if you truly love someone, you will refrain from subjecting them to unnecessary suffering; you will not permit them to endure needless anguish.

This presents a significant challenge for all Christians. We are called to ensure that our love for Christ transcends mere verbal expression. Hence, we must manifest this love through our adherence to Christ's teachings in our concrete choices and actions, particularly in following the command to love others as God loves us. It is regrettable that many people claim to love Jesus while their hearts remain distant from Him and His teachings, especially in how they treat their fellow human beings and how they live their personal lives. If you love Jesus, you will not impose unnecessary pain and suffering on others, whether it be physical, mental, emotional, or financial; if you love Jesus, you will not mistreat others. If you love Jesus, you will not refuse others their rights or your assistance. If you love Jesus, you will not cling to any practice, system, or belief that causes harm to others. If you love Jesus, you will not look down upon others. If you love Jesus, you will not conspire against another person.

Dear friends, if you love Jesus, you will also love your fellow human beings, for those who truly love Jesus can easily recognize Him in others; they will see the Holy Face of Jesus reflected in the faces of their fellow humans. This is why John, in his first letter 4:20-22, stated, "If we claim to love God yet harbour hatred for our brothers and sisters, we are deceiving ourselves. For one cannot genuinely love God, whom they have not seen, if they do not love their brothers and sisters, whom they have seen. The commandment given to us by Christ is this: all who love God must also love their brothers and sisters." Therefore, let us open our hearts to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so that our choices and actions may embody true love for others in accordance with the teachings of Christ.

Have a blessed Sunday.

Rev Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima