6th Sunday of Easter
10th May 2026
Lectionary Readings: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; Ps 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20;
1Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21Theme: Accounting for the Hope that is in You (1Peter 3:15)
The scripture passages designated for this Sunday’s liturgy lead us through a reflection on the intimate trinitarian relationship at the heart of Christian faith. John encapsulates this relationship in Jesus’ perplexing statement: “I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you” (Jn 14:20). Elucidating that somewhat, John recalls Jesus’ plea: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments … those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them” (Jn 14: 15, 21). John completes the trinitarian reference, by remembering Jesus’ promise: “I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever … the Spirit of truth” (Jn 14:16). In these verses of John’s Gospel, we hear an echo of Exodus 20:5-6: “I am the Lord, your God … showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.” This is the promise of God’s hesed, or covenantal love – “a passionate commitment to his people” (TNJBC, p. 52). The awareness of that relationship in the Christian community, as portrayed in John’s Gospel, is enhanced by the experiences related in the readings from Acts and 1 Peter.
In commenting on the passage from Acts, Dillon (TNJBC p. 743) notes that, in Luke’s plan, new communities are bonded to the mother church by visitation of her delegates, as is illustrated in Philip’s mission to Samaria. However, Luke’s concern to subordinate the Hellenists (such as Philip) to “the apostles in Jerusalem,” by the subsequent visit of Peter and John (Acts 8:14), has produced the curious separation of baptism from the bestowal of the Spirit noted in verse 16: “they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit had not come upon any of them.” Dillon concludes that the Holy Spirit operates only where there is communion with the apostles, who, as witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection, certify the risen Lord’s continued activity on earth (cf. Dillon, ibid.). This provides a strong element of continuity within the early Church.
The selection from 1Peter, comprising only four verses, reflects a context of suffering, characterized as due to some form of abuse of Christians (3:16) and hence, quite possibly persecution. It presents a situation that requires “accounting for the hope that is in you” (3:15). It appeals to their gentleness and reverence in imitation of Christ, who suffered death in order to bring them to God. It assures them that their faith in Christ will strengthen them to defend themselves. The author alludes to the Talmudic Tractate Berakot (Blessings) which speaks of sufferings as the “chastenings of love” (TJANT, p. 507). This passage from 1 Peter concludes that suffering borne with such attitudes may put one’s persecutors to shame – a consequence to be hoped for.
The communion, witnessed in Acts, and the faith in face of suffering, as portrayed in 1Peter, are essential, strong qualifications of the image of the early church presented in the Gospel of John.
For Reflection and Discussion:
1. In your experience of the Church in our time, what would be significant qualifications of her witness, in relation to the contemporary society, that might nourish hope?
Bibliography: Brown, R.E., Fitzmyer, J.A., Murphy, R.E., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1990); Levine, A-J. and Bretler, M.Z., editors, The Jewish Annotated New Testament (Oxford University Press, 2011); Libengood K.D., “The Problem(s) of Reading 1 Peter after Supercessionism,” (Religions 14: 206).
This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Diane Willey, Canada, Bat Kol Alumna 2005, 2006
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