6th Sunday of Easter

6^th Sunday of Easter

25th May 2025

Lectionary Readings: Acts 15:1-2.22-29; Ps 67:2-3. 5-6. 8; Rev 21:10-14. 22-23; Jn 14:23-29

Theme: We need an Advocate

The Acts of the Apostles is a theological history of the progress of the gospel after the death and resurrection of Jesus as well as the origin and growth of the Church from Jerusalem to the wide Gentile world, written as the second of a two-volume work, which has the specific theme of salvation history taking place in two stages in the Gospel and in the Acts: one from Galilee to Jerusalem (Lk 9:51-24:53) and the other from Galilee to the “end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

It is worth noting that a turning-point in the history of the early Church takes place as a result of the developments after the first missionary journey of Barnabas and Paul: the “Judaisers” (“men from James, “circumcision party”) going to Antioch and demanding circumcision from the Gentile Christians. The introduction to this story is characterized by the myopic view of many people in the Jerusalem Church: “unless you are circumcised….” At a solemn meeting arranged in Jerusalem, Peter, as the leader and spokesperson in the discussion, gets the approval of the official Church of Jerusalem.

Probably another event which happened much later was when Paul was busy with his second and third missionary journeys. This meeting was presided over by James, who by then had become a leader of the Church in Jerusalem. It dealt with the question of table fellowship of Jewish and Gentile Christians and the restriction laid on the Gentile Christians for full table fellowship. The Dietary regulations and the need for avoiding the customary porneia among the Gentile Christians as opposed to the teaching of Jesus were discussed and decided that Jewish laws did not apply to Gentile Christians

The study and reflection of the Acts of the Apostles and its various specific topics should enable the Christians of all times to become more powerful “witnesses of Christ” and this is particularly true today which is characterized by religious pluralism and a multiplicity of socio-economic complexities.

Religious pluralism is a reality that has become a phenomenon in many societies and across the world. We are invited to go beyond the teaching of Vatican II Nostra Aetate in this 60^th year of its promulgation. It was seminal and only a beginning, necessitated by the question related to antisemitism. In the context of today, what is needed is to create a better theology of religions in which all religions should have their legitimate roles to play.

Although the Church has the experiences and resources to handle new issues based on past events, the Church cannot overlook the need to always count on wisdom from above: Jesus told his disciples to stay indoors until thy had received the Holy Spirit. It is not for nothing that he called the Holy Spirit the ‘Advocate’, who will teach and remind them of all that they had been taught. Part of the mistake we could make is to trust ourselves too much. Trusting our intelligence and logic could probably lead to presumptions, complacency, and self-deception. We could fall into the trap of concluding everything based on our knowledge and abilities. We need the Holy Spirit, we need an Advocate, we need the Divine Teacher, the Spirit of Truth.

For Reflection and Discussion: 1. What is your view on the legitimacy of the different major world religions. 2. How does one promote acceptance and tolerance of all major world religions leading to a more tolerant and accepting Theology of World Religions. Give examples.

Bibliography: McKenzie, J.L. Dictionary of the Bible (New York: 1965); Mimeographed notes.

This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Roy da Silva, MTh [Biblical Theology], India. Bat Kol alumnus, 2002 – 2006, 2015

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