Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter
John 15:18-21
Guarded Against the Spirit of the World

In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns His disciples: “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first” (Jn 15:18). As He prepares to leave them, He prays not that they be taken out of the world, but that they be protected from the world’s spirit (cf. Jn 17:15).

What is this spirit of the world? It is not merely about enjoying parties or pleasures. Rather, it is a deeper, more dangerous culture — a culture of appearances, of superficial values, of fleeting loyalties. It is a way of life that prizes convenience over truth, discards what is uncomfortable, and resists fidelity. It disguises itself with charm, but at its root, it suffocates the Word of God, as Jesus warns in the parable of the Sower (cf. Lk 8:7).

“Worldliness even penetrates the Church, masquerading as good while draining away the Gospel’s radical call to love, sacrifice, and truth. Henri de Lubac calls this “spiritual worldliness” the worst evil that can befall the Church — subtle, deep-rooted, and devastating.

Pope Francis had cautioned us that “True Christianity, however, stands on the scandal of the Cross. The world cannot tolerate the Cross because it reveals love that sacrifices and suffers for the sake of others. As St. Paul reminds us, “The victory that conquers the world is our faith”(1 Jn 5:4) — faith in Christ crucified and risen, foolishness to the worldly mind, but the power of God for those who believe.

In these final days of Easter, let us ask the Holy Spirit for discernment: to recognise the spirit of worldliness and to resist it with the strength of faith. May we hold fast to the Cross of Christ, our true hope and lasting victory.

Faith in the Crucified and Risen Lord is our shield against the spirit of the world.

© Claretian Publications, Hong Kong, China
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025