May 10, 2026 Sixth Sunday of Easter Gospel: John 14:15-21
Today is the Sixth Sunday of Easter. We are drawing ever closer to the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. During these time, the Gospel passages we hear are taken from the Farewell Discourse of Our Lord in the Gospel of John: His final words to the disciples before His Passion. Today’s text continues to present us with these moving and profound sayings.
We often witness such scenes in our daily lives: while pursuing our studies, we frequently say to those who teach us, “Teacher, we love you!” In our eyes, these educators pour out their hearts to instruct us, so that through all they impart, we may endure in this shifting world and not be cast aside by society or fail to thrive. Yet when we graduate, we feel sorrow and grief, for we must leave the safe harbor of the school and enter a world unknown. At times, we are like the disciples of Jesus, fearing we will see our Teacher no more.
One might think that Jesus’ words to His followers before His Passion were merely a final farewell; but this is far from the truth. Before leaving them, Jesus continued to console them, promising that after He was taken up, He would ask the Father to send another Advocate to those who keep His commandments:One who would remain with them forever (cf. John 14:15-16). This Advocate is the Holy Spirit, whom we received in the Sacraments of Initiation. The Spirit we have received “proceeds from the Father” and is the “Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept” (cf. John 14:17; 15:26). The world cannot receive Him because it refuses to accept all that Christ proclaimed. Thus, they cannot come to know the Father through Christ’s word, nor can they find release from sin and death through the Baptism Christ offers. But having received the Holy Spirit, sent into the world after Christ’s Ascension, we are called to follow His guidance, putting to death the deeds of the flesh through the power of the Spirit, so as to attain eternal life.
Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord! Since we have received Baptism in Christ, been cleansed from original sin in the water that flowed from His sacred side, and been born anew in Him: since, through faith, we have received the Holy Spirit and resolved to be reborn of water and the Spirit: let us then follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, always doing the will of the Father, encouraging one another, and journeying together toward holiness.
Grant, almighty God, that we may celebrate with heartfelt devotion these days of joy, which we keep in honor of the risen Lord, and that what we relive in remembrance we may always hold to in what we do. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
May 9, 2026 Saturday of the Fifth Week- of Easter Gospel: John 15:18-21
Today is Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter. In today’s passage from the Holy Gospel according to John, Jesus continues to share His Farewell Discourse with His disciples before His Passion. In this Gospel passage, Jesus reveals to us the relationship between His disciples and the world.
In our daily lives, we often witness conflicts among people, even seeing them come to blows out of hatred. Such situations arise from the unrest within our hearts. The root cause of this inner turmoil is sin. Sin breeds unrest, severing the soul’s connection with God and causing it to align instead with this world and its ruler.
The reason we do not belong to this world is that Jesus Himself has called us. Through Holy Baptism, He has washed us clean; through His Holy Spirit, He strengthens our faith; and through His Body and Blood, He nourishes us. Therefore, if we have been buried with Him in Baptism and have died with Him, firmly believing that we shall one day rise to a new life just as He rose from the dead, we no longer belong to this fading world, but to the Kingdom of God.
Jesus said: “Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”(Cf. John 15:20). This means that as children of the Heavenly Father, the worldview, values, and moral compass we uphold are fundamentally different from those of this passing world. Consequently, we will inevitably face rejection from those who cling to the standards of this age. When we find ourselves in such circumstances, we can remain at peace, knowing that what we are experiencing is precisely what Jesus endured. If we truly trust in Jesus and belong to His flock, we must love as He loved: loving even those who hurt us and praying for them, just as Jesus did when He prayed for His persecutors from the Cross.
Almighty and eternal God, who through the regenerating power of Baptism have been pleased to confer on us heavenly life, grant, we pray, that those you render capable of immortality by justifying them may by your guidance attain the fullness of glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
May 8, 2026 Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter Gospel: John 15:9-11
Today is Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter. The passage from the Gospel of Saint John continues to present Jesus’ farewell discourse to His disciples before His Passion. In this Gospel passage, Jesus continues to expound upon His commandment of love.
What kind of love does Jesus speak of? It is a love that holds nothing back, a love that stops at no cost. As He Himself says: No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13) Yet, how many of us would actually lay down our lives for our friends? In our eyes, sacrificing our life for a friend seems like an impulsive and irrational act. However, the love Jesus speaks of is a total, complete love. For the sake of loving His disciples and loving us, He willingly allowed Himself to be nailed to the Cross, enduring its bitter torment, so that the infinitely merciful Heavenly Father, through all that He accomplished, might forgive the sins we have committed and restore us to our identity as sons and daughters of God.
The love Jesus speaks of is an initiative love, not a passive one. As He says: It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will last. (cf. John 15:16) Even before we knew Him, He had already chosen us. Jesus is soon to be taken up and seated at the right hand of the Father, yet He remains present in our midst; He is always with us. If we experience love in our lives: such as the nurturing love of our parents, the instructive love of our teachers, the supportive love of our superiors, or the pastoral care of our priests—we can see in these the very love of Jesus for us.
Through the grace of Baptism and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, we are no longer called children of the devil or children of darkness. Our Lord Jesus Christ, rich in mercy, vanquished death for us by the Precious Blood He shed out of love for us, stripping the devil of his dominion over us so that he can no longer master us. Therefore, let us live within the love of Christ, manifesting Jesus’ love for us through the actions of our daily lives. In this way, we become true disciples of Jesus Christ, and the prayers we offer to God will grow ever more sincere. The Holy Spirit dwelling within us will surely, in response to our faith, bestow upon us every grace we need.
Grant us, Lord, we pray, that, being rightly conformed to the paschal mysteries, what we celebrate in joy may protect and save us with perpetual power. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
全属于祢 
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