Homily For Fifth Monday of Easter Year B, 29th, 2024. The Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena

Readings: Acts.14:5-18; Ps115; John 14:21-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

LORD LET THE HOLY SPIRIT TEACH AND REMIND US EVERYTHING

 

As the time for Jesus to accomplish his mission drew near, he taught his disciples a lot of things which they had not yet fully understood and there was more to teach them. So, as Jesus continued to teach the disciples about knowing and observing the commandments as a sign of love for him and his Father, as we have it in our Gospel passage today, one of his disciples who could not understand this teaching said to him, ‘Lord, what is all this about? Do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world? And Jesus replied ‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our home with him'. But as this becomes more difficult for them to comprehend, Jesus said to them: ‘The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you.’

Here Jesus who has been the only teacher of his disciples promised them the indwelling of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will take up the task to inspire them and deepen their understanding of the words and actions of Jesus. However, Jesus emphasized that the condition for obtaining all that he has promised is the love expressed in our faith in the Father through him.

 

Thus today, we are called to renew our faith and devotion to God, to renew our love and focus once again on Him with all our hearts, so as to be faithful in all things and at all times. Let us be inspired by the courage and faith of the Apostles, and strive to dedicate ourselves ever more to God. Just like Paul and Barnabas in our first reading, who had the right focus and emphasis in their minds and hearts with unwavering faith and commitment to God as they resisted the temptation of being treated like gods.

 

Hence, they shouted at the people who wanted to offer sacrifice to them, they said to them: ‘Friends, what do you think you are doing? We are only human beings like you. We have come with good news to make you turn from these empty idols to the living God who made heaven and earth. Here we see how they faithfully kept the commandments of God, and remained faithful to Him, as Jesus mentioned in our Gospel passage today.

 

Dear friends, let us resist the temptations of pride, greed, selfishness and corruption present in this world, and do our very best to follow Jesus with all our hearts and with all our strength. Let us make him the very centre of our existence and lives knowing that the holy Spirit, the Advocate will surely teach and reveal to us the deep mysteries of our faith and also help us to overcome the temptations of this world and lead us to God our loving Father.

 

Let us also learn from St. Catherine of Siena whose memorial we celebrate today. Catherine was a lay member of the Dominican Order. She was a mystic and one of the female doctors of the Church known for her holiness, asceticism, and spiritual visions and she was influential in religious and political affairs of the Church.

 

LET US PRAY: Almighty ever-living God, there are lots of things we need to know and understand about the faith we have found in you, grant we pray that the Holy Spirit through the intercession of the St. Catherine of Siena may guide our ways, teach us what we need to know and what to do, how to do it, when to do it and grace do it properly. Amen. It's a new week, may the Holy Spirit guide and bless all your efforts.