The 6th Sunday of Easter continues the theme of the previous Sunday. The indwelling of Christ and the disciples is an indwelling in a communion of love similar to the communion of the Father and the Son. But just as the Son lives according to the word of the Father (for obedience is the main characteristic of a Son) so the disciple should also live by the words of the Son of God. Fidelity to our relationship with the Lord is fidelity to His words, understood as both his teaching and his life (word as event). Read the article found here, and use the following as your guide for reflection.
1. "Keep my commandments", the Lord tells us. Just as the Jews keep the Torah, so we are to keep the Torah of the Lord. By keeping his Torah (read "keeping" as "living"), we remain in His love.
Reflect. All throughout the year we have been constantly reminded that for us, Christians, the Lord's words and actions should give direction to our lives. His values should be our values; His memory the event that spurs us on to our journey. St. Augustine speaks of this in terms of making the Lord our "Interior Teacher." PPC II reminds us that to live in accordance with our baptism, we ought to have constantly before our minds' eyes, the Lord. But in order to do this, we should exert effort in recalling His words and meditating on them even after we've heard these in the proclamation of the Mass. How much time do you spend during the day in recalling the words and the life of the Lord? How much of your time is spent in remembering the Lord compared to the time you spend for other activities? Do you sincerely believe that the time you spend now in remembering and recalling the Lord gives honor to the way you value Him in your life?
2. There is "joy" and there is "joy"; but there is also the Lord's joy, the one He alone can give. It is the joy of the last days, reserved for those whom God loves which the Lord is offering us. It is the joy that even now we receive as a foretaste of the good things that the Lord reserves for us. It is a joy above all that is experienced from within the communion of those whom the Lord calls his friends.
Reflect. Christian joy is not something that is injected from outside, but is something from within the person who has experienced and known the friendship of the Lord. It is not the joy that derives from energetic music or the laughter of a party, but that which derives from the peace that the Lord gives to those who have surrendered themselves to Him. It is the joy of the Resurrection, won through the cross and packaged in the life of the Just One that is offered as a gift to you. Christian joy is primarily the joy that comes from the Resurrected Lord and which you share with others because you realize that you cannot contain it and keep it for yourself. How have you shared the joy of Easter with others this week?
3. In John 15:15-16, the Lord promotes his disciples. They are no longer just servants (see John 12:26), they are now friends. Later, on Easter morn, He will once more promote His friends, calling them brothers (cf. 20:17). He calls his disciples "friends" because He has made them privy to the things He shares with the Father. They are "friends" because they have become his extended family. With the Resurrection, they become his family.
Reflect. You have become a member of the Lord's family by your baptism. He regards you as "His own" (see the Good Shepherd Sunday Thoughts) How do you behave towards His family, the Church? How do you live out your Christian commitment as a member of His household?
