Sixth Sunday of Easter Year B

Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48; Psalm 98; 1 John 4:7-10

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus says, “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.” When, comments Pitre, we remain in Jesus’ love by joining our wills to his will we experience joy.^[1] There are different kinds of joy and happiness that we experience. Some of the joy we can experience is not the joy that Jesus promises.

For example, the thrill and joy Roman soldiers may have experienced as they mocked and tortured Jesus was not Godly joy but rather evil joy. The Roman soldiers’ joy was evil because it was based on taking delight in the suffering of other people, in this case Jesus, the Son of God. Some experiences of happiness may not be evil but also may not be the joy that Jesus promises. The healthy joy of eating a chocolate bar, or watching a beautiful sunset is not the joy that Jesus promises. 

If directed to God’s will, however, even the joy of eating a chocolate bar or watching a beautiful sunset, can prepare us for heavenly joys. For example, if a family watches a sunset together and then elevates this beautiful experience by thanking God for the gift of the beautiful sun the family has transformed a naturally joyful experience towards the supernatural end of heavenly joy.

The joy that Jesus promises if we obey his will by keeping God’s commandments is grounded in eternal peace, a peace that differs from all other kinds of peace in that it does not fade and pass. This lasting peace results when we experience the fulfillment of our purpose on earth. This peace can be experienced even amidst painful suffering.

At the same time Jesus suffered on the Cross he experienced deep, lasting, peaceful joy since he knew he was fulfilling the reason why he was sent on earth.

We at times can experiences glimpses of this peaceful joy that exists during suffering. A mother who is repeatedly awoken during the night since her baby is crying to be comforted and who each time gets up to tend her baby experiences the peaceful joy amidst the pain of not getting enough sleep. Her peaceful joy is grounded in fulfilling her purpose of being a mother. 

A father who, although tempted to spend more time at work, decides to go home to spend precious time with his children, perhaps a day in the park, experiences the suffering in saying no to a good activity to say yes to an activity that is better, for being a father is more important than excelling in the workplace.

Lord Jesus, grant us the grace to keep your commandments, to unite our wills to your holy will and to direct all our experiences of earthly happiness, and earthly suffering to the love of God and love of our brothers and sisters all for the greater glory of God. May God Bless You All – Father Peter

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^[1] Brant Pitre, “The Sixth Sunday of Easter (B),” catholicproductions.com.