SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER - A

THE SPIRIT AIDS US IN DIALOGUE

Have you ever encountered someone who is angry with God or mad at our Church?  And because of this, he or she tries to weaken the bearings of our faith through a barrage of questions, accusations and criticisms. Sometimes this can be so overwhelming we cannot even reply. There are so many such people today, driven by doubt or disappointment or by other motives to disparage religious faith and to influence religious people to abandon their faith.

The second reading (1Pet 3:15) gives us the right perspective to take in our encounter with these people: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope…” How? With gentleness and reverence, continues 1 Peter.  In times past, there were the argumentative debates with non-Catholics and non-Christians.  These only produced an even more hardening of positions and created victors and vanquished.

Today, we want to enter into fruitful and engaging dialogue with doubters so that not only can we hear what they are saying but also so that we can hear what they are not saying.  Some people who say they are fed up with God or with the Church are really hurting people and they want to express that pain through their protest. That is why instead of debates, we must give an explanation of the hope we have within us. Instead of raised voices, we do it with gentleness and reverence.

Maybe you are thinking: How can I do it? I am not an expert in the Bible or church history or doctrines and dogmas? There are even many aspects of my faith I myself struggle to understand.  How can I give an explanation? 

This is the situation of most Catholics faced with this problem. And so, they just remain silent, disagreeing with the criticisms but unable to do anything about it. Sometimes it happens that the Catholic party is even later on convinced by the argument of the other person and later joins the ranks of those who are filled with doubts.

This Easter season, the Lord Jesus gives us the help we need to be steadfast in faith and to sincerely and courageously engage people in conversation about our faith. The Lord Jesus promises to send us an Advocate, a defender – the Holy Spirit. Since he is the Spirit of truth, he will lead us into the truth and he will remain within us forever.

It is important to be sensitive to the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and to allow him to work in us so that we can lead others to the Lord.  The Spirit will not make all of us experts in explaining and understanding the faith.  But the Spirit works in an even more convincing way – through our lives, our actions and words, our kindness and patience, our joy and our smiles.

Let us open our hearts to receive the gift of the Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even before Pentecost, let us habitually cry out, Come, Holy Spirit.