Homily: Monday, May 23, 2022, Sixth Monday of Easter

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 “They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God”.

This warning of Jesus came true. In this Easter season, the first readings are taken from the Acts of the Apostles. From the accounts, we can see what happened to the disciples after the Resurrection.

The Apostles were often being thrown out of the Synagogues. They were also killed. Stephen was the first to be martyred, stoned to death for refusing to deny his faith in Jesus. As he was dying, he echoed the same forgiveness for those who killed him, like Jesus did on the cross.

Jesus, and Stephen, knew that those people were ignorant. They believed they were ‘offering worship to God’ with their killings.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, “It is not wisdom that saves, it is ignorance. If we knew what we were doing when we crucified the Lord, we would never be saved.”

That was at the point of the Lord’s crucifixion. Can we still be ignorant after His resurrection? Now that we know the truth, can we continue to follow false ideologies, wrong principles and sinful propositions blindly?

The answer is, of course, ‘No’. But it is not easy. Temptations and distractions, misinterpretations and confusions are the tricks we all fall into. How then can we persist in faith and live a faultless life?

The gospel tells us how: “When the advocate comes, whom I will send you from the father, the spirit of truth who proceeds from the father, he will testify to me.” 

Yes, the holy spirit will teach us, guide us, enlighten us, strengthen us. He will help us. But we must be open to let Him lead, to listen, to obey, to follow.

As Lydia ‘opened her heart to pay attention’ to St. Paul’s teaching, we too must listen to the word of the Lord and be totally open to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. May He activate in us wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of God. Amen.

Fr. Nivin Scaria 

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