May 2, 2026 Written by 

Abiding in the Word and in the Spirit

On this Sixth Sunday of Easter, the Gospel speaks to us of love for Jesus linked to the observance of the commandments, and of Christ’s Envoy: the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth.

Jesus reminds us that those who love Him will be loved by the Father and deeply indwelt by the divine Spirit.

 

Francis, in his Letter to the Faithful, expresses it thus:

«Those who do not wish to taste how sweet the Lord is and prefer darkness to light, refusing to observe God’s commandments, are cursed» (FF 186).

The life of the Poor Man of Assisi, illuminated by Christ, was light within the Light:

“This was the way in which he infallibly foresaw both the fall of many who seemed to be standing upright, and the conversion to Christ of many sinners.

Therefore, it seemed that he was now gazing intently upon the mirror of eternal light, in whose marvellous splendour the eye of his spirit could see things physically distant as if they were present” (FF 1198).

The new man, made such by Grace, embodied the Truth, reflected in his very works.

“In this way many began to recognise the truth of the doctrine which the man of God preached with simplicity, and of his life. Some began to feel called to penance by his example and to join him, in habit and in life, leaving everything behind. The first of these was the «venerable Bernard», who, having been made a partaker of the divine vocation, merited to be the firstborn of the blessed Father, first in time and in holiness” (FF 1053).

Following in the footsteps of the Lord, the life of the Poverello became a light for the dark times in which he lived.

“His intellect, freed from the dense fog of earthly things […] soared lightly to the heavenly heights and immersed itself purely in the light.

Thus radiant with the splendour of eternal light, he drew from the uncreated Word that which echoed in words.

Oh, how different we are today, we who, shrouded in darkness, are ignorant even of the necessities of life!” (FF 640).

Francis, transformed by the Light, had fallen in love with it: his works bore witness to this.

The flashes of the Word came to shape him according to its specific nature: to communicate to others the Truth nailed to the cross, so that the world might be redeemed and realise the Gift it had received.

“With the most resplendent rays of his life and teaching, he drew towards the light those who lay in the shadow of death, like the rainbow that shines amidst the luminous clouds; bearing within himself the sign of the covenant with the Lord, he proclaimed to mankind the Gospel of Peace and salvation” (FF 1021).

 

«Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and reveal myself to them» (Jn 14:21b)

 

 

6th Sunday in Easter A  (Jn 14:15–21)

96 Last modified on Saturday, 02 May 2026 04:54
Teresa Girolami

Teresa Girolami è laureata in Materie letterarie e Teologia. Ha pubblicato vari testi, fra cui: "Pellegrinaggio del cuore" (Ed. Piemme); "I Fiammiferi di Maria - La Madre di Dio in prosa e poesia"; "Tenerezza Scalza - Natura di donna"; co-autrice di "Dialogo e Solstizio".

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Wherever people want to set themselves up as God they cannot but set themselves against each other. Instead, wherever they place themselves in the Lord’s truth they are open to the action of his Spirit who sustains and unites them (Pope Benedict
Dove gli uomini vogliono farsi Dio, possono solo mettersi l’uno contro l’altro. Dove invece si pongono nella verità del Signore, si aprono all’azione del suo Spirito che li sostiene e li unisce (Papa Benedetto)
But our understanding is limited: thus, the Spirit's mission is to introduce the Church, in an ever new way from generation to generation, into the greatness of Christ's mystery. The Spirit places nothing different or new beside Christ; no pneumatic revelation comes with the revelation of Christ - as some say -, no second level of Revelation (Pope Benedict)
Ma la nostra capacità di comprendere è limitata; perciò la missione dello Spirito è di introdurre la Chiesa in modo sempre nuovo, di generazione in generazione, nella grandezza del mistero di Cristo. Lo Spirito non pone nulla di diverso e di nuovo accanto a Cristo; non c’è nessuna rivelazione pneumatica accanto a quella di Cristo - come alcuni credono - nessun secondo livello di Rivelazione (Papa Benedetto)
Who touched Lydia's heart? The answer is: «the Holy Spirit». It’s He who made this woman feel that Jesus was Lord; He made this woman feel that salvation was in Paul's words; He made this woman feel a testimony (Pope Francis)
Chi ha toccato il cuore di Lidia? La risposta è: «lo Spirito Santo». È lui che ha fatto sentire a questa donna che Gesù era il Signore; ha fatto sentire a questa donna che la salvezza era nelle parole di Paolo; ha fatto sentire a questa donna una testimonianza (Papa Francesco)
But what does it mean to love Christ?  It means trusting him even in times of trial, following him faithfully even on the Via Crucis, in the hope that soon the morning of the Resurrection will come.  Entrusting ourselves to Christ, we lose nothing, we gain everything.  In his hands our life acquires its true meaning.  Love for Christ expresses itself in the will to harmonize our own life with the thoughts and sentiments of his Heart.  This is achieved through interior union [Pope Benedict]
Ma che vuol dire amare Cristo? Vuol dire fidarsi di Lui anche nell'ora della prova, seguirLo fedelmente anche sulla Via Crucis, nella speranza che presto verrà il mattino della risurrezione. Affidandoci a Cristo non perdiamo niente, ma acquistiamo tutto. Nelle sue mani la nostra vita acquista il suo vero senso. L'amore per Cristo si esprime nella volontà di sintonizzare la propria vita con i pensieri e i sentimenti del suo Cuore. Questo si realizza mediante l'unione interiore [Papa Benedetto]
St Thomas Aquinas says this very succinctly when he writes: "The New Law is the grace of the Holy Spirit" (Summa Theologiae, I-IIae, q.106 a. 1). The New Law is not another commandment more difficult than the others: the New Law is a gift, the New Law is the presence of the Holy Spirit [Pope Benedict]
San Tommaso d’Aquino lo dice in modo molto preciso quando scrive: “La nuova legge è la grazia dello Spirito Santo” (Summa theologiae, I-IIae, q. 106, a. 1). La nuova legge non è un altro comando più difficile degli altri: la nuova legge è un dono, la nuova legge è la presenza dello Spirito Santo [Papa Benedetto]
Even after seeing his people's repeated unfaithfulness to the covenant, this God is still willing to offer his love, creating in man a new heart (John Paul II)
Anche dopo aver registrato nel suo popolo una ripetuta infedeltà all’alleanza, questo Dio è disposto ancora ad offrire il proprio amore, creando nell’uomo un cuore nuovo (Giovanni Paolo II)

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