From The Bishop

The Gospel for the 6th Sunday of Easter speaks about love. Jesus states, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” It is interesting that Jesus links love with obedience. This is an aspect that we do not hear very often today. Obedience is often seen as something that stifles personal expression and limits creativity. It is good for children, but not for adults. The root of obedience can be found in two latin words: ob “to” and audire “listen”. So to be obedient is to listen. So we show our love for God when we take the time to listen. We see this clearly in the First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles. We are told that “The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did.” We are called to do the same. In our noisy world, it is not always easy to listen because of all of the distractions. We need help. Both the Gospel and the First Reading make reference to the Holy Spirit who gives us the grace to listen with open hearts. The Spirit will lead us to the Truth and the Truth will set us free. Let us show our love for God by being obedient to His commandments.