Homily for Sunday 5^th Sunday of Easter

Readings: Acts14:21-27; Rev21:1-5; John13:31,33,34-35

Let love lead

Witnessing is one of the important themes of Easter besides the others. We cannot celebrate Easter without witnessing to the risen Christ.

In our passage of scripture from the Acts of the apostles, we hear an account of how Paul and his companion labored as they witnessed to the risen Christ. They faced rejection and at times persecution on the way to converting some to the belief in the risen Lord.

What we see is that in all this they were successful because of being faithful witnesses. They witnessed through their word but also actions. Both cases could be summarized as witnessing through love.

In their account of the life and ministry of Jesus, and for Paul in particular by narrating his own ordeal, he preached God’s love for human kind and calls all to live this love. This is why after the Jerusalem council Paul had to revisit his earlier missions some of which were gentiles to strengthen them. The preaching to gentiles was a clear testimony of the love they preached. As he preached he also could cure the sick much to the amusement of his hearers as to the point of wanting to worship him as God.

This only shows that it is through a faithful proclamation of the love of God by word and deed that will move people’s hearts to action.

This is what we are all called to do today. Let’s make love our way and let that love lead the way. As Jesus says in the Gospel, love one another as I have loved you, and only then will the world know that you are mine. This is not just knowledge but the power to draw others to him.

Let love lead our way.

Blessed Sunday.