Homily
for Tuesday
6th
Week of Easter
May
6, 2023
Acts
16: 22-34
John
16: 5-11
Christian
Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, New Rochelle
“Believe in
the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved” (Acts 16: 31).
In yesterday’s passage from Acts, Paul and Silas began freely teaching the Gospel at Philippi and won converts. The lectionary skips over the next episode, in which Paul exorcises a slave girl and then her owners instigate public opposition, which in turn leads to the attack and imprisonment we just read of. So the 2 apostles have an opportunity to preach the Gospel in circumstances less free. But their preaching is still effective.
It’s
effective because Jesus has sent the Advocate to be with them (cf. John 16:7)
and with the whole Church. The Advocate
convicts the world of sin (16:8)—which in our hearts we’re all aware of—but
also makes known the remedy: belief in
the redemption offered to us in Christ.
The
Advocate remains with us, brothers, regardless of our circumstances, to heal us
of our sins, to master the power of the Evil One—“the ruler of this world has
been condemned” (16:11)—and to make us preachers of the Gospel to one another,
to the staff of our house, to anyone with whom we converse or to whom we write.
The Lord
has “built up strength within” us, and he “will complete what he has done for”
us (Ps 138:3,8), and for all whom Christ calls to salvation.
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