If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

In our Gospel today, Jesus reminds us of that deep and sensitive relationship that must exist between the Lord and the disciple. It is a relationship of love, care, and mutual respect that we see being lived out in our first reading from the Acts today. The missionary, Philip goes into Samaria just as Jesus had done before—the people of this town are united in welcoming the gospel message that was practical and touched their lives, especially in the healing of the sick and the troubled. The leadership of the infant Christian Church made the decision to send Peter and John to these newly baptised so that they could 'lay hands on them' in order that they could share in the life of the Holy Spirit.

I suspect that many of our parishes across the world are preparing young people to receive the sacrament of Confirmation, as we draw closer to the feast of Pentecost. In our readings today we are reminded of the importance of our sacramental life. As we journey through life, we see how these signs of God's real presence in our lives can make a real difference. We need those signs and symbols to connect us with something deeper, something that our words and intellect cannot always express. If you watched the recent Coronation of King Charles III in a glorious liturgy celebrated in Westminster Abbey, you were connected with symbolism and sacramentals stretching back over a thousand years. At one point, the new King was stripped of his grand ermine robes and was led to a special area in front of the High Altar. There the archbishop used the richly scented chrism oil to anoint him in the service of God and the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. At that confirmation ceremony in the Samaritan town, and the service that will be held in your locality, the Bishop anoints young people for service and care. This symbolic anointing must make a difference for King Charles and for your confirmation group. Through this sacred anointing, we are called to share that eternal and unconditional love of God. They way we treat people, the care we show, and the joyful love that is evident in our lives will make that difference. In a true living of this command to love, our own world can become an easier place to live. We might not be able to, personally, stop the violence in Ukraine or Sudan, but we can make our little part of the globe that bit better. We can rid our part of the world of negativity and selfishness, hatred and anger. Let there be peace on earth, but let it begin with me.

In these weeks leading up to the great feast of Pentecost, we must all be aware of how the Holy Spirit can transform our Church and our society. Jesus gives a condition for receiving this great Advocate in our lives: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." When we do this, we read in the gospel: "I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever, that spirit of truth…I will not leave you, orphans."

What is this commandment that we must keep receiving the Spirit of truth? It is: "Go into the whole world and preach the good news to all creation." (Mk 16: 15). It is also a command to love both God and our neighbour (see: Luke 10, 25-27). When we do these, we are certainly preaching the good news of truth. The advocate will come to strengthen us in the way of truth. In contrast the negativity that is seen in the conscious refusal to offer true love and friendship, the Irish mystic John O'Donohue reminds us of our need for the anam cara in life—the soul friend, the confidant, the one who is there for you.

Today Jesus wants to be our 'anam cara'. Thank God today for those 'anam cara' in your lives—remember that you are an 'anam cara' too. You can be the difference that the world might need today:

May you be blessed with good friends.

May you learn to be a good friend to yourself.

May you be able to journey to that place in your soul where

there is great love, warmth, feeling, and forgiveness.

May this change you.

May it transfigure that which is negative, distant, or cold in you.

May you be brought into the real passion, kinship, and affinity of belonging.

May you treasure your friends.

May you be good to them and may you be there for them;

may they bring you all the blessing, challenges, truth,

and light that you need for your journey.

May you never be isolated.

May you always be in the gentle nest of belonging with your anam ċara.

The Holy Spirit will also come to confirm that we are daughters and sons of God. So, let us pray: Come, O Holy Spirit, and renew the face of the earth, alleluia.

Author: Fr Gerry O'Shaughnessy SDB

Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash