Saturday in the Sixth Week of Easter
Acts 18:23-28; Jn 16:23-28
There is something that Jesus says in today's Gospel that he has already said in two other instances. He says, "Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you." Today we are reading from the 16th Chapter of John. We find exactly the same phrase in Chapter 14 and Chapter 15.
The first time we hear it, we might say that we might have misunderstood him; the second time that it might be a figure of speech but now he repeats it again therefore we must address the question head-on.
How are we to understand Jesus when he says "Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you" when we know that we pray so hard for so many things: for peace, for healing, for justice and yet do not receive what we ask for?
First of all we must acknowledge that every time he says these words, he does so in a context of communion. In fact, communion is the running theme of this speech of Jesus, which are his last words at the Last Supper before his Passion. Notice how he speaks of communion of the Father with the Son and the Son with the Father and that we too must form part of this relationship of communion.
Therefore, whoever is in communion with the Father and the Son will ask for things that are fruit of this communion because our desires would be the desires of God the Father as well. Compare this to the promise that Herod made to the daughter of his sister in law, when he told her that he will give her anything she asks for. He was not expecting her reply, which made him run into all sorts of problems. The reason is obvious: they were not in communion, as opposed to our relationship with the Father, which must be characterised by communion.
Secondly, the first thing we must ask the Father for in Jesus's name is the gift of the Spirit. Once we have received the Spirit, then we can know how does God want us to bring peace in this world, how are we to support, encourage and console our sick brothers and sisters. This is altogether different from simply asking God the Father to do something for us while reducing ourselves to passivity.
We have already received the Holy Spirit, through baptism and confirmation but we need to ask the Father to send the Spirit again in Jesus's name especially at this time of the year as the feast of Pentecost draws nearer. We are about the start the BBQ season as well. Sometimes you have a hard time lighting the charcoal or you think that the fire would have already gone out. Then you just touch the charcoal and you quickly realise that the fire has not gone out at all. Al you have to do is just blow into the charcoals and you will see them glow again.
In a similar way, let us ask the Father through his son Jesus, to stir in us once again the Holy Spirit, that we may always do his will and never cease to be in communion with the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit.
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