6th Sunday of Easter (A)

 Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; 1 Pet. 3:15-18; Jn. 14:15-21

There is an old story from Russia about a poor peasant who lost his way during a snowstorm. Darkness covered the road, and the freezing wind became stronger. He wandered helplessly, thinking he would die in the snow. Suddenly, far away, he saw a small lantern moving toward him. It was an old villager carrying a lamp and calling out, “Follow me.” The old man walked ahead through the storm until they reached a warm cottage. Years later the peasant would say, “The storm did not stop that night, but the light of another person saved my life.”

Human life often feels like that snowstorm. There are moments of fear, loneliness, suffering, confusion, and disappointment. Sometimes people feel abandoned even in the middle of a crowd. It is into such human fear that Jesus speaks in today’s Gospel: “I will not leave you orphaned.” The Gospel of John These are among the most comforting words in the Bible. Jesus knew the disciples were

troubled. Soon he would suffer and die. They feared that they would be left alone in a hostile world. But Jesus assures them that his presence will remain through the Holy Spirit. God never abandons those who walk in his ways.

The whole Bible is the story of a God who walks with his people. In the Garden of Eden, even after Adam and Eve sinned, God searched for them. When Abraham left his homeland without knowing where he was going, God guided him step by step. When Joseph was thrown into a pit by his brothers and later imprisoned in Egypt, Scripture repeats the beautiful words: “But the Lord was with Joseph.” Book of Genesis That presence changed a slave into a savior for many people.

Think also of Moses standing helpless before the Red Sea. Behind him came Pharaoh’s army; before him lay the sea. Humanly there was no escape. Yet God opened a path where there was no path. Later, during their long desert journey, God guided the Israelites with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Book of Exodus The message was clear: God travels with his people.

There is a touching Jewish tradition about a child who asked his rabbi, “Where does God live?” The rabbi answered, “God lives wherever people allow Him to enter.” That is exactly what Jesus says today: “Those who love me will keep my word… and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” God’s presence becomes alive in hearts that are open to him.

The Gospels are filled with stories showing this loving presence of Christ. When the disciples were terrified by the storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus was in the boat with them. The waves were strong, but they were not abandoned. When Jairus thought all hope was lost because his daughter had died, Jesus entered the house and brought life where there was mourning. When Mary and Martha cried over the death of Lazarus, Jesus stood beside them and wept with them before calling Lazarus out of the tomb. God is not distant from human pain. He enters into it.

One of the most beautiful stories is that of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. After the crucifixion, they walked away in sadness and confusion. They thought everything was over. Yet the risen Jesus walked beside them, even though they did not recognize him at first. Only later did they realize that God had been with them all along. Many people discover this in life. During suffering they feel alone, but when they look back, they realize God carried them through.

The lives of the saints also reveal this truth. Saint Patrick was kidnapped as a young man and taken far from home as a slave. Lonely and frightened, he began to pray deeply. Later he wrote that during those difficult years he felt God becoming closer to him than ever before. The abandoned slave became the great missionary of Ireland because he trusted that God had not left him orphaned.

Today’s first reading from Acts of the Apostles tells us that when Philip preached in Samaria, there was “great joy in that city.” Why? Because where Christ is welcomed, fear gives way to hope. Broken people found healing. Troubled hearts found peace. The Holy Spirit came upon the believers through the prayer of Peter and John. The early Christians were not powerful people by worldly standards, but they carried within them the living presence of God.

The second reading from First Epistle of Peter asks Christians always to be ready to give a reason for their hope. The world today desperately needs such hope. Many people feel spiritually orphaned. Families break apart. People struggle with loneliness, anxiety, addictions, and uncertainty about the future. Technology connects people across the world, yet many hearts remain empty.

In such a world, Christians are called to become signs of God’s presence. We do this not only with words but with our lives. When we forgive someone who hurt us, we show that Christ lives in us. When we care for aging parents, support struggling families, visit the sick, help migrants, feed the poor, or comfort someone in sorrow, we become the hands of Christ. Sometimes the only experience of God a person may have is the kindness they receive from another human being.

There is a famous poem called “Footprints in the Sand.” A man dreams that he is walking with God along the beach. He notices that during the hardest moments of his life there was only one set of footprints. He complains, “Lord, why did you leave me when I needed you most?” God replies, “My child, those were the times I carried you.” That poem remains powerful because it expresses the promise of today’s Gospel: “I will not leave you orphaned.”

Jesus does not promise a life without crosses. The disciples still faced persecution. The saints still suffered. We too will face struggles. But the Christian never walks alone. God walks with those who walk in his ways. His Spirit strengthens us in weakness, guides us in confusion, comforts us in sorrow, and gives courage in fear.

At the end of The Gospel of Matthew Jesus says, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” That promise is the foundation of our faith. The world may fail us. Friends may disappoint us. Wealth may disappear. Health may weaken. But Christ remains faithful.

So today let us ask ourselves: Do people experience God’s presence through me? Does my family feel hope because of my words and actions? Do the poor, the lonely, and the suffering find comfort in my kindness? The greatest proof that Christ is alive is not found only in churches or sermons, but in Christians whose lives reflect his love.

May we leave this church today carrying in our hearts the comforting promise of Jesus: “I will not leave you orphaned.” And may our lives become the lanterns that guide others through the storms of this world toward the warmth and peace of God.

Satish