6th Sunday of Easter – Memorial Day

To All the Marian Devotees of the Epiphany 

The Gift of the Spirit: Teacher of Truth, Guardian of Memory 

(The Sixth Sunday of Easter, John 14: 23-29, 25 May 2025) 

Today’s Gospel takes us back to the Upper Room. During the Last Supper, before confronting 

his passion and death on the cross, Jesus promises the Apostles the gift of the Holy Spirit, 

who will have the task of teaching and recalling [Jesus’] words to the community of disciples. 

Jesus says: “the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will 

teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). 

Teach and recall. This is what the Holy Spirit does in our hearts. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 2016) 

Dear brothers and sisters in the Risen Christ of Epiphany. There is a story of a young boy who was very nervous about giving a speech in front of his class. The night before, his mother helped him memorize a comforting verse from Jesus: “Do not let your heart be troubled.” (John 14:27). He practiced it over and over, but when he got up to speak the next day, fear overtook him. He forgot everything. He stood frozen for a moment, then, like a gentle breeze, the words returned to him—not from his memory, but as if whispered in his heart. He spoke the verse, and the fear melted away. Later, he told his mother: “I didn’t remember it myself; it just came back to me.” 

That is the quiet work of the Holy Spirit. He teaches us through others, through Scripture, through life—but when the moment comes, He also reminds us. He helps the truth of Christ rise up in our hearts when we need it most. 

The Gospel of the Sixth Sunday of Easter brings us back to the Upper Room, that sacred space where Jesus shared His final meal with the disciples before His Passion. The atmosphere is tender, yet heavy. Jesus knows the cross awaits Him. But in this moment, His focus is not on His own suffering—it is on preparing the hearts of His disciples. And so, He gives them a promise: “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). Teach and recall. These two simple words, as Pope Francis beautifully noted, describe the heart of the Holy Spirit’s mission in our lives. 

The Holy Spirit Teaches-Jesus knew the disciples did not yet fully understand His mission. Their hearts were sincere, but they were slow to grasp the full truth. Jesus promises that after His death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit would come to teach them all things—to unfold the meaning of His words and actions, to guide them into the truth, and to help them grow into mature witnesses of the Gospel. 

The same is true for us today. We do not always understand God’s ways. Life can confuse and overwhelm us. But the Holy Spirit continues to teach us—not through new doctrines, but by deepening our understanding of what Jesus has already said. In prayer, in Scripture, in the sacraments, and in the life of the Church, the Spirit gently leads us to truth. 

The Holy Spirit Recalls-But the Spirit also reminds—bringing to remembrance Jesus’ words when we most need them. Have you ever been in a moment of trial or confusion, and suddenly a verse of Scripture or a truth you had forgotten comes to mind and gives you peace? That is not coincidence. That is the quiet, faithful work of the Holy Spirit—drawing from within us the words of Christ, like light in the darkness. 

This is why it is so important to stay close to God’s Word. The Spirit reminds us of what we have received. If we store God’s Word in our hearts, the Spirit will be able to bring it forth at just the right moment—like spiritual medicine for a wounded soul. 

The Spirit in the Life of the Church 

Dear Friends, Jesus gave this promise not just to individuals, but to the community of disciples. The Holy Spirit continues to teach and remind the whole Church—guiding us through history, correcting us when we go astray, and deepening our understanding of Christ’s teachings. This is why we can trust the Church’s teaching authority—because it is not based on human wisdom, but on the Spirit who teaches and recalls. 

So, what does this mean for us today? 

Let us be docile to the Holy Spirit, open to being taught—even when it stretches us or challenges us. 

Let us meditate on Scripture, so the Spirit has something to draw from when we need strength or 

guidance. 

Let us trust in the living presence of the Spirit in the Church, who continues to lead us into all truth. 

And finally, let us never forget the peace that accompanies this promise. Just after this verse, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” The Holy Spirit teaches, reminds, and gives peace. May we welcome Him into our hearts more fully this day. 

The Holy Spirit, the Counselor, will be with them, and will be beside them, moreover, will be within them, to protect and support them. Jesus returns to the Father but continues to accompany and teach his disciples through the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

The second aspect of the Holy Spirit’s mission consists in helping the Apostles to remember Jesus’ words. The Spirit has the task of reawakening the memory, recalling Jesus’ words. The divine Teacher has already communicated all that he intended to entrust to the Apostles: with Him, the Word made flesh, the revelation is complete. The Spirit will recall Jesus’ teachings in the various concrete circumstances of life, so that they may be put into practice. 

Dear Epiphany, we are not alone: Jesus is close to us, among us, within us! His new presence in history happens through the gift of the Holy Spirit, through whom it is possible to instill a living relationship with Him, the Crucified and Risen One. The Spirit, flowing within us through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, acts in our life. He guides us in the way to think, to act, to distinguish between what is good and what is bad; he helps us to practice the charity of Jesus, his giving of himself to others, especially to the neediest. 

Dear Friends, we are not alone! The sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit is also the peace that Jesus gives to his disciples: “My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). It is different from what mankind hopes for or tries to achieve. The peace of Jesus flows from victory over sin, over selfishness which impedes us from loving one another as brothers and sisters. It is a gift of God and a sign of his presence. Each disciple called today to follow Jesus carrying the cross, receives within him- or herself the peace of the Crucified and Risen One in the certainty of his victory and in expectation of his definitive coming. 

May the Blessed Virgin Mary help us to welcome with docility the Holy Spirit as interior Teacher and as the living Memory of Christ on the daily journey. 

Fraternally, 
Fr. John Peter Lazaar SAC, Pastor