Sixth Sunday of Easter 2026 Homily: Knowing the Holy Spirit Within Us
Readings and Virtual Homily for Mass May 10, 2026, Sixth Sunday of Easter; Teens With (Robotic) Babies; Big Anniversary Coming Up
Readings for Mass this Sunday:
Acts of the Apostles 8:5-8, 14-17
Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20
1 Peter 3:15-18
John 14:15-21
Dear Friends and Family,
Today's readings point us toward the Holy Spirit, though another preacher might well find other themes among them, as well. The Third Person of the Trinity is, in any event, the subject I have chosen for today's reflection; I only a few times a year really preach on the Spirit.
The first reading from Acts of the Apostles describes the conversion of Samaria. Samaria was the capital city of the Samaritans, who inhabited a central portion of the ancient land of Israel, and who on that account among others, had been despised by the Jews for centuries. Jesus had told the disciples at his ascension that they would spread the Good News to the ends of the earth, starting with Judea and Samaria (Acts 1:8). The Samaritans had a lot of religious beliefs in common with the Jews, including the belief in a Messiah.
Today's passage tells us that Philip was the apostle who took the Good News to Samaria (vs. 5). His preaching and the miracles worked through him resulted in a tremendous response from the people of the city, who received the Gospel with "great joy" (vs. 8). Hearing of Philip's success, Peter and John traveled to Samaria, to pray with the Samaritans, asking God to send the Holy Spirit, for "it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized" (vs. 15). The apostles subsequently "laid hands on them" and the Samaritans "received the Holy Spirit" (vs. 17).
This passage is one of several in Acts where we have what might be called a proof text for the Sacrament of Confirmation. The Samaritans had accepted the Good News; they had been baptized. But receiving the Holy Spirit involved a second step, so to speak -- the prayers of the apostles and the laying on of hands, which of course prefigures the Confirmation Rite.
Psalm 66 extols God's works with bright and joyful praise. It is by the power of the Spirit that we recognize God's work in creation, in the spiritual realm, in salvation history, in our lives. While the psalm makes no specific reference to the Spirit, the psalm's praises are powered by the Spirit (as, of course, is all of Scripture).
The second reading reminds us that Christ was "brought to life in the Spirit" following the crucifixion (vs. 18) and exhorts us to bear patiently with our own sufferings, in imitation of Jesus.
The Gospel passage continues the deep Trinitarian discourse of the fourteenth chapter of John, with Jesus promising that the Father will send the "Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth" (vss. 16-17). Jesus tells the disciples that they will know the Spirit, "because it remains with you and will be in you" (vs. 17).
People often tell me that they feel that they do not know the Spirit. They know the Father, they might say, they know Jesus, they almost always say, but the Spirit...Jesus gives us a hint in today's Gospel passage as to why it might be that we feel we do not know the Spirit. The Spirit is IN us. Not outside, but in.
Of course, that is taking a short-cut to try to make a vital point. The Spirit is knowable from outside sources as well -- as today's psalm testifies. We can recognize the Spirit in creation, in nature, in the good works of others, and in a variety of other ways, but...
The Spirit dwells within us. Our discipleship itself is lived in, through, with and by the Spirit and the association is so intimate that we might not even be aware of it, most of the time. The analogy I like -- and which I know I have used before in these written homilies -- is that of the eyes. It is BY our eyes, THROUGH our eyes, WITH our eyes, that we see everything. But we cannot see our eyes.
One way to get a more than passing acquaintance with the Holy Spirit is to go to the Catechism and study the long list of entries which follows The Holy Spirit in the index. "Source and Master of Prayer," for instance. "The Lord, the Giver of life," for instance. "The Living Memory of the Church," for instance. The list literally goes on and on. And simply reading these entries, many of them titles, gives us deep insights into Who the Holy Spirit is and how the Spirit is at work in creation, in the work of salvation, in the prayer, the ministries, the Sacraments of the Church and in our lives.
In any event, we know the Holy Spirit better than we might be inclined to think.
As I think I have explained (though it would have been over a year ago) the high school shifted my classroom responsibilities last academic year to include an upper division course -- of all things, Marriage and Family. (For my first ten years at O'Dowd I taught the sophomores in "the Jesus class:" Christian Scriptures, as would seem appropriate for the priest on the faculty.) Last spring was my first outing with an upper division class.
I am teaching three sections of Marriage and Family this spring and right after Easter Break we got rolling with "the babies." That is, one-thousand dollar apiece robots that simulate infant behavior -- "crying" when they want to be fed, burped, rocked or have their diaper changed. Students sign up to take custody of a "baby" for 24 hours.
This exercise in masochism is entirely optional. The babies satisfy the "beyond the classroom" requirement for the course, but the teens might opt instead for reading love letters of historically significant people (i.e., Abigail Adams, Benjamin Disraeli, Winston Churchill). They might watch any three movies about family life from a list of over thirty, comparing and contrasting the films in terms of their presentation of family challenges, struggles and values. You get the idea. We have some dandy "beyond the classroom" assignments that fulfill this requirement and yet...
Over eighty per cent of the 100+ students taking Marriage and Family this semester have opted for the experience of having an infant for 24 hours. It is, frankly, a lot of fun, watching my teens navigate the demands made by these little monsters -- oh!, I mean, of course, by these precious (and pricey) little machines. One of my favorite students, Marianna, is a case in point. I taught Marianna as a sophomore and have her now again as a senior; her mom is a counselor here and a friend of mine. Marianna is responsible, good-natured and easy going. She came into class with her robotic infant one day two weeks ago, having had the baby overnight, and saying, "I HATE this thing! It woke me up four times last night!"
"I warned you, Marianna," I said, grinning.
Listening to Marianna's adventures in parenting, how the baby made demands and how carefully and deliberately she attempted to respond, I guessed that, in fact, Marianna had done very well, with the assignment. And indeed, when later that day she with a perhaps exaggerated sigh of relief handed the robot back to us, and we printed out the automatically generated report, she had scored a 92.
"You're gonna be a great Mom," I assured Marianna.
Marianna rolled her eyes skyward and assured me, "Not for another fifteen years, I'm not!"
Finally, I mark an anniversary that is dear to me, every May 20, but this year the date recommends general celebration: I was ordained in 2006. This May 20 is my twentieth anniversary as a priest.
For the first seven years after my ordination I celebrated annually on or near the date at my original parish in Pleasanton -- usually a late morning brunch following Mass. The parties were held at the homes of close friends in Pleasanton, and generally lasted the time that a leisurely brunch requires.
After the move to Brentwood, it was harder to coordinate these affairs, and it was not until my tenth anniversary in 2016 that I celebrated again, with parties not just in Pleasanton, but in Fremont, Brentwood, Sacramento and Marysville. I remember that weekends in May and June of 2016 felt like an almost continuous set of parties.
I have several celebrations lined up later this month and into June, but they are all private parties; I am not "making the circuit of the parishes" for my twentieth. St. Clement, though, is planning a Mass and reception to mark the milestone, on Sunday, July 26. I'll send more details later, in the event that any of you would like to attend.
I think that'll do it. Hope your Easter season is proving bright and joyous. Take good care and God Bless.
Love,
Fr. Brawn