Father Andrzej Wyrostek
Homily from the Televised Mass, NewsCenter1
Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 5, 2024

Throughout our life, we have many ways and reason to celebrate and to remember important dates and moments in our life. Sometimes I get to look at some of the old photographs that remind me of times past. I feel a bit sad and worried about some of the new gadgets that help us to capture thousands of moments, but at the same time they become obsolete and can easily be lost for the future. 

They all are different and observed in different ways. They all, however, have one common link; they are part of our traditions, our past, and our history. Traditions are events that help us put our lives in the perspective of our history, cultural identity, and personal lives. We remember these dates to help us learn and grow in our life. But aside from our regular traditions, there are also our spiritual traditions which are part of our journey. The Church Tradition is a way that we live out our faith as we make the words of Jesus come alive. 

The readings today remind us that God, in His wisdom, provides us with the Holy Spirit to teach us and instruct us in our understanding of Him. Could God tell us all that we should know of Him in one instance? Yes, certainly. But would we be able to comprehend and understand all that we should? That is a different question.

The world is definitely not the same as the one in Jesus’ day. The apostles of Christ today are not the same as the apostles, who were two thousand years ago, and yet we see faith alive and prospering. How can this be? Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” as he assures us that the Father will provide us with the Spirit to understand. The tradition of the Catholic Church calls us constantly to reevaluate who we do today, as we use the experiences of the past. More to it, our tradition constantly reminds us that what we do today, as different as it can sometimes be from the experiences of previous generations, needs to reflect our unity with generations past. 

The Gospel we read today must reflect the Gospel Jesus preached to His disciples. It is in consistency that we make progress and keep our dignity strong. It is in the Holy Spirit’s guidance that we look at the Gospel and see in it, not only what was written by the Gospel writer, but also what the message of God is for us today. Catholic Tradition may sometimes be viewed as archaic, but it is that tradition that we find consistency and self-discipline. 

Love one another as God loves us. With Mary the Mother of God, we entrust our life to God, the Risen One.