Mario Alberto Molina, O.A.R., Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Los Altos, Quetzaltenango – Totonicapán, introduces us to the Sixth Sunday of Easter, reminding us that the Gospel is not the patrimony of one people, but a gift for all. With pastoral clarity and theological depth, he invites us to live as living temples of the Trinity and to guard the peace that only Christ can give.
Salvation is for all: the Gospel breaks down borders
The reading of the Acts of the Apostles takes us back to one of the first pastoral conflicts of the Church: can non-Jews follow Christ without first becoming Jews? Paul and Barnabas, after experiencing a strong reception of the Gospel among the Gentiles, are confronted with this question when they return to Antioch.
The definitive answer of the apostles in Jerusalem is clear: salvation in Christ is not conditioned by belonging to an ethnic group or ritual tradition, but by conversion of heart, faith and a life according to the will of God.. From then on, the Gospel began its universal expansion. As the psalm says: “May all peoples praise you, O Lord”.
The holy city: Church open to all peoples
The second reading, taken from the Apocalypse, presents the image of the new Jerusalem: a city that descends from heaven and offers itself as God’s dwelling place among men. The Church, symbol of this city, is a community fortified by the apostolic faith, but with doors open to all peoples..
Twelve doors oriented in all directions express that no one is excluded from the Kingdom, and that God’s holiness is not imposed, but offered through grace, the sacraments and life in communion.
Abode of the Trinity: Christian spirituality
In the Gospel, Jesus reveals the deepest essence of the Christian life:
“He who loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will make our abode in him.”
Here is expressed the Christian life as a space of Trinitarian indwelling.. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are not only the object of our adoration, but the source and center of our existence. We live in God and God lives in us.
Thanks to the Holy Spirit, we are configured to Christ: our decisions, our actions and our way of life must reflect the image of the One who has redeemed us. As St. Paul teaches, it is a matter of “putting on the new man,” renewed in the image of his Creator.
The peace of Christ: a gift that transforms
Jesus concludes with a promise:
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.”
It is not a superficial or emotional peace, but the peace that is the fruit of redemption. This is the peace that the priest invokes before communion. It is not a social gesture, but a ritual and spiritual supplicationThat the Lord may have mercy and grant us his salvation.