Reflection for May 10, 2026

Sixth Sunday of Easter (A)

Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 | Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20 | 1 Peter 3:15-18 | John 14:15-21

Today’s readings focus on the effects of the resurrection on the human heart—perseverance, kindness, and self-sacrificing love. And since it is Mother’s Day, our reflection also highlights the love of mothers who show us what perseverance, kindness, and self-giving love truly mean. In many ways, the love closest to God’s love is the love of a mother.

​Maria left her small home in Cavite one rainy morning, carrying only a worn suitcase and a heart heavier than her steps. In Hong Kong, she worked as a nanny, waking before sunrise to care for another family’s children while missing her own growing up back in the Philippines. Every month, she sent her salary home—carefully divided for food, rent, and school fees. She endured loneliness, long hours, and silent tears in her tiny room, often staring at photos of her children taped to the wall. Years passed, and her perseverance bore fruit. Her eldest graduated with honors, her youngest entered college. When Maria finally returned home for good, she was greeted not with the same small house she left, but with laughter, diplomas, and embraces that made every sacrifice worthwhile. She had given them a future—one built on love, sacrifice, and unshakable perseverance.

The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles reflects how Christian witness was often met with persecution, which posed a real threat to the Church in Jerusalem. Stephen was martyred, and the disciples were dispersed. Despite this, Philip used the opportunity to preach in the pagan city to which he had fled. Philip’s mission marked a decisive stage in the expansion of the Church’s mission from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

A poor, uneducated mother worked tirelessly to raise her daughter, Lina, often going without food so her child could study. As Lina grew older, she became ashamed of her mother’s worn clothes, rough hands, and simple ways. Believing she deserved better, she disowned her, leaving the old woman alone in a small, broken house. Despite the rejection, the mother never stopped praying for Lina’s happiness. She continued to help others in the village, offering food, comfort, and kindness whenever she could. Years later, Lina was involved in an accident and lost her sight. Living in darkness, she was cared for by a kind woman who quietly visited her during recovery. One day, Lina regained partial vision after surgery. When she finally saw clearly again, she discovered that the woman who had given her hope—and her chance to see—was her own mother. Overwhelmed with regret, Lina realized that true love had never left her side.

In his first letter, Peter warns persecuted Christians to bear suffering patiently and, like Jesus, not to return evil for evil. They are to give an account of their beliefs, but to do so with courtesy. Put another way, they are to make their stand known without “fighting fire with fire.” If they face persecution, their suffering should be that of the innocent. By confronting harassment in this manner, they imitate Christ himself, who suffered innocently. They cannot resort to bullying, force, or intolerance, for doing so would betray the Christ in whom they seek to live.
​
In Japan, there is a mountainous area which for centuries was called, Ubasuteyama or "the place where you leave your mother.” It was so named because of the custom of taking the old and feeble up to the top of the mountain to die. One day a strong young man named Katashi carried his sick or elderly mother Kaiya through the dense forest. As they move up the mountain for the purpose both understood but neither talked about, Katashi began to notice something. “Why,” he asked his mother, “do you keep on dropping white pebbles along the way?” Looking at him through eyes dimmed by everything but love, Kaiya said, “So that you will not get lost on the way back home, my son.”

The opening line of today’s Gospel is, “If you love me, you will keep my commands.” When we listen carefully, we hear that Jesus’ focus is not merely on obedience but on love for him. Falling in love with another person changes our perspective; we see the world differently and begin to understand everything in relation to the beloved. Here, Jesus is not simply telling the disciples to obey rules—he is inviting them to share his heart, his perspective, and his desires. He is not interested in “cheap love.” Instead, he leads us into the kind of love that brought him to Calvary: a love that willingly embraces the Cross. It is a self-giving and self-sacrificing love. Only when we begin to love Jesus and love like Jesus can we truly influence others.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms, mother figures, and caregivers—your love makes the world kinder every day! 

<enrique,ofs>