Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C

Loving Jesus Through Obedience to His Church

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, May 25, 2025

How are doctrinal, moral and liturgical issues in the Church resolved? Are they resolved through prolonged lethal warfare? Are they resolved through vicious verbal attacks? Are they resolved when opposing parties engage in a campaign of calumny? Not at all! They are always resolved through a Council. A council is an assembly of bishops and other leaders to consider and rule on questions of doctrine, administration, discipline, and other matters, and it is always called by the pope. The convocation of a council is not actually new. It is not something new designed in the 19th century or 20th century. It goes all the way back to the first century of Christianity. 

In our first reading taken from the Acts 15: 1-2, 22-29, we see the first and smallest council in the history of the Church. Historians generally call it the Council of Jerusalem. The last and largest one was the Second Vatican Council held between 1962 and 1965. What was the purpose of the first Council of Jerusalem? After the evangelical outreach of Saul and Barnabas to the Gentiles, a good number of them converted and accepted the word of God (Acts 11:1). But their conversion immediately provoked a question among the Jewish Christians: should the Gentile Christians be circumcised? Without waiting for a clear definition and declaration from the Apostles, some Christians from Judea began to teach that unless someone is circumcised in accordance with the Mosaic practice, they will not be saved (Acts 15:1). Imagine the pain and gore of circumcising a grown person. Apart from insisting that Gentile converts be circumcised, they also maintained they must follow Jewish dietary laws in order to be saved. However, others like Paul and Barnabas, argued that these practices were not necessary for salvation and that faith in Jesus Christ was sufficient. To finally resolve these matters, a council was summoned. 

At this first council called the Council of Jerusalem, the Apostles and the presbyters, in agreement with the whole Church resolved to send Paul, Barnabas, Barsabbas, and Silas to the Christians in Antioch with a letter containing these words: “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell” (Acts 15:28-29). Pay attention to the phrase, “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us…” Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is not just human intuition but almighty God himself. He is the third person in the Blessed Trinity, he is equally divine and equally person of the Trinity. Who is “And of us?” The text tells us: “the apostles and presbyters.” 

The word “presbyters” is synonymous with two other words used in the New Testament, “elders” and “bishops.” Who are they? The Apostles ordained these successors, just as they themselves were ordained by Christ Jesus. These presbyters were ordained and authorized to ordain and authorize their successors down through the ages to the end of time. We call these bishops, who have authority of the Apostles, who themselves have authority of Christ himself, who said to them, “Whoever listens to you listens to me” (Luke 10:16). This is what we call “apostolic succession.” These are not man-made beliefs, they are biblically rooted. Here in our Archdiocese, to obey the Archbishop is to obey the Apostles. And to obey the Apostles is to obey Christ himself. To disobey the Archbishop’s rule and directives is a disobedience not only to the Archbishop but to Jesus himself. 

In our Gospel today (John 14:23-29), Jesus says, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwellings with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.” In essence, obeying Church leaders is a way of following Jesus and honoring God’s authority. It is a sign of love and a commitment to discipleship. Imagine what the Church would look like if there are no leaders. Imagine what the Church would look like if there is no order. Imagine what the Church would look like if everyone is enacting their own beliefs and following their own beliefs. Imagine what the Church of Jesus Christ would look like if doctrinal and moral issues are not resolved through prayer and discernment guided by Tradition and Scriptures. Imagine what the Church would look like if defined teachings, directives and decisions of the leaders of the Church are not being followed by her members. You know it, and I know it that it won’t be the Church founded by the Lord himself. 

God bless you!