Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year A

 

Putting God First And Giving A Reason For Your Hope

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year A

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, May 10, 2026

The Resurrection of Jesus was and is an earthquake. In all of human history, no event is more powerful and significant than the bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Resurrection validates his ministry and his message. It proved that everything the prophets said about Jesus was true. It inaugurated a new and lasting promise on which the New Testament Church is built. The Resurrection of Jesus convinced the Early Church that God had established a new order. As a result, they were willing to proclaim it and even die for that truth. But as the first Christians began to proclaim the Lordship of Jesus, they faced intense persecution. The same suffering Jesus experienced was inflicted on them. After St. Stephen was stoned to death, the Jews rejoiced, which led to a cascade of persecution and suffering. Because of the hostile environment, Christians were forced to abandon their homes and familiar surroundings. They were scattered, but wherever they went, they faced oppression for their faith. When this persecution intensified in the first century, Peter wrote an epistle to encourage his fellow Christians and guide them in responding to the difficult time they faced. 

Addressing Christians who were treated as a despised minority in the Roman world, Peter says, “Beloved, sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:15-17). I tell you, if this were always the starting point of Christian evangelization, we might see greater success. 

Peter was a “witness of the sufferings of Christ” (1 Peter 5:1), and he draws on that experience as a teaching tool. In his letter, he argues that, as Christ suffered unjustly, so his followers may have to endure persecution even for doing what is right and good. He also warns against the natural tendency to repay evil with evil. Amid his exhortation, Peter wrote, “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.” What does that mean? To “sanctify” means to set apart, make holy, or consecrate. It implies separating something from common use so it can be used exclusively for a divine purpose. While praying for his disciples and those who would believe in Him through their preaching, Jesus says, “Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). We are sanctified and set apart by God’s Word, because it reveals a way of life that is diametrically opposed to the standards of those who live in the world. To “sanctify the Lord in your hearts” means to make Him the central focus of your mind and thoughts. It is to put God first in your life. It is to “live and move and have your being” in God alone. Look at St. Peter. When Jesus told his disciples that he would be betrayed, handed over, crucified, and die in Jerusalem, what was Peter’s initial response? Matthew says that Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you” (Matthew 16:22). But looking straight into Peter’s eyes, Jesus, the Master of the universe, the one who knows the origin of good and all evil, replies, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Matthew 16:23). To “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts” is to have your mind and heart filled with the things of God. By the time Peter wrote his letter, he had grown and matured in faith. He had now understood and internalized the Word of God. I always say that it is one thing to know intellectually what God is saying and another to grasp its meaning deeply. 

In that admonition, Peter also said, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.” The call to be ready is repeated throughout the Bible and is a common theme throughout the Advent season, too. Serious Christians are always. Why? Because they always pray (1 Thessalonians 5:17), always do God’s will (Matthew 7:21), and always study God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15). By doing these things, they build and deepen their relationship with God. In the course of his public ministry, Jesus says, “Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds” being ready (Matthew 24:46). But in the context of Peter’s letter, he is speaking about the readiness of a Christian to give a defense, or an answer, for their hope—that is, for why they believe what they believe and why they live the life they are living, a life that is totally countercultural and counterintuitive. When the Apostles were summoned before the Sanhedrin to explain their refusal to stop teaching in the name of Christ Jesus, their unanimous response was, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Even if you cannot give an explanation for your hope in words, you can do so in deeds. Even if you are not a teacher or eloquent in words, we are all commanded to be ready to give reasons in words for our faith, hope, love, and consequent joy. We must be ready to say, “I must obey God rather than the voices of this world.” As for why we live a countercultural life, we must be ready to tell anyone who asks that our ultimate hope is in the coming Kingdom of God (Romans 8:24-25). There is no greater hope than this. It is for this hope that Paul suffered greatly (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). It is for this hope that we live a counterintuitive life. It is for this hope that we forgive our offenders and love even those the world considers unlovable. It is for this hope that we don’t miss Mass. It is for this hope that we endure the ridicule and mockery of unbelievers. 

Finally, when explaining to anyone who asks for a reason for your hope, Peter enjoins us to do so with “gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear.” We are not to ignore them or engage in endless, aggressive debates. Present the faith in a way that endears people to you. Giving an explanation and a reason for your hope doesn’t mean getting into arguments about Bible issues, the Church’s flaws, or doubtful matters. In his letter, Timothy warns Christians to “Avoid foolish and ignorant debates, for you know that they breed quarrels” (2 Timothy 2:23). Be ready to weed out anything that prevents you from sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. And as you go about doing this, remember the words of the late Cardinal Francis George, “People will remember the faith you had, not the words you preached.” Be that example of faith and be not afraid.

God bless you!