General. God’s love towards us when He gave up His Only Son for our salvation is recalled on this Sunday. If this kind of love is to be found within us, we can begin testifying unto it by fulfilling the works of life everlasting as from our own lifetime.

Acts of the Apostles. The conversion of Samaria is a remarkable deed. The Samaritans were always known to be at loggerheads with the Jews on faith and social matters, and their acceptance of the faith as preached by Christ’s disciples shows a significant shift in the region’s goings-on. God willed miracles to accompany the disciples’ teachings in those early times of the Church, that it might increase and multiply through near and far lands alike.

First Epistle of St Peter. St Peter hereagain expounds his philosophy in very simple and concise terms. Our faith gives us hope, contrary to the awe and religiosity the Jews had and other religions still have to the present day. Christ should be a model for us. He died for us, sinners as we were, to redeem us. As Christians we too are now expected to die to sin (ourselves) and for others out of charity, so that we might approach God with purified hearts. Bodily death leads to eternal life and that is the only hope we should witness to when questioned about what we really believe in the hedonistic world we live in.

St John. Before bodily departing from earth, Jesus promised us the Spirit. Whoever keeps God’s commandments is able to recognize the Spirit which is sent from on high, something the world is unable to do bent as it is on material doings. Keeping the commandments is the keyword here, but these have to be mingled with the loving presence of God on earth through His Christ and the Spirit. The union of Jesus with the Father and us in Jesus and Jesus within us achieves a unity in the Spirit which gathers us all in praise.

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