A Reflection for Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Find today’s readings here.
“But if I go, I will send him to you.” Jesus speaks these powerful words of promise to his disciples, reassuring them that though he must leave, his departure will bring the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise echoes through time and serves as the foundation of our Catholic faith.
The feast of St. Augustine of Canterbury, which we celebrate today, offers us the perfect lens through which to view the readings from Acts and John. Augustine, sent by Pope Gregory the Great in 597 A.D., ventured to the distant shores of Britain to rekindle the Christian faith among the Anglo-Saxons. Like Paul and Silas in our first reading, Augustine traveled to foreign lands, facing uncertainty and potential hostility but armed with the same Holy Spirit that Jesus promised would come.
In our first reading, we see Paul and Silas imprisoned for their proclamation of the Gospel. After being severely flogged and thrown into a dungeon, their feet fastened in stocks, their response is remarkable: They pray and sing hymns to God! Paul and Silas exhibit extraordinary courage and joy in the midst of suffering! This is no mere stoicism or positive thinking; this is the unmistakable presence of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate whom Jesus promised, working within them. When the earthquake strikes and the prison doors fly open, we see another dimension of their Spirit-filled witness. Rather than fleeing to save themselves, they remain to save the jailer who was about to take his own life. “Don’t harm yourself!” Paul shouts. “We are all here!” This moment of mercy toward their oppressor transforms the situation completely. The jailer asks, “What must I do to be saved?” and their act of charity and mercy leads to him and his entire household embracing the faith.
This narrative perfectly illustrates how the Spirit works in unexpected ways. The imprisonment that should have halted the Gospel’s spread instead becomes the very means of its expansion. The jailer, an agent of the system that oppressed them, becomes a brother in Christ. The Holy Spirit brings freedom not just from physical chains but from the deeper bondage of sin and separation from God.
In our Gospel reading, Jesus explains why his departure is necessary: “Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you.” The disciples, like us, preferred the tangible presence of Jesus, but his plan was far more expansive: to send the Holy Spirit to empower not just twelve apostles, but millions across time and space to continue his work. This challenging mission continues today. Like Paul and Silas, like Augustine of Canterbury, we too are called to speak truth to a world that often rejects it. The Spirit enables us to name injustice while simultaneously offering the hope of transformation.
Augustine’s mission to Britain illustrates this beautifully. Arriving as a stranger in a pagan land, he faced formidable cultural and religious barriers. Yet with patience, humility and Spirit-given wisdom, he established Christianity so firmly that Britain would later send missionaries throughout the world. The ripple effects of one person’s faithful response to the Spirit’s prompting continues to this day.
What does this mean for us in May 2025? We live in times of growing polarization, where speaking truth often brings swift backlash and condemnation. Many Catholics find themselves marginalized for holding fast to their convictions. Economic uncertainties, environmental concerns and social tensions create an atmosphere of anxiety. It can be tempting to remain silent, to keep our faith private and safe. Yet the readings today challenge us to a different response. Like Paul and Silas singing in prison, we’re called to witness joyfully even in difficult circumstances. Like them, we’re called to show love to both the oppressed and those who represent oppressive systems. The jailer’s conversion reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace, even those who seem most opposed to the Gospel.
Each of us has our own opportunity to evangelize—perhaps a workplace hostile to faith, a family member who has rejected God or a community plagued by injustice. The Spirit equips us not with worldly power but with the transformative truth of the Gospel and the courage to proclaim it.
“But if I go, I will send him to you.” Christ is still with us, and now we must go into our neighborhoods, workplaces or digital spaces to continue the unfinished work of Paul, Silas, Augustine, and all those who faithfully carried the spirit of the Advocate before us.
