Gospel-Homily for Sixth Sunday of Easter (2026)

Read the Homily

A Gift We Can All Use.

Jesus wants to give us his divine spirit. Sounds good, but do we have any idea what that really means for us? Allow me to illustrate.

I was invited to fish at a private fly-fishing trout club. I got to the clubhouse, and I met Jerry, one of the members, and he said, “Let me show you around.” I got in the boat with him. To get me to catch a fish, he had to fix me. He told me my leader was too long, the fly I was using would not work, and that I was not casting the fly in the right direction. Naturally, I caught nothing. He finally gave up and said, “You are the worst fly fisherman I ever met. There is nothing more I can do to help you, You’re on your own, so do whatever you usually do.” I put on my fly and my long leader. Lo and behold, the first cast I caught a rainbow trout. I caught another, then another. After the fourth or fifth fish, Jerry asked me, “Do you have another one of your flies?” When we returned to the clubhouse, I heard him say to his friend, “I have been a member of this club for thirty years and I never caught so many fish in one day Today was the best fishing day I ever had.”

A month later, my friend invited me back to his club. This time, I brought my father. Jerry was there and said to my father, “Let me show you around.” After a few hours on the boat, they came to shore, and I asked Jerry how he was doing. He said, “I had the best day of my life. The last time I caught that many fish was with you.” Then he said, “You and your father are cloned. You are both exactly alike.” The Father and the Son are exactly alike. When Christ gives us his Spirit, it means we can be like God. Michael Gordan cannot give you the fade-away jumper that made him. He cannot give us his spirit. But God can. It is the greatest gift we can receive from God. We just have to use the gift. If we do, those around us will be glad we did.