25th May 2025 – Sixth Sunday of Easter (C)

Homily John 14:23-29
If you’ve ever been involved in Management or Personal Development, you will no doubt have heard about a book called “Who Moved My Cheese?” , a book written by Spencer Johnson is a simple parable about four characters—two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two “Little people,” Hem and Haw—who live in a maze and search for “cheese,” a metaphor for what they desire in life, whether it’s a job, relationship, or peace of mind. The story highlights their differing reactions when their seemingly endless supply of cheese unexpectedly disappears. Sniff and Scurry quickly adapt and move on to find new cheese, while Hem and Haw resist the change, clinging to their old routines and suffering the consequences, until one of them eventually learns to overcome fear and embrace the inevitable nature of change. The book’s core message is that change is constant, and our ability to anticipate, adapt to, and even enjoy it is crucial for success and happiness
Today, as we approach the Ascension, on Thursday, we hear Jesus’ message of “Change” to his disciples, about his going away. Remember, that these men had given up everything to follow him, jobs, families, villages, their lives turned upside down, now they are hearing words that will no doubt shake their worlds once more. The disciples, probably rightly, ask how they are to continue with the mission of Christ, without him being there and leading them?
Jesus then goes on to offer 3 things for their help/lives/journey. Jesus tells them that if they continue to “Keep his word” then He and the Father will come to make a home within them. Jesus goes on to declare that a Helper, the Holy Spirit, will be sent in his name and will “remind” them of ALL that he has said to them. Finally, Jesus utters the words that we hear at every Mass or CWAC the offer of his Peace, a Peace that the world cannot offer. Here Jesus tells the disciples that although he is going away, they are not left alone or abandoned. Jesus spent his whole life on earth bringing peace to everyone that he met. Today we hear him giving that peace to the disciples, and subsequently to us all. When we stand, towards the end of the liturgy of the Eucharist we will hear Father say these same words that Jesus uses today “Peace I leave you my peace I give you” we are then invited to offer each other the sign of peace. I know that none of us, when offering that sign of peace, does not genuinely wish that the person you are offering it to receives that peace that Christ leaves us. There’s no greater gift for us in our anxiety than God’s peace.
The trap that we all fall into in one way or another is that we will seek relief/peace in other areas, a false peace. Peace in possessions, in temporary stimulations, a false peace by giving in to others demands because it’s “easy”. Jesus reminds us that the peace he leaves us is a peace that the world cannot give. We are easily consumed by the desire to achieve peace from worldly things, money, success, possessions, achievements, in some extreme cases drugs and alcohol. Yet these things generally lead to troubled hearts and troubled lives.
What we must never forget is that in keeping God’s word (Love one another as I have loved you) in listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in receiving God’s peace, we are to be comforted in all these things, but we should avoid being comfortable. Being an early follower of Christ was not comfortable, 300+ years of persecution and martyrdom followed the Crucifixion, not until the 1800’s in England did the persecution of Catholics stop, and still people of faith to this very day are persecuted and in all too many situations murdered for their beliefs.
Jesus isn’t telling his followers that his peace will solve all their problems and give them easy lives, but he is telling them that with God’s presence (Through keeping his word) and the guidance of the Spirit, they will receive the peace that provides them with the courage and the strength to get through whatever trials and tribulations that they come across or whatever situations that they land in.
Going back to the story of the Cheese and how it links to our journey our lives, changes that are inevitable. If coming into Church, coming to Mass, gives us (and should give us) inner peace (in the presence of Christ), but we as Christians are “comfortable” in our faith journey, comfortable in our lives in Christ then perhaps we’re not stretching ourselves enough and going to the places where we are called to go, change will come, inner change and change in our world.
The early disciples we’re not followers in name only, they were followers in spreading the word, in passing on the Faith of Christ of going out to the edges, the wilderness, the areas where inevitable trouble will occur because of what we believe or what our faith is It’s not easy to follow Jesus word, it easy to think we can do it better ourselves, to somewhat console ourselves that as long as we come to Mass and say our prayers diligently, then that’s enough. We must embrace change as a complete gift from God, we should look for change in our journey, this gives us the real personal and spiritual growth. Remember the account of the great haul of Fish by the disciples. They’d been fishing all night and not caught anything, then Jesus appears to them and tells them to go further into the deep. Jesus going into the wilderness and being tempted by Satan. It’s only when put ourselves out there, in the less comfortable situations, be taking our faith outside of the box, outside of these Church walls that we are alive and filled with the spirit that God offers, and the subsequent Peace that will fill us
Let’s therefore work to avoid being comfortable, for going back to the same places and receiving the same “Cheese” from the same place. As followers of Christ let’s resolve to go out into the deep, into the wilderness, to the edges and seek to offer all that we have received
Whatever the coming week throws at you, Peace be with you all!