(Jn 15:26-16:4a)

 

Faith in the Master is already eternal life, or rather Life of the Eternal (in action here and now).

He himself is Bread of authentic and indestructible existence, though still earthly.

In short, the intimate life of God reaches us in our time.

First step is the adventure of Faith that gives a Vision; irruption of the Spirit that gives rebirth from above.

Impulse that animates a different - not empty - existence.

The sign of such adherence is believing Jesus as Son: man manifesting the divine condition.

 

Christ is Bread of life also because His Word is creative, and the path of following Him transmits to us the qualities of indestructible Life.

The outpouring of the Spirit stirs in us the same beating Heart of the Eternal.

We experience this in the deaths and resurrections of daily life and in the long rigmarole of the Vocation, reaffirmed from path to path.

Even in persecution, he who 'sees' the Son has the Life of the Eternal within him.

Life that regenerates and always arranges new births, other premises and questions, different paths, in an uninterrupted; growing form.

The passion for the Friend unites us to Him, Bread: that is, the Revealer of the Truth that satiates men on their journey towards themselves and the world.

Souls that sometimes change skin, opinions, lifestyles.

 

In the Vision, we are empowered to directly appropriate, thereby drawing in and realising the Newness of God - even in advance, wisely.

Through Him 'we have a part'... in the Father's love for the Son who manifests Himself as personal Lord, as well as in the outgoing dilated life of the authentic Church.

The 'hidden' God of the First Testament, an obstacle that seemed insurmountable, now presents itself in the specifics of Faith, without the need for fatuous fires to support it.

Because the world of God in the soul is different.

One does not enter the Mystery with normal intentions and perfect expectations, let alone success and recognition.

 

Here (in the Gospel passage) the apostles' incomprehension comes into play.

Indeed, even to us, Jesus' manner of manifestation often seems undecipherable.

Even the Jews [actually: the returning Judaizers in the communities of the late 1st century] were waiting to grasp it in an overt way, perhaps on an occasion of public life.

Instead, even in times of 'glorification', the Master seems to want to trace the outwardly humble inappearance of his earthly ministry.

Many expected sensational fireworks at that time that they considered 'final'. Instead, no yielding to power ideology or religion-show.

So things did not go as expected: doubts were not dispelled; ambiguities, neither.

The titles of Israel's former nationalist and imperial glory did not reappear at all, quite the contrary!

 

Even today, the choice of Faith is not given to the apparatuses that would guarantee its visibility: no parachutes, no discounts.

Everything then seems to proceed as before, in the summary: to toil for a living and buy, to travel and not, to laugh and cry, to get sick and get well, to work and party... and so on.

Often in seemingly senseless pain; perhaps no decisive breakthroughs.

But in the same old things there is a different Light, planted on a new, immediate Relationship of needy humanity with the Father who regenerates us.

He stimulates new births, to reconnect desires, deep needs, external paths; to increase the intensity of life.

And it is in the mutual knowledge of the roots and grooves of reality that this circle of love between God and his children exists in the first place.

 

All that has not yet been understood will be called forth by the action of the Spirit. Only reliable impetus, not pointing to vain things.

A bond between man and Heaven, in us - not above.

Friendship that does not primarily contemplate resignation, effort, humiliation; rather, it is reworked in deepening.

This is where the true scope of our hearts - so limited, yet endowed with a mysterious imprint - for the complete, and personal, life of character comes into play.

 

In order to avoid intimidation, marginalisation, annoyance, some church members advocated a kind of covenant between Jesus and the Empire.

They proclaimed a Christ so vague and uninvolved that he would not scratch anyone.

Some ambitious people, who were the zealots of 'life in the spirit', felt that the time had come to shake off the earthly story of the carpenter's son.

Figure that was considered weak in itself, short-term, out of place and time; already extinguished.

Jn intends to rebalance the attempt at proclamation, diluted in compromises. 

The evangelist emphasises that the Risen One is the cipher and engine that bears the soul and generates us in today.

It was the same Son of God who endured a harsh denunciation and several battles with the authorities.

To the opportunists of his time, the Master had dared to touch positions, vanity, and the bag of commerce.Thus persecuted, tried, vilified, condemned as subversive, and cursed by God.

 

In short, the Holy Spirit does not go after butterflies.

Action of the Spirit [which internalises and actualises] and historical memory of Jesus must always be combined.

Only in such a frank perspective is it possible to grasp the Truth of the Eternal, and the Truth of Man, in all times and circumstances.

In addition: the Father is the Creator of each of our deepest inclinations, to which he affixes an indelible signature.

It manifests itself in an innate instinct, which wants to germinate, find space, express itself.

We have rooted within us a unique, invincible Vocation and (plural) faces; each one.

We cannot deny ourselves, our Roots - even where an open-faced testimony would be unappealing.

The Truth about each 'Person' is consequential.

 

By Grace, we are depositaries of an astounding dignity.

Even in error, or what is considered error, it imparts exceptional Desires. 

Truth that still restores Dreams: an unseen hope, which activates enthralling passions.

In vain would we have peace and happiness by seeking cultural and social concord, or by playing roles, characters, tasks that do not belong to us - albeit appeasing.

We become outsiders.

Truth: Faithfulness to God in Christ. And frankness in every choice, with our character in relation and situation.

The rest is calculation - deep disturbance, which will leave us disassociated and sick inside.

 

 

To internalise and live the message:

 

Do you take a stand and face the consequences? When your vocational character is at stake, do you stand up and put your face to it or do you blend in?

Are you being vague, do you value reciprocation and seek tribute or protection from satisfactory synagogues? Or do you wish to unite your life with Christ?

Jesus says to the disciples: “When the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning” (Jn 15:26-27). This is a great comfort to us in the work of educating in faith, because we know that we are not alone and that our witness is sustained by the Holy Spirit.

It is very important […] to believe strongly in the presence and in the action of the Holy Spirit, to invoke him and to welcome him within you, through prayer and through the sacraments. It is he, in fact, who illumines the mind and warms the heart of the educator so that he or she can pass on the knowledge and love of Jesus. Prayer is the first condition for teaching because by praying we prepare ourselves to leave the initiative to God, to entrust children to him, who knows them before and better than we, and who knows perfectly what their true good is. And at the same time, when we pray we listen to God’s inspiration in order to do our part well, which in any case is our duty and which we are bound to do. The sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Penance, enable us to carry out our educational action in union with Christ, in communion with him and continuously renewed by his forgiveness. Prayer and the sacraments obtain for us that light of truth thanks to which we are able to be at once tender and strong, gentle and firm, silent and communicative at the right time, admonishing and correcting in the right way.

[Pope Benedict, homily at the baptism of some children 8 January 2012]

1. We have often quoted the words of Jesus, who in his farewell discourse addressed to the apostles in the Upper Room promises the coming of the Holy Spirit as a new and definitive defender and consoler: "I will pray to the Father and he will give you another Paraclete to abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees nor knows him" (Jn 14:16-17). That "farewell discourse", situated in the solemn account of the Last Supper (cf. Jn 13:2), is a source of prime importance for pneumatology, that is, for the theological discipline concerning the Holy Spirit. Jesus speaks of him as the Paraclete, who "proceeds" from the Father, and whom the Father will "send" to the apostles and the Church "in the name of the Son", when the Son himself "goes away", "at the price" of the departure accomplished through the sacrifice of the Cross.

We must take into consideration the fact that Jesus calls the Paraclete the "Spirit of Truth". Also at other times he called him this (cf. Jn 15:26; Jn 16:13).

2. Let us bear in mind that in the same "farewell discourse" Jesus, responding to a question from the apostle Thomas about his identity, asserts of himself: "I am the way, the truth and the life" (Jn 14:6). From this twofold reference to truth that Jesus makes to define both himself and the Holy Spirit, one deduces that if the Paraclete is called by him the "Spirit of truth", this means that the Holy Spirit is the one who, after Christ's departure, will maintain among the disciples the same truth, which he proclaimed and revealed and, indeed, which he himself is. The Paraclete, in fact, is the truth, as Christ is. John says this in his first letter: "It is the Holy Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth" (John 5, 6). In the same letter, the Apostle also writes: "We are of God. He who knows God listens to us; he who is not of God does not listen to us. From this we distinguish the spirit of truth and the spirit of error ("spiritus erroris")" (Jn 4:6). The mission of the Son and that of the Holy Spirit meet, are connected and complement each other in the affirmation of truth and the victory over error. The fields of action in which they operate are the human spirit and world history. The distinction between truth and error is the first moment of this work.

3. Remaining in the truth and working in the truth is the essential problem for the apostles and disciples of Christ, both of the early times and of all the new generations of the Church throughout the centuries. From this point of view, the proclamation of the Spirit of truth is of key importance. Jesus says in the Upper Room: "Many things I have yet to say to you, but for the moment (yet) you are not able to bear the burden of them" (John 16: 12). Actually, Jesus' messianic mission lasted only a short time, too short to reveal to the disciples all the contents of Revelation. And not only was time short, but the preparation and intelligence of the listeners was also limited. Several times it is said that the apostles themselves "were astonished within themselves" (cf. Mk 6:52), and "did not understand" (cf. e.g. Mk 8:21), or understood Christ's words and works in a distorted way (cf. e.g. Mt 16:6-11).

Thus the Master's words are explained in all the fullness of their meaning: "When . . . the Spirit of truth will come, he will guide you into all truth" (Jn 16:13).

4. The first confirmation of this promise of Jesus will occur at Pentecost and in the days that follow, as the Acts of the Apostles attest. But the promise does not only concern the apostles and their immediate companions in evangelisation, but also future generations of Christ's disciples and confessors. For the Gospel is destined for all nations and the ever new generations, which will develop in the context of different cultures and the manifold progress of human civilisation. Looking across the whole range of history Jesus says: "The Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me". "He will 'bear witness', that is, he will show the true meaning of the Gospel within the Church, so that she may proclaim it authentically to the whole world. Always and everywhere, even in the interminable vicissitudes of things that change as they develop in the life of humanity, the "Spirit of truth" will guide the Church "into all truth" (John 16: 13).

5. The relationship between the Revelation communicated by the Holy Spirit and that of Jesus is very close. This is not a different, heterogeneous Revelation. This can be inferred from a detail of the language used by Jesus in his promise: "The Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (Jn 14:26). Remembering is the function of memory. By remembering, one returns to what has already been, to what has been said and done, thus renewing past things in the consciousness, and almost reviving them. Since it is especially the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of a truth charged with divine power, his mission is not exhausted in remembering the past as such: by "remembering" the words, works and the entire salvific mystery of Christ, the Spirit of truth makes him continually present in the Church, ensures that he is ever more "present" in the community of salvation. Thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit, the Church not only remembers the truth, but abides and lives in the truth received from her Lord. This also fulfils Christ's words: "He (the Holy Spirit) will bear witness to me" (Jn 15:26). This witness of the Spirit of truth is thus identified with the ever-living presence of Christ, with the working power of the Gospel, with the increasing implementation of Redemption, with a continuous illustration of truth and virtue. In this way the Holy Spirit "guides" the Church "into all truth".

6. This truth is present, at least implicitly, in the Gospel. What the Holy Spirit will reveal has already been said by Christ. He himself reveals this when, speaking of the Holy Spirit, he emphasises that "he will not speak of himself, but will say whatever he has heard . . . He will glorify me, for he will take of mine and proclaim it to you" (John 16: 13-14). The Christ, glorified by the Spirit of truth, is first of all that same crucified Christ, stripped of everything and almost "annihilated" in his humanity for the redemption of the world. It was precisely by the power of the Holy Spirit that the "word of the Cross" had to be accepted by the disciples, to whom the Master himself had said: "For the moment (yet) you are not able to bear its burden" (Jn 16:12). There stood before those poor men the screen of the Cross. Deep action was needed to make their minds and hearts capable of discovering the "glory of redemption" that was accomplished in the Cross. Divine intervention was needed to convince and inwardly transform each one of them, in preparation, first of all, for the day of Pentecost, and then for the apostolic mission to the world. And Jesus warns them that the Holy Spirit "will glorify me, for he will take of mine and proclaim it to you". Only the Spirit, who, according to St Paul (1 Cor 2:10), "searches the depths of God", knows the mystery of the Son-Werbo in his filial relationship with the Father and in his redemptive relationship with men of all times. He alone, the Spirit of truth, can open human minds and hearts, making them capable of accepting the unfathomable mystery of God and His incarnate, crucified and risen Son, Jesus Christ the Lord.

7. Jesus says again: "The Spirit of truth . . . he will proclaim to you the things to come" (Jn 16:13). What does this prophetic and eschatological projection mean, by which Jesus places under the ray of the Holy Spirit the entire future of the Church, the entire historical journey that she is called to make over the centuries? It means a going forth to meet the glorious Christ, towards whom she is reaching out in the invocation raised by the Spirit: "Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev 22:17. 20). The Holy Spirit leads the Church towards constant progress in the understanding of revealed truth. He watches over the pursuit of that truth, its preservation, its application to changing historical situations. He arouses and leads the development of everything that serves the knowledge and dissemination of this truth: in particular, the exegesis of Sacred Scripture and theological research, which can never be separated from the direction of the Spirit of truth nor from the Magisterium of the Church, in which the Spirit is always at work.

Everything takes place in faith and through faith, under the action of the Spirit, as is said in the encyclical Dominum et Vivificantem: "The Mysterium Christi in its totality demands faith, since it is this that appropriately introduces man into the reality of the revealed mystery. Leading to the whole truth is accomplished, therefore, in faith and through faith: which is the work of the Spirit of truth and is the fruit of His action in man. The Holy Spirit must be in this the supreme guide of man, the light of the human spirit. This applies to the apostles, eyewitnesses, who must now bring to all men the proclamation of what Christ 'did and taught' and, especially, of his Cross and Resurrection. In a more distant perspective, this is also true for all generations of the Master's disciples and confessors, since they will have to accept with faith and confess with frankness the mystery of God at work in human history, the revealed mystery that explains the definitive meaning of that history" (Dominum et Vivificantem, 6).

In this way the 'Spirit of truth' continually announces future things; He continually shows mankind this future of God, which is above and beyond all "temporal" futures: and thus fills the future of the world with eternal value. Thus the Spirit convinces man, making him realise that, with all that he is, and has, and does, he is called by God in Christ to salvation. Thus the "Paraclete", the Spirit of truth, is the true "Comforter" of man. Thus is the true Defender and Advocate. Thus he is the true Guarantor of the Gospel in history: under his influence the Good News is always "the same" and is always "new"; and in an ever new way he enlightens man's path in the perspective of heaven with "words of eternal life" (Jn 6:68).

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience 17 May 1989]

In the life of the Christian there is a "double testimony": that of the Spirit who "opens the heart" by showing Jesus, and that of the person who "by the power of the Spirit" proclaims "that the Lord lives". A testimony, the latter, to be borne "not so much with words" but with "life", even at the cost of "paying the price" of persecution.

Once again, the Holy Spirit and his action in the heart of every believer were the focus of Pope Francis' meditation during the Mass celebrated at Santa Marta on Monday 2 May. The liturgy continues to offer passages from the Acts of the Apostles (16, 11-15) with the first missions of the nascent Church and excerpts of Jesus' discourse during the Last Supper (John, 15, 26 - 16, 4). In particular, in the Gospel of the day we read of Jesus who "speaks of the witness that the Holy Spirit, the Paràclito, will give of him and of the witness that we must also give of him". And Francis emphasised that here the "strongest" word is precisely "witness".

The testimony of the Spirit is also found in the first reading where, while speaking of Lydia, a "purple merchant from the city of Thyatira, a believer in God", it says: "The Lord opened her heart to adhere to Paul's words". But "who touched this woman's heart?" the Pontiff asked himself, recalling that Lidia "felt within herself" something that moved her to say: "This is true! Do I agree with what this man says, this man who bears witness to Jesus Christ'? The answer is "the Holy Spirit". It is he 'who made this woman feel that Jesus was the Lord; he made this woman feel that salvation was in Paul's words; he made this woman feel a testimony'.

It is therefore, the Pope explained, the Spirit who 'bears witness to Jesus. And every time we feel something in our hearts that brings us closer to Jesus, it is the Spirit working within'. Jesus himself explained the action of the Spirit to the disciples: 'He will teach you and remind you of all that I have said'. And the Spirit, Francis added, 'continually opens the heart, as he opened the heart of this lady Lydia', and 'gives witness to hear and remember what Jesus taught us'.

But the testimony, the Pope explained, 'is twofold'. In other words, 'the Spirit gives us the testimony of Jesus and we bear witness with the power of the Spirit of the Lord himself'. Jesus reiterates this again in the Gospel passage: 'When the Paràclito comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness of me; and you also bear witness, because you are with me from the beginning'. And the Lord, Francis pointed out, insists on the characteristics of this testimony - "perhaps the disciples did not understand well," he observed - adding: "I have told you these things so that you will not be scandalised". He explains, that is, "the price of Christian witness" in a direct manner: "They will drive you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will believe that he is worshipping God".

Therefore, the Pontiff summarised, "the Christian, with the strength of the Spirit, bears witness that the Lord lives, that the Lord is risen, that the Lord is among us, that the Lord celebrates with us his death, his resurrection, every time we approach the altar"; and he does so "in his daily life, with his way of acting". It is, he added, 'the continuing witness of the Christian'. At the same time, the Christian must be aware that sometimes this testimony "provokes attacks, provokes persecutions": they are "the small persecutions", such as those of "gossip" and "criticism", but also the persecutions of which "the history of the Church is full", that is, those that lead "Christians to prison" or "even to giving their lives".

It is therefore the same 'Holy Spirit who made Jesus known to us' who urges us 'to make him known, not so much with words, but with the witness of life'. And, the Pope suggested in conclusion, 'it is good to ask the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts, to bear witness to Jesus' and to pray to him like this: 'Lord, may I not turn away from Jesus. Teach me what Jesus taught. Let me remember what Jesus said and did and, also, help me bear witness to these things. May worldliness, the easy things, the things that come precisely from the father of lies, from the prince of this world, sin, not turn me away from witnessing; may I not be scandalised, as Jesus says, to be a Christian because someone avoids me or there are persecutions."

[Pope Francis, S. Marta homily, in L'Osservatore Romano 02-03/05/2016]

Mysticism of the Paraclete: never more orphans

(Jn 14:15-21)

 

In biblical terms, Spirit [Ruah] does not designate an ineffable entity, but a real one: it is a powerful breath, capable of knocking down everything that wants to remain fixed and installed.

God is Spirit not because He is invisible and unreachable, but because an overwhelming, irrepressible, impetuous force is expressed in His action.

The Spirit breaks in and gives the impetus to set things in motion: spring of life, instrument of the divine work in history.

The Law may point us in the right direction, but it does not make us understand the absurdity of love and its incredible fruitfulness, nor does it convey the energy that leads to our destination.

Jesus substitutes His commandments [His own Person, values and Beatitudes] for those of external custom.

The different expressions of love are infinitely more important than a code of standards or ways of doing things.

For this reason, Jesus is not a model, but Motive and Engine. He did not just teach a road: He still communicates to us His drive to achieve the goal of life.

His bestowed Spirit is called the ‘Paraclete’ [«called beside», term mediated by forensic language]: a kind of lawyer who would stand beside the accused in court to exonerate him (in perfect silence).

It is the Spirit of Christ that reduces evil to powerlessness and renders the accusations against us vain.

In the face of difficulties we can proceed without being discouraged.

 

The Spirit of the Lord is also at the service of the theologic «Truth»: the Faithfulness of divine Love.

In short: while the Church offers new answers to new questions, it is the Spirit of the Truth that ensures that the Gospel is not corrupted, but rather introduces disciples into the fullness of life and the unexpected richness and radicality of its own Call.

Thus, certain fashions around can close our hearts to the impulses of the Spirit of the Truth. They disperse us.

They corrupt and supplant the purity of the Source, and in cascade, the innate fragrance of our particular essences.

Instead, the Paraclete [in us] defends the integrity of each person from outward enmities and also from the inner powers that do evil.

They are e.g.: fears to correspond to the authentic Call; cravings to have-possess-appear, which drag one away from life.

Instead, we yearn to take on a divine countenance. That is why the Spirit even approves of attempts to enrich: yes, together.

In short, one must often lay down the self, and entrust oneself to the Mystery.

 

God has a humanizing Face, so the Spirit is the 'defender' who even allows mistakes to happen.

He extinguishes the panic of unexpected starting points. He lets us sense the magic that protects us.

He helps to fly over the ambush of perfectionism, which always threatens to strike even the beginnings of our vocational endeavours.

By loosening controls, judgments, project cravings, dirigisme and voluntarism, we allow the Gift to become Deposit; we let the actual fact to suggest the path, and to take the lead in experiences.

By giving in, step by step we learn to let ourselves be inundated: it is what invades that will make us flourish again. Through processes that elaborate the unthinkable.

By experiencing emotions with less interventionism, we will work with passion.

We will operate by expressing ourselves in our deepest character, and not as others expect; perhaps we will do things contrary to common hopes and intentions.

But by breaking the monotony we will allow opposing polarities to coexist, and the Heart will be more and more the friend of our destiny.

 

It is our dream: to participate in this Wind of unpredictable effects.

 

 

[6th Easter Sunday (year A), May 10, 2026]

Those who fall in love unleash a new energy.

John 14:15–21 (16:4)

 

In biblical terms, Spirit [Ruah] does not denote an ineffable entity, but a real one: it is a powerful breath, capable of sweeping away everything that seeks to remain fixed and established.

God is Spirit not because he is invisible and unreachable, but because his action expresses an overwhelming, uncontainable, impetuous force.

This is our dream: to share in this wind with its unpredictable effects.

The Spirit bursts forth ceaselessly and provides the impetus to overcome all rigidity and set things in motion: the source of life, the instrument of the divine work in history.

Religious law may well point in the right direction, but it does not impart personal conviction, nor does it help us grasp the absurdity of love and its incredible fruitfulness, nor does it convey the energy that carries us to our destination.

For this reason, Jesus is not a model, but rather the Reason and the Driving Force.

He did not merely teach a path: he still imparts his impetus to us, enabling us to hit the mark of life.

His gifted Spirit is called the ‘Paraclete’ [‘called alongside’, a term derived from legal language]: a sort of advocate who, in court, stood by the defendant in distress to exonerate him (in perfect silence).

It is the Spirit of Christ in the soul that renders evil powerless and renders accusations against us futile.

In the face of difficulties, we can press on without losing heart.

 

The Spirit of the Lord is also at the service of theological Truth: the Faithfulness of divine Love.

In short: whilst the Church offers new answers to new questions, it is the Spirit of Truth that ensures the Gospel is not corrupted, but rather leads the disciples into the fullness of life and into the unexpected richness and radical nature of its very Call.

We will never say anything new, nor the opposite: by remaining open to its impulses, we will grasp to the very depths the Mystery that envelops the meaning of our life in Christ.

 

The living, beating Lover is asking those closest to him: ‘How much do I mean to you?’

Jesus replaces the commandments of religion with His own [His very Person, His values and the Beatitudes].

We know this. One cannot love Someone who is accustomed to keeping a record.

The different expressions of love are infinitely more important than a code of laws – that of Moses, for example.

The nuances of love carry significant weight, which outweighs the proliferation of rules typical of tradition.

Custom, manners, or even fashions, often do not belong to us. Indeed, they make us nervous and dissatisfied – even though they are ingrained.

The complacent man tends to drag himself along according to interpretations and ways of behaving that deviate from his very deepest self.

Attached to the most worn-out and obsolete conventions, or to conditioning, we continue to offer old or external answers to new and personal problems.

At times, there is a tendency not to accept living emancipation [not the glossy kind].

Nor the joy of discoveries in the making; not dictated by agencies of plagiarism.

Nor the innovations that bring us closer; nor a new way of thinking that allows us to grasp God as living, ever-present, and thus capable, through His ceaseless Action, of enabling us to take on a divine countenance.

 

When they become excessively entrenched, affected or deviant manners close us off to the impulses of the Spirit of Truth. They scatter us.

In some cases, they do so in the very name of God!

They corrupt and supplant the purity of the Source, and consequently, the innate fragrance of our particular essences.

Instead, the Paraclete [within us] defends the integrity of every person from external hostilities and also from the inner forces that do harm.

These include, for example: fears of responding to the authentic Call; cravings for possessions, power and appearance, which drag us away from life.

The Spirit even approves of attempts to enrich: yes, together.

By seeking the most varied reciprocity of qualities; by highlighting the very resources of our neighbour.

In short, we often need to set aside the ego and entrust ourselves to the Mystery.

 

God has a humanising Face, so the Spirit is the ‘defender’ who even allows us to make mistakes.

He dispels the panic of unexpected beginnings. He lets us sense the magic that protects us.

He helps us rise above the ambush of perfectionism, which always risks striking even the very beginnings of our vocational endeavours.

In short, the innate Friend frees us from the ‘persona’, from armour, from performance anxiety, from not wanting to disappoint the opinions or expectations of those around us.

He brings us back down to earth. And compels our gaze to look within.

As we lose our way and wander, in Him we shall rediscover the Centre.

 

Our Ally helps us make sense of the difficult moments – those that seem like a pile-up of misfortune. The blunders, the failures, the times when, for example, due to a string of bereavements or persecutions, it seems we are attracting negativity like a magnet.

In critical situations, we are guided to detach our soul from the external world, which ends up drying us out and causing us to lose sight of our very Core, the hidden Spirit.

In this way, we know that when the reality around us becomes precarious, the inner core is, as it were, compelled to rediscover the right distance from external things.

If reality forces us to sweep everything away, we are placed in a position where we must seek out and throw open new pathways.

Unexpected ideas, horizons, strengths and initiatives will emerge.

 

At times, it will be chaos itself that resolves the real problems, generated more by our habitual way of life [or perspective] than by reality.

Confusion will often arise, but so that we may finally ask ourselves about our true interests. About what we are not making space for:  which aspects, inclinations, strands of activity, relationships – that would resonate deeply, and make everyone feel at ease.

Thus, instead of living distractedly and as if carried along by dynamics that do not belong to us, we learn to live intensely in the present moment.

We learn to welcome and interpret what the tide of life brings in terms of new developments, day by day and moment by moment.

By loosening our grip on control, judgement, the urge to plan, and the tendency towards dirigisme and voluntarism, we allow the Gift to become a Treasure; we let reality suggest the path and take the lead in our experiences.

By yielding, step by step, we learn to let ourselves be flooded: it will be that which invades us that will make us blossom anew. Through processes that process the unthinkable.

 

If we have suppressed our passions so as not to appear weak, or made artificial choices to prioritise the approval of those around us – and self-control... If we have not yet learnt to be direct, the Paraclete will help bring to light the free part of ourselves, the part where our mission lies – rather than a showcase career (even an ecclesiastical one).

The more we are human in the harmony of the Love received—which transforms into friendship shared with ourselves and others—the more we will allow the divine Gold to emerge within us, and in the harmonies that lead us back to the Home that is truly ours.

By living our emotions with less intervention, we will work with passion.

We will act by expressing our deepest nature, and not as others expect; perhaps we will do things in a way entirely contrary to expectations and intentions.

But by breaking the monotony, we will allow the coexistence of opposing polarities, and the Heart will become ever more a friend to our destiny.

 

 

Abode and reciprocity, interpretation and root

 

Generators from below

(Jn 14:21-26)

 

    The Father’s love unites us to Christ through a call that manifests itself wave upon wave. And on this path the Son himself is revealed, thanks also to genuine community life.

This Gospel passage reflects the question-and-answer catechesis typical of the Johannine communities of Asia Minor, committed to questioning: this time the theme of misunderstanding is introduced by Judas, not Iscariot.

The Jews, too, had expected an eloquent public appearance in order to believe in the divine nature of Jesus of Nazareth. Perhaps such a low-key manifestation could only generate scepticism.

Why does He remain in the realm of concealment, and why do not even his closest companions react with enthusiasm? Would not an open and sensational twist be appropriate?

And why endure difficulties from within? Then, why were relationships considered ‘important’ viewed with growing aversion, as alien and irritating?

Well, Christ’s vulnerable messianism – seemingly defensive, evasive – is not the sort that dispels doubts.

He remained unadorned. Thus he did not lose his naturalness; as if he had sensed the danger of grandiose aberrations, all of them external.

The authentic Messiah protected his identity, his human, spiritual and missionary character. In this way, he avoided all the excessive, glorious titles envisaged in the theological culture of ancient Israel.

 

The life of Faith within us, too, continues invisibly: not surrounded by outward miracles and intense sensations; rather, animated by convictions (recognised within ourselves).

In this new relationship with God and our brothers and sisters, the ancient concept of the Lord’s Anointed One who observes and imposes the Law of the chosen people on all nations (by force) is of no relevance.

In every circumstance and place, God is always present and at work, starting from the core, to help us rediscover the breath of being.

The Father, the Son, and the believers form, through mutual knowledge, a loose-knit circle of love, reciprocity and obedience, through free responses that are neither stereotypical nor paralysing.

Not fragmented into details and case studies, but centred on fundamental choices.

 

‘My commandments’ [v.21: subjective genitive] is a theological expression designating the very Person of the Risen One in action.

A ‘Person’ unfolded in human history through his Mystical Body: the diverse People of God, whose multifaceted nature is an added value—not a limitation or a contamination of purity.

Of course, Love is the only reality that cannot be ‘commanded’.

But Jesus designates and advocates it as such to emphasise the break from the Sinai Covenant, which it both summarises and yet replaces.

The plural form ‘commandments’ acknowledges the range of varied forms of reciprocity and personalisation of love.

No orientation, doctrine or code will ever be able to surpass it, or conversely render it stagnant.

 

In the Gospels, love is spoken of not in terms of sentiment [an emotion subject to fluctuations, or one that adjusts itself according to the perfections of the beloved] but as a real action, a gesture that makes the other feel free and adequate.

The People of God reflect Christ to the extent that they develop their own destiny by living entirely through gift, response, exchange, and an abundance of gratuitousness.

All this in a manner that is ever more unique to each person, to every micro- and macro-relational situation, stage of life, characteristic, type of flaw, or prevailing cultural paradigm.

In short, the Lord does not wish us to elevate ourselves by detaching from the earth and from our brothers and sisters: the honour due to the Father is that which we bestow upon his children.

Therefore, there is no need to rise through ascetic observance [‘ascending’ as to a higher floor: the lift only goes down].

 

It is He who reveals Himself, offering Himself to us: this is His joy.

He comes down from “heaven”.

He manifests Himself within us and within the folds of history, revealing the desire to merge with our lives (v.21) to enhance them, complete them, and strengthen their capacities [in qualitative terms].

The Apostles, conditioned by conventional religious thinking – all about appearances – question Jesus’s attitude, which is modest and not given to spectacle (v.22).

They cannot accept a Messiah who does not demand everyone’s attention, who does not astonish the world, who does not shout proclamations like a madman.

The Master prefers that in his Word we recognise an active resonance with the desire for a full life that we carry within us (vv.23-24).

This Logos-event must be taken up into our being, as a Call distinct from the clichés of widespread, conformist, other-centred thinking.

For within this Call lies a sympathy, an understanding, an arrow, an efficient and creative vigour, which becomes Fire and the solidity of a personal Presence, arising from within – at once faint and resounding.

 

In ancient forensic culture, ‘Paraclete’ (v.26) was the name given to the eminent figure in the assembly – today we would call him a sort of lawyer – who, without saying a word, stood by the accused to defend him.

[The latter might have been guilty, yet deserving of forgiveness; however, he needed a sort of public guarantor to vouch for his fate. In other words, he might be innocent, yet unable or incapable of finding witnesses in his favour to exonerate him…]

This attribute of the Spirit alludes to an intensity, an intimate foundation and the reciprocity of a silent Relationship that becomes a Person, and knows where to go.

A companion who approves; who leads the heart, the character, life itself, not to the pillory, but to the full blossoming of ourselves.

Thanks to His support, we are not enchanted by high-sounding roles, strong words; formulas, impressions, tumultuous feelings: we enter the demanding, fulfilled depth of Love.

Let us broaden our horizons. Let us welcome a different guiding image, one that presses on and takes us by surprise, yet subtly. It does not reproach us, nor does it scold us.

An experience that takes place without earthquakes, thunder and lightning – which are but partial phenomena – but through the action of the Spirit who internalises, accompanies, nourishes, and keeps the interpretation of the Word fresh and alive (v.26).

The Message of the Gospels has a generative root that cannot be reduced to a one-sided and cumbersome experience; entirely codified and moralistic yet empty, as in sectarian situations, always at war with themselves and the world. 

By venturing into their own Exodus, each person discovers hidden resources and a broadening of perspectives that expand and complete their being, deepening the experience of the vocational calling that corresponds to them.

Between life on the move and the Word of God – the golden rule that instils self-esteem – an unpredictable, versatile, eclectic, non-unidirectional understanding is kindled, one which transcends the chains of identity.

In its scope, the Call remains the same, but over time it expands the awareness of its facets – indeed, integrating them.

Rich and as yet unratified forms of expression: Creator and creature do not authentically manifest themselves in a fixed, sanctioned manner, or in reference to a code of doctrine and discipline, but in the boundless freedom of life.

Even today, as new needs and questions overwhelm us, an appropriate abundance of new answers emerges – finally, even from the Magisterium.

Plausible within the adventure of Faith, yet they would drive any external religion to distraction.

 

 

To internalise and live the message:

 

Do you recognise the Work of the Spirit, or do you reject it as a nuisance? What strikes you about the new Magisterium?

Do you find this approach in the Proclamation, in Catechesis, in Animation, in Pastoral Care and in your own Journey?

 

 

Further Reflection: Spirit of Truth

 

Satisfactory solutions or Spirit of Truth

(Jn 15:26–16:4a)

 

    Faith in the Master is already eternal life, or rather the Life of the Eternal One (in action here and now). He himself is the Bread of authentic and indestructible existence, though still earthly.

The intimate life of God himself reaches us in our time. The first step is a Faith that bestows a Vision; an irruption of the Spirit that brings new life from above, thus animating a different existence – one that is not empty.

The sign of such adherence is believing in Jesus as the Son: a man who manifests the divine condition.

Christ is the Bread of Life also because his Word is creative, and the path of following him imparts to us the qualities of indestructible Life.

The outpouring of the Spirit stirs within us the very same beating Heart of the Eternal One, which we experience in the deaths and resurrections of daily life and in the long journey of Vocation (reaffirmed from path to path).

Even in persecution, those who see the Son have within them the Life of the Eternal One – which regenerates and constantly brings about new births, new premises and questions, different paths, in an uninterrupted and ever-growing manner.

Our passion for the Friend unites us to Him, the Bread: that is, the Revealer of the Truth who satisfies those journeying towards themselves and the world, who at times shed their old skin, change their opinions and lifestyles.

In the Vision, we are enabled to take direct possession of it, thus drawing near to and realising the Newness of God – even in advance, wisely.

Through Him we share in the Father’s love for the Son, who manifests Himself as our personal Lord, and in the life of the authentic Church, which expands outwards.

The ‘hidden’ God of the First Testament, an obstacle that seemed insurmountable, now reveals Himself in the specificity of Faith… without the need for deceptive lights to support it.

For God’s world (in the soul) is different.

One does not enter into the Mystery with ordinary intentions and perfect expectations, let alone those of success and recognition.

In this Gospel passage, the apostles’ incomprehension comes to the fore. Indeed, even to us, the way in which Jesus reveals himself often seems indecipherable.

Even the Jews (in reality: the Judaizers returning to the communities at the end of the first century) expected to recognise him in a clear-cut way, perhaps on some occasion of public life.

Instead, even during the period of ‘glorification’, the Master seems to wish to maintain the outward (humble) obscurity of his earthly ministry.

Many expected sensational fireworks during that period they regarded as the ‘finale’. Instead, there was no yielding to the ideology of power or to spectacle-religion.

In short, things were not going according to expectations: doubts were not dispelled, nor were ambiguities; the titles of Israel’s ancient nationalist and imperial glory did not reappear at all—quite the contrary!

Even today, the choice of Faith is not fed to the mechanisms that would guarantee its visibility: no safety net, no concessions.

Everything then seems to proceed as before, in summary: toiling to live, buying and travelling, laughing and crying, falling ill and recovering, working and celebrating… and so on, often in pain (apparently senseless); perhaps without decisive turning points.

But upon the same things as always there is a different Light, rooted in a new, immediate relationship between humanity in need and the Father who regenerates us, to reconnect desires, deep needs, external paths, and to increase the intensity of life.

It is in the mutual understanding of the roots and furrows of reality that this circle of love between God and his children exists first and foremost. And all that has not yet been understood will be brought to light by the action of the Spirit. The only reliable impulse, which does not focus on vain things.

A relationship between man and Heaven (within us, not above) that does not primarily involve resignation, effort, humiliation… but is reworked through a deepening of the capacity of our hearts – so limited, yet endowed with a mysterious imprint – for a life that is full, yet of character.

 

To avoid intimidation, marginalisation and annoyances, some members of the Church advocated a sort of alliance between Jesus and the Empire, proclaiming a Christ so vague and detached as not to offend anyone.

Some ambitious, trouble-makers of the ‘life in the Spirit’ believed that the time had now come to shake off the earthly story of the carpenter’s son – considered weak in itself, short-lived, out of place and out of time, and already extinguished.

John seeks to restore balance to the mission of the Gospel, which had been diluted by compromise. 

The evangelist emphasises that the Risen One (the Figure and Driving Force who sustains the soul and gives us new life today) is the very same Son of God who engaged in a relentless campaign of denunciation and fought numerous battles against the opportunistic authorities of his time, whose positions, vanity and the purse of commerce – and was therefore persecuted, tried, reviled and condemned as a subversive and cursed by God.

In short, the Holy Spirit does not chase after butterflies. The action of the Spirit (which internalises and actualises) and the historical memory of Jesus must always be combined. Only from this honest perspective is it possible to grasp, in every time and circumstance, the Truth of God and the Truth of man.

Furthermore: the Father is the Creator of each of our deepest inclinations, upon which He places an indelible signature that manifests itself in an innate instinct, which seeks to germinate, find space, and express itself.

We are born with a Vocation and unique, invincible faces (plural), each and every one of us. We cannot deny ourselves, our Roots – even where open witness might be unpalatable.

The Truth about each of us follows: by Grace we are the custodians of an astounding dignity, which even in error (or what is considered as such) imparts exceptional desires. A Truth that restores dreams once more: an unprecedented hope, which kindles compelling passions.

We would seek peace and happiness in vain by pursuing cultural and social conformity, or by playing roles, characters, and tasks that do not belong to us – however soothing they may be.

We would become outsiders.

Truth: God’s faithfulness in Christ. Frankness in every choice, relationship and situation.

The rest is calculation and deep turmoil, which will leave us disconnected and make us sick inside.

 

To internalise and live out the message:

Do you take a stand and face the consequences? When your vocational integrity is at stake, do you stand up and face the music, or do you blend into the background?

Do you remain vague, weigh up the trade-offs, and seek favours or protection from well-connected individuals and complacent communities? Or do you desire to unite your life with Christ?

“Stand firm in your faith!”  We have just heard the words of Jesus:  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor, to be with you for ever, the Spirit of truth” (Jn 14:15-17a).  With these words Jesus reveals the profound link between faith and the profession of Divine Truth, between faith and dedication to Jesus Christ in love, between faith and the practice of a life inspired by the commandments.  All three dimensions of faith are the fruit of the action of the Holy Spirit.  This action is manifested as an inner force that harmonizes the hearts of the disciples with the Heart of Christ and makes them capable of loving as he loved them.  Hence faith is a gift, but at the same time it is a task.

“He will give you another Counsellor – the Spirit of truth.”  Faith, as knowledge and profession of the truth about God and about man, “comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ”, as Saint Paul says (Rom 10:17).  Throughout the history of the Church, the Apostles preached the word of Christ, taking care to hand it on intact to their successors, who in their turn transmitted it to subsequent generations until our own day.  Many preachers of the Gospel gave their lives specifically because of their faithfulness to the truth of the word of Christ.  And so solicitude for the truth gave birth to the Church’s Tradition.  As in past centuries, so also today there are people or groups who obscure this centuries-old Tradition, seeking to falsify the Word of Christ and to remove from the Gospel those truths which in their view are too uncomfortable for modern man.  They try to give the impression that everything is relative:  even the truths of faith would depend on the historical situation and on human evaluation.  Yet the Church cannot silence the Spirit of Truth.  The successors of the Apostles, together with the Pope, are responsible for the truth of the Gospel, and all Christians are called to share in this responsibility, accepting its authoritative indications.  Every Christian is bound to confront his own convictions continually with the teachings of the Gospel and of the Church’s Tradition in the effort to remain faithful to the word of Christ, even when it is demanding and, humanly speaking, hard to understand.  We must not yield to the temptation of relativism or of a subjectivist and selective interpretation of Sacred Scripture.  Only the whole truth can open us to adherence to Christ, dead and risen for our salvation.

Christ says:  “If you love me ... ”  Faith does not just mean accepting a certain number of abstract truths about the mysteries of God, of man, of life and death, of future realities.  Faith consists in an intimate relationship with Christ, a relationship based on love of him who loved us first (cf. 1 Jn 4:11), even to the total offering of himself.  “God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).  What other response can we give to a love so great, if not that of a heart that is open and ready to love?  But what does it mean to love Christ?  It means trusting him even in times of trial, following him faithfully even on the Via Crucis, in the hope that soon the morning of the Resurrection will come.  Entrusting ourselves to Christ, we lose nothing, we gain everything.  In his hands our life acquires its true meaning.  Love for Christ expresses itself in the will to harmonize our own life with the thoughts and sentiments of his Heart.  This is achieved through interior union based on the grace of the Sacraments, strengthened by continuous prayer, praise, thanksgiving and penance.  We have to listen attentively to the inspirations that he evokes through his Word, through the people we meet, through the situations of daily life.  To love him is to remain in dialogue with him, in order to know his will and to put it into effect promptly.

Yet living one’s personal faith as a love-relationship with Christ also means being ready to renounce everything that constitutes a denial of his love.  That is why Jesus said to the Apostles:  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  But what are Christ’s commandments?  When the Lord Jesus was teaching the crowds, he did not fail to confirm the law which the Creator had inscribed on men’s hearts and had then formulated on the tablets of the Decalogue.  “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets;  I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them.  For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished” (Mt 5:17-18).  But Jesus showed us with a new clarity the unifying centre of the divine laws revealed on Sinai, namely love of God and love of neighbour:  “To love [God] with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbour as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mk 12:33).  Indeed, in his life and in his Paschal Mystery Jesus brought the entire law to completion.  Uniting himself with us through the gift of the Holy Spirit, he carries with us and in us the “yoke” of the law, which thereby becomes a “light burden” (Mt 11:30).  In this spirit, Jesus formulated his list of the inner qualities of those who seek to live their faith deeply:  Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who weep, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for justice, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake ... (cf. Mt 5:3-12).

Dear brothers and sisters, faith as adherence to Christ is revealed as love that prompts us to promote the good inscribed by the Creator into the nature of every man and woman among us, into the personality of every other human being and into everything that exists in the world.  Whoever believes and loves in this way becomes a builder of the true “civilization of love”, of which Christ is the centre.  Twenty-seven years ago, in this place, Pope John Paul II said:  “Poland has become nowadays the land of a particularly responsible witness” (Warsaw, 2 June 1979).  I ask you now, cultivate this rich heritage of faith transmitted to you by earlier generations, the heritage of the thought and the service of that great Pole who was Pope John Paul II.  Stand firm in your faith, hand it down to your children, bear witness to the grace which you have experienced so abundantly through the Holy Spirit in the course of your history.  May Mary, Queen of Poland, show you the way to her Son, and may she accompany you on your journey towards a happy, peace-filled future.  May your hearts never be wanting in love for Christ and for his Church.  Amen!

[Pope Benedict, homily, Warsaw, 26 May 2006]

In the previous reflection on the Holy Spirit we began with John's text of Jesus' farewell discourse. In a certain way this is the principal gospel source of pneumatology. Jesus announced the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, who "proceeds from the Father" (Jn 15:26). He will be sent by the Father to the apostles and the Church in Christ's name, by virtue of the redemption effected in the sacrifice of the cross, according to the eternal plan of salvation. In the power of this sacrifice the Son also "sends" the Spirit, for he announced that the spirit will come as a consequence, and at the price of his own departure (cf. Jn 16:7). There is a connection stated by Jesus himself between his death-resurrection-ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, between the Pasch and Pentecost. Indeed, according to the fourth Gospel, the giving of the Holy Spirit took place on the very evening of Easter Sunday (cf. Jn 20:22-25). It may be said that the wound in Christ's side on the cross opened the way for the outpouring of the Spirit, which will be a sign and a fruit of the glory obtained though the passion and death. 

We learn from Jesus' discourse in the upper room that he called the Holy Spirit the "Paraclete": "I will pray the Father, and he will send you another Paraclete, to be with you forever" (Jn 14:16). Similarly we read in other texts: "the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit" (cf. Jn 14:16; 15:26; 16:7). Instead of "Paraclete" many translations use the word "Counselor." That term is acceptable, though it is necessary to have recourse to the original Greek word Parakletos to grasp the full meaning of what Jesus says about the Holy Spirit. 

Parakletos means literally, "one who is called or appealed to" (from para-kalein, "to call to one's assistance"). He is therefore the defender," "the advocate," as well as the "mediator" who fulfills the function of intercessor. It is this meaning of "advocate-defender" that now interests us, while not forgetting that some Fathers of the Church use Parakletos in the sense of "Counselor" particularly in reference to the Holy Spirit's action in regard to the Church. For the present we shall speak of the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete-Advocate-Defender. This term enables us to grasp the close relationship between Christ's action and that of the Holy Spirit, as can be seen from a further analysis of John's text. 

When Jesus in the upper room, on the eve of his passion, announced the coming of the Holy Spirit, he did so in the following terms: "The Father will give you another Paraclete." These words indicate that Christ himself is the first Paraclete, and that the Holy Spirit's action will be like that of Christ and in a sense prolong it. 

Jesus Christ, indeed, was the "defender" and remains such. John himself will say so in his First Letter: "If anyone does sin, we have an advocate (parakletos) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 Jn 2:1). 

The advocate (defender) is he who, taking the part of those who are guilty because of sin committed, defends them from the penalty due to their sins, and saves them from the danger of losing eternal life and salvation. This is precisely what Jesus Christ did. The Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete because he continues Christ's redemptive work which freed us from sin and eternal death. 

The Paraclete will be "another advocate-defender" also for a second reason. Remaining with Christ's disciples, he will watch over them with his omnipotent power. "I will pray the Father," Jesus said, "and he will give you another Paraclete to be with you forever" (Jn 14:16). "He dwells in you, and will be in you" (Jn 14:16). This promise must be taken together with the others made by Jesus when going to the Father: "I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Mt 28:20). We know that Christ is the Word who "became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1:14). When going to the Father he said: "I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Mt 28:20). It follows that the apostles and the Church must continually find, by means of the Holy Spirit, that presence of the Word-Son which, during his earthly mission, was physical and visible in his incarnate humanity, but which, after his ascension to the Father, is completely immersed in mystery. The Holy Spirit's presence which, as Jesus said, is interior to souls and to the Church ("He dwells with you, and will be in you": Jn 14:17), will make the invisible Christ present in a lasting manner "until the end of the world." The transcendent unity of the Son and the Holy Spirit will ensure that Christ's humanity, assumed by the Word, will be present at work wherever the trinitarian plan of salvation is being put into effect through the power of the Father. 

The Holy Spirit-Paraclete will be the advocate-defender of the apostles, and of all those down through the centuries in the Church who will be the heirs of their witness and apostolate. This is especially so in difficult moments when they are tested to the point of heroism. This was Jesus' prophecy and promise: "They will deliver you up to councils...you will be dragged before governors and kings.... When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say...for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Mt 10:17-20; likewise Mk 13:11; Lk 12:12 says: "for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that hour what you ought to say"). 

Even in this very practical sense the Holy Spirit is the Paraclete-Advocate. He is close and even present to the apostles when they must profess the truth, justify it and defend it. He himself then inspires them. He himself speaks through their words, and together with them and through them he bears witness to Christ and his Gospel. Before their accusers he becomes the invisible advocate of the accused, by the fact that he acts as their counselor, defender and supporter. 

Especially during persecutions in all ages, those words of Jesus in the upper room are verified: "When the Paraclete comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father...he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning" (Jn 15:26-27). 

The action of the Holy Spirit is that of "bearing witness." It is an interior, "immanent" action in the hearts of the disciples, who then bear witness to Christ externally. Through that immanent presence and action, the transcendent power of the truth of Christ who is the Word-Truth and Wisdom, is manifested and advances in the world. From him, through the Spirit, the apostles obtained the power to bear witness according to his promise: "I will give you a mouth of wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict" (Lk 21:15). This happened already in the case of the first martyr Stephen, of whom we read in the Acts of the Apostles that he was "full of the Holy Spirit" (6:5). His adversaries "could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke" (Acts 6:10). Also in the following centuries the opponents of the Christians continued to rage against the heralds of the Gospel. At times they stifled the Christians' voice in their blood, but without succeeding in suffocating the truth of which they were the messengers. That truth continued to flourish in the world through the power of the Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit—the Spirit of truth, the Paraclete—is he who according to the words of Christ, "will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment" (Jn 16:8). Jesus' own explanation of these terms is significant: "Sin" signifies the lack of faith that Jesus met with among "his own," those of his own people who arrived at the point of condemning him to death on a cross. In speaking of "righteousness," Jesus seems to have in mind that definitive righteousness which the Father will confer upon him ("...because I go to the Father") in the resurrection and ascension into heaven. In this context "judgment" means that the Spirit of truth will demonstrate the guilt of the world in rejecting Christ, or more generally, in turning its back upon God. Because Christ did not come into the world to judge and condemn it but to save it, then in actual fact that "convincing the world of sin" on the part of the Spirit of truth must be understood as an intervention directed to the salvation of the world, to the ultimate good of humanity. 

"Judgment" refers particularly to the "prince of this world," namely, Satan. From the very beginning he tried to turn the work of creation against the covenant and union of man with God: knowingly he opposes salvation. Therefore, he "is already judged" from the beginning, as I explained in the encyclical Dominum et Vivificantem (n. 27). 

If the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, is to convince the world precisely of this "judgment," undoubtedly he does so to continue Christ's work aimed at universal salvation. 

We can therefore conclude that in bearing witness to Christ, the Paraclete is an assiduous (though invisible) advocate and defender of the work of salvation, and of all those engaged in this work. He is also the guarantor of the definitive triumph over sin and over the world subjected to sin, in order to free it from sin and introduce it into the way of salvation.

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 24 May 1989]

This Sunday’s Gospel passage (cf. Jn 14:15-21) presents two messages: observance of the commandments and the promise of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus links love for him to observance of the commandments, and he insists on this in his farewell discourse: “If you love me, then you will keep my commandments” (v. 15); “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me” (v. 21). Jesus asks us to love him, but explains: this love does not end in a desire for him, or in a feeling, no; it demands the willingness to follow his way, that is, the will of the Father. And this is summarized in the commandment of mutual love — the first love [in its fulfillment] — given by Jesus himself: “even as I have loved you, that  you also  love one another” (Jn 13:34). He did not say, ‘Love me as I have loved you’, but ‘love one another as I have loved you’. He loves us without asking us to do the same in return. Jesus’ love is a gratuitous love; he never asks for the same in return. And he wants this gratuitous love of his to become the concrete form of life among us: this is his will.

To help the disciples walk this path, Jesus promises to pray for the Father to send “another Counselor” (v. 16), that is, a Consoler, a Defender, who will take his place and give them the intelligence to listen and the courage to observe his words. This is the Holy Spirit, who is the Gift of God’s love that descends into the heart of the Christian. After Jesus has died and risen, his love is given to those who believe in him and are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit himself guides them, enlightens them, strengthens them, so that everyone may walk in life, even through adversity and difficulty, in joys and sorrows, remaining on Jesus’ path. This is possible precisely by remaining docile to the Holy Spirit, so that, through his presence at work in us, he may not only console but transform hearts, opening them up to truth and love.

Faced with the experience of error and sin — which we all do — the Holy Spirit helps us not to succumb and enables us to grasp and fully live the meaning of Jesus’ words: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (v. 15). The commandments are not given to us as a kind of mirror in which to see the reflection of our miseries, our inconsistencies. No, they are not like that. The Word of God is given to us as the Word of life, which transforms the heart, life; which renews, which does not judge in order to condemn, but heals and has forgiveness as its aim. God’s mercy is thus. A Word that is light for our steps. All this is the work of the Holy Spirit! He is the Gift of God; he is God himself, who helps us to be free people, people who want and know how to love, people who understand that life is a mission to proclaim the wonders that the Lord accomplishes in those who trust in him.

May the Virgin Mary, model of the Church, who knows how to listen to the Word of God and to welcome the gift of the Holy Spirit, help us to live the Gospel with joy, knowing that we are sustained by the Spirit, the divine fire that warms our hearts and illuminates our steps.

[Pope Francis, Regina Coeli, 17 May 2020]

(Jn 15:18-21)

 

In the preceding section, Jesus denotes the character of love between Him and the disciples, and mutual love between believers. Now he introduces the contrast with the world: the opposite of love.

In Jn the term «world» designates the sin structure resulting from the combination of religion-power-interest.

A kingdom that organises itself from ambitious individuals and interests consortia.

From the earliest times, the wrong-side, the opposite road, became constitutive of the «sons». In this way, the configuration of the kingdom was becoming alternative thing; a reversal.

The well-established and praised models did not distract sisters and brothers of Faith. The new assemblies educated everyone to gain confidence in personal Vocation.

Their experience, even mystical one, had another criterion compared to hosannas and leashed quietism.

In the fourth Gospel the ‘Church’ [Jn never uses the specific term, Εκκλησία] is in watermark the opposite of the «world».

The worldly spirit of official religiosity already hated the very friends whom Christ had drawn «from» those polluted waters:

«If you were from the world [...] For you are not from the world, but I have chosen you from the world, therefore the world hates you» (v.19).

 

The first experience of the Johannine communities in Asia Minor was persecution.

In event after event, the oppression suffered became normal for the believer ones, because that world there loved only "its" followers: «the world would love its own» (v.19), i.e. that and those in whom it recognizes itself.

Instead, by their living Faith, the friends of Christ remained 'intimate'; strangers to every apparatus.

In their choices and conduct, they reflected a unique convivial lifestyle - humanizing far more than any normal, servile beliefs.

With their action derived from inner strength alone, they prefigured a germ of non-conformist society. This, in comparison to the ideology of power - and its having-appearing.

In such a way, the Lord's brethren bore witness against «the sin of the world» (cf. John 1:29) just as the Lamb of God had done.

Although doomed for defeat, the true believers operated in an eccentric manner; never obsequious.

The detachment was with the official devotional structures, always deferential, cowardly; well disposed to the sacralization of established roles.

 

In short, the disciples of all times «know» the Son and the Father; the world ignores and disowns them (v.21).

So «There is no greater servant than his Lord» (v.20).

Believers drink from the same Chalice [cup], proclaim the same truths: they cannot have a better fate.

The intensification of evil-against is inevitable.

«All these things shall they do against you because of my Name» (v.21).

Jesus lived amidst denunciations, contrasts, animosities, persecutions, and died as a punished and reduced to shame rebel.

This is the reality of the «Name».

What can be expected differently from the heirs of his Word, from the bearers of the same Appeal that led the Master to be destroyed by the official authorities?

Yet the simple people of the earth have never rejected Him.

And now more than ever it is necessary for the vital germ of that calm and dramatic testimony to continue.

 

 

[Saturday 5th wk. in Easter, May 9, 2026]