Jesus promises to send the Spirit

Fr Paul says, this week, starting with today’s Gospel from John (15:26 -16:4), we are pilgrims on the journey to the Ascension next Sunday.

Jesus is talking to his disciples, preparing them for the fact that he is leaving them that he is going to return to the Father.

Jesus will no longer be with the disciples and he promises them the advocate, the Spirit, the truth of God who will come and support them in the physical absence of Jesus.

The Spirit, the advocate, has a number of roles, which we are beginning to see:
– The Spirit will make clear the message and the teachings of Jesus and their implications – the Spirit of truth.
– Jesus talks about some of the obstacles and hardships the disciples may face in times to come – the Spirit will be there to support them.
– The Spirit will give the disciples the strength to bear witness to the teachings of Jesus in the face of opposition and give them the courage to speak out and proclaim the message of Jesus.

The issue for us, and for the disciples, and is that none of this will happen unless we cooperate and freely enter into relationship with the Spirit.

The Spirit, like Jesus, comes from the Father. In this Gospel Jesus begins to reveal the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – three distinct beings but one God.

For our reflection today, Fr Paul invites us to ask ourselves ‘In my life, do I freely cooperate with the Spirit or do I still want God to do it my way?’