WEDNESDAY

Let me offer you a place to sit and reflect for a few moments.  Today's gospel reading (Jn 16:12-15) does require some thinking from us.  So, a quiet place, a peace-filled sight may be of some assistance to those who read these words today. (Had to stop posting here to fill in for a priest at the altar.)

Jesus continues to foretell about a gift from God to the disciples, to all of us:  the presence of the Holy Spirit within our lives, we who are temples of the Holy Spirit.  The tome from Jesus' words, however, is somewhat ominous:  "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now."

We have heard this sentence many times although we may not recall it easily.  What is it that Jesus is "foretelling" or "predicting"?  These thoughts may bring some to think of the Holy Spirit as the great prognosticator.  Some may perceive him as a God with a crystal ball or some tea leaves!!!  None of this, of course, is truth.  Scripture scholars refute this to a person.

What the Holy Spirit does is this:  "he will guide you to all truth."  We should understand this "truth" as belief in Jesus as the sole revelation of God and the one who speaks the words of God" (New Jerusalem Biblical Commentary, p 977).  The Holy Spirit's mission according to make "what Jesus said or did intelligible often by associating it with Scripture"(ibid.).  In simpler terms we should understand the Spirit as a guide.  Through the powers entrusted to him, we will be guided to understand more about Jesus.  The Spirit will teach that Jesus is "the fulfillment of everything that had been promised in the Scriptures" (ibid.).  His sole role is not to interpret a crystal ball or to read tea leaves, he infuses us with the knowledge "to glorify Jesus and to take what the Father has given Jesus and declare it to the disciples" (ibid.).  See the "team spirit" or the Trinitarian effort!  This is the great feast day we celebrate on June 12th this year, Pentecost Sunday, just 12 days ahead.  Let us begin again to renew our hearts, to understand the importance of our awareness of the gift from the Father. 

(Again, pardon the late delivery ... duty called.)