SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
(Acts 8:5-8.14-17; I Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21)
We've been hearing rumblings of Mother's Day for over two
weeks. It seems that newspaper promotions have tried to sell things as diverse
as tacos and Toyotas in our mothers' names. Today we hear rumblings of the Holy
Spirit in the gospel. Within two weeks we will be celebrating Pentecost, his feast
day. Perhaps we should pay close attention to what rumblings indicate since the
Holy Spirit is God.
Jesus says that when he goes to his Father, he will ask Him
to send us "another Paraclete", the Holy Spirit. The term “paraclete”
may sound strange to us. What is a paraclete? And if the Holy Spirit is another
paraclete, who was the first? Paraclete is the Greek word for a lawyer or legal
advocate. In any society where Christianity is continually scrutinized (as it unfortunately
is in ours), it is necessary to have a capable lawyer. While Jesus is with his
disciples, he has acted as his advocate. We remember how he defended his
disciples from the accusations of the Pharisees who worked on the Sabbath. Now
the Spirit will defend them.
Of course, the Holy Spirit does not have a human form. He
can't raise a voice like a lawyer in courtroom. Rather he permeates the
atmosphere arranging the proceedings and inspiring his clients. The first
reading tells of the apostles laying hands on the Samaritan converts to receive
the Spirit lest they fall again under the spell of unclean spirits. The second
reading does not mention him, but it is the Holy Spirit who will inspire
Christians how to “give…the reasons for their hope”.
Jesus promises the Spirit on one condition. His disciples must
keep his commandments. In this Gospel of Saint John the only commandment
mentioned is to love one another as Jesus loves all. At first sight this commandment
does not seem very difficult to obey. After
all, everyone in the community has the same basic formation and professes the
same faith. However, we know that envy and rivalry can arise among the best
people. Love requires that we humble ourselves like Jesus washing the feet of
his disciples.
We need the Holy Spirit to face the thousands of challenges in
a post-Christian society. Seeing our neighbors spending Sunday morning relaxing,
we wonder why we must attend mass. Reading in the newspaper about the so-called
rights to abortion and to gay marriage, we challenge ourselves to answer the
false premises of these claims convincingly. The Spirit comes to our aid. He
presents us with the truth of the Father and the Son so that we do not fail
them in our lives. He inspires us with understanding and wisdom so that our
words are on target and our actions consistent with them.
In the Acts of the Apostles there is a reference to the Holy
Spirit that is both entertaining and characteristic of life today. Saint Paul
asks some disciples if they received the Spirit when they embraced the faith.
They reply that they have not even heard of the Holy Spirit. Even though all
Christians today may have heard of the Holy Spirit, not all have taken
advantage of his support. He stands with us to defend us in our troubles. We
can count on the help of the Holy Spirit.
