“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy
Spirit whom the Father will send in my name—he will teach you
everything and remind you of all that I told you.” John
14:25–26
Sometimes we forget all that God has spoken to us. For example, we
may have some clear experience of God’s presence in our lives, such
as a powerful spiritual insight gained through prayer, a deep
conviction of His voice spoken through a sermon, the transforming
freedom encountered through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or
some form of unmistakable clarity imparted through the reading of
the holy Scriptures. When God speaks to us, imparting His Truth,
strength, forgiveness and every other form of grace, we are
spiritually consoled as we sense His closeness. But when trouble
comes our way, those moments of clarity can be easily lost.
The disciples would have had many clarifying experiences during the
three years of Jesus’ public ministry. They marveled at the
spiritual authority they encountered in His sermons, witnessed
countless miracles, looked on as sinners were set free, saw Jesus
transfigured in glory, and watched our Lord enter deeply into
prayer with the Father. Each time they encountered the power of God
at work, they would have grown in their conviction that Jesus was
the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the World. But Jesus
also knew that these disciples would soon have their faith in Him
shaken. He knew that as they looked on from a distance in fear as
Jesus was arrested, beaten and killed, they would start to forget
all that they previously experienced. Fear can cause confusion, and
Jesus knew that His disciples would soon fall into that trap. For
this reason, Jesus spoke the words above to His disciples. He
promised them that the Holy Spirit would soon come upon them to
teach them everything and to remind them all that He told
them.
How nice it would be if every lesson we ever learned from God
remained front and center in our lives. How nice it would be if we
never allowed fear to confuse us and cause us to forget all that
God has spoken to us in varied ways. Just as Jesus knew the
disciples would need the help of the Holy Spirit to remember, He
also knows that we need the same help from the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, the words spoken to the disciples above are also spoken
to us. “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in
my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I
told you.”
What lessons of faith have you learned in the past that you need to
be reminded of? It is the role of the Holy Spirit to bring those
lessons to mind every time we need them. Therefore, as we move
closer to the glorious celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost,
it is a good time to pray to the Holy Spirit and ask for the gift
of remembering the many ways that God has revealed Himself to us.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit work in perfect harmony with each
other, but each has a distinct role in our lives. The Holy Spirit’s
role is especially to lead us day-by-day into the fulfillment of
the Father’s will of becoming perfectly conformed to the Person of
Christ Jesus.
Reflect, today, upon this powerful promise that our Lord gave to
His disciples and to us. Pray to the Holy Spirit. Open yourself to
the Spirit’s ongoing direction in your life and never allow fear to
lead to confusion. Instead, allow God to dispel all confusion and
to remind you of all that He has spoken to you throughout your
life.
Most glorious Lord Jesus, You promised the disciples and all
Your people that the Holy Spirit would be sent to us to remind us
of all that You have revealed. Holy Spirit, please continuously
descend upon me, teach me and guide me. Help me to never forget the
many lessons I have been taught so that I will never let fear lead
to confusion. Jesus, I trust in You.
Source of content:
catholic-daily-reflections.com
Copyright 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved.
Used with permission via RSS feed.
Featured images above: Throne Bernini Holy Spirit Dove, Saint
Peter's Basilica in Rome By Paolo Gallo, via Adobe
Kommentare (0)
Melde dich an, um einen Kommentar zu schreiben.