Contemplating today's Gospel

Liturgical day: Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

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Gospel text (Jn 16:12-15): Jesus said to his disciples; “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you."

Comment: Fr. Àlex SERRA (Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)

“I have much more to tell you”

Today is a special day! Imagine the typical day when you are with your family or friends, and you have many things to tell them. Maybe you haven't seen them for a long time or you've come from a great trip or, simply, you've had a day full of experiences. You want to explain everything, but you don't have enough time. Well, this is what happened to Jesus. That is why He says: “I have much more to tell you” (Jn 16:12).

Imagine Jesus with His best friends, the disciples, telling them that when they have the Spirit of truth - that is, His very Spirit - they will preach fearlessly all over the world, with spectacular enthusiasm, and that they will have a fantastic life with Him. With this He does not say that we do not have problems, but that we face them in another way, since with the Spirit of God everything is possible. The Spirit makes everything new, unmasks our fears, changes our lives, makes us come out of that which is cumbersome to us, helps us to love those we find difficult to love... ... and allows each one to think about what he or she needs the Lord to change in his or her life.

All this is what the Spirit communicates and proclaims. A new life where the meaninglessness that we can live is faced with the Spirit of the Lord and, as Pope Francis said in 2020 at the Pentecost Mass marked by the confinement due to Covid-19 pandemic, a life of donation! This is the fruit of the Spirit: donation to others, through unity among the disciples. We receive the Spirit, not for ourselves but for others, for those who are close to us, whoever they may be....

May we be faithful disciples of the Lord today, or rather, may we be true friends of the One who gives us Life and ask ourselves: if I am a disciple of the Lord, how do I give myself to others? Do I give them life?

Thoughts on Today's Gospel

  • “From souls wherein the Spirit dwells comes understanding of mysteries, distribution of good gifts, the heavenly citizenship, abiding in God, and, highest of all, the being made God” (Saint Basil the Great)

  • “Pentecost is this: Jesus, and through him God himself, actually comes to us and draws us to himself. ‘He sends forth the Holy Spirit’ - this is what Scripture says. What effect does this have? First of all, two aspects: the Holy Spirit, through whom God comes to us, brings us life and freedom” (Benedict XVI)

  • “All the faithful share in understanding and handing on revealed truth. They have received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, who instructs them and guides them into all truth (cf. Jn 16:13)” (Catechism Of The Catholic Church, Nº 91)

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