The Spirit of Truth

Today's Reflections 

      

 

The Spirit of Truth

Jn 16:12-15

[Jesus said to his disciples,] ¹²“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. ¹³But 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. ¹⁴He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵Everything 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.”

The Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. Despite the pervading sadness of the moment, Jesus assures the disciples that he is not leaving them like orphans. The Spirit (Paraclete) will come to teach them and to bear witness to the truth with them. As farewell gift of Jesus, the Spirit of truth and love will help the disciples fathom the love of the Father and the Son and empower them to give witness to this love by their love for one another. For “they shall all be taught by God” (Jn 6:45). It is not because they will learn anything new, but because they will learn everything in a new way.

The Holy Spirit generates in us a new ministry, now written not in tablets of stone but in hearts of flesh. To be touched by the Spirit is to be touched by God. And to be taught by the Spirit is to be taught to speak and live the truth.

Pray:

“O God, who taught the hearts of the faithful

by the light of the Holy Spirit,

grant that by the gift of the same Spirit

we may be always truly wise

and ever rejoice in his consolation.”