Dear Brothers and Sisters,

At this point in his Farewell Discourse which has been the source of our Gospel texts for the last few weeks, Jesus introduces a new and important element: Love leads to obedience to his commands. As he is obedient to the Father’s will, so must his disciples be to his commands. Love is the key to this. He says, “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” (13:34).

As always, Jesus points to his relationship with the Father as the prime example for his disciples to mirror. So, in the same way Jesus loves the Father and obeys his will, accordingly, so must his disciples love Jesus and obey his commands. It is through this obedience and love that divine love will shine forth through them to the world.

But how do we love with divine love in an imperfect world? This can only be done with God’s help. Here Jesus introduces the gift of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Blessed Trinity. He says, ‘I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. This is the first of the promises of the Holy Spirit. This is important in that the Spirit, who is distinct from Jesus, is part of the divine life of the Trinity. Just as Jesus is the ‘way, the truth and the life’ as we heard last week, so too the Spirit is truth from the heart of Jesus and the Father who will not only lead the disciples but will be in them in a new and intimate way.

The word used to describe the Holy Spirit here is parakletos (Grk.), or in the Latin Advocatus. The imagery comes from the Grecco-Roman justice system. An Advocatus was someone who helped the defendant in their trial – like a defense attorney. They helped plead the accused’s cause, give counsel, and intercede with the judge on their behalf. This imagery is perfect for the disciples who ultimately will face persecution for their faith for promoting the gospel. They will never be alone, because they have a divine Advocatus – the Holy Spirit, sent by Jesus who will reside in them and help them in their time of need.

Jesus speaks of his going to the Father but promises to come back to them after the resurrection and the risen Jesus, no longer bound by death will share the gift of eternal life with his disciples. This moment will be a moment of great revelation where all will be made clear for them, and they will finally see God’s glory in the risen Son. For the disciple’s part, their present job is to love him and obey his commandments, because whoever loves and obeys him, will be loved by the Father. Jesus will love them and reveal himself to them.

You can imagine that all of this must have been difficult for the disciples to understand and to bear hearing. Remember that this section of John’s gospel is at the Last Supper, so they still do not understand what will unfold in a few short hours. But this promise is meant to give them strength though fear and anguish will soon overtake them, they will remember these promises after the resurrection. It is the promise of the Advocatus, the Holy Spirit, who will lead and guide them and finally help them to understand the depth and breadth of God’s love for them and the world.

How about you and me? Do we love the way Jesus and the Father love one another? Do we love without reserve, or do we put conditions on our love – ‘I’ll love you if…’? In the same way, do we love God only when things are going our way, or do we put conditions on our love for God? How does our love for God show itself in our actions, our words, in the way we treat others?

Each of us in our Baptism and again in our Confirmation were given a share of the Spirit to help and guide us. Do we ever call upon the gift given so freely and so generously to us? We are never alone even in those moments when we feel inconsolable and unloved. The Lord is always with us, and it is in those moments where the Lord by his Spirit is most present to us! Trust in that Spirit to give you the grace, the help and counsel you need to face all things. The Advocate is always at your side – all you have to do is ask for the help!

Peace,

Fr. Steve