John 15:26-27
Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
This weekend the is what many refer to as "the birthday of the Church." It is Pentecost, the time when the Advocate Jesus promises in John's gospel, manifests itself in a strong wind, tongues of fire above the heads of the disciples, and speaking different languages. This scene is reflected in the first reading from Acts.
Time is relative when we speak of eternity. Jesus knew that he would not be returning for a time, but for the disciples, they thought that Jesus would be returning soon. In fact, it might be in a year, maybe a decade, but certainly in their lifetime. Jesus knew otherwise and that they would be concerned or even disheartened when he wasn't present for them. However, Jesus told them that they would have an advocate that would be with them always; he assured them that he would be with them until the end of time; he told them that God was with them. This is part of the great mystery of our faith, one God-three persons. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. There are times in our own lives when we might also become disheartened, discouraged, or lost. We lose sight of Jesus and focus on other things. We might even question our faith. The early Christians were moved to act after this momentous event. They were empowered and emboldened to act. We call this Holy Boldness. Some opened their hearts so much as to die for the faith. We call these Martyrs for the faith. They were also filled with the Holy Spirit and we remember these faithful even today in our celebrations at Mass. The same spirit that came to the disciples and the martyrs throughout the centuries is with you now…if you let the Holy Spirit move you. When we consciously implore the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we tend to make better decisions and situations become easier to handle.
