Daily Gospel Reflection for May 26, 2014

Today's Gospel: John 15:26-16:4A

Today our Lord tells his disciples, ““When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.” The Advocate – the Holy Spirit – is the Spirit of truth, and he will testify to Jesus Christ. That’s a lot to think about.

Jesus sent the Spirit to his followers after his resurrection because he knew that their faith would be tested, that they would be persecuted, tried, and that at least some of them would be viciously put to death. He knew that they would need to know the truth, be absolutely convicted of the truth, and be able to courageously speak the truth. He sent the Spirit to see them through what lay ahead for them.

Our Lord’s promise to his disciples holds true for us, also. When we invoke the Holy Spirit, the truth is revealed to us and we are able to speak and testify to the truth with courage and conviction. The key is to seek the Spirit in sincerity and allow him to testify to us. That’s not easy to do when our days are filled with obligations, our hearts are filled with discord, and our minds are filled with disruption and noise.

In order for the Spirit to testify to us, we must first set aside time and quiet our minds and hearts. Even if it is only for a few minutes a day, doing this will allow the Advocate to enter with his truth and transform us into witnesses of Christ in our being and acting. We may not be called to die a horrible death like the Apostles who were martyred, but we will be called, in fact, we are now being called, to testify to Christ in all that we think, do, and say.

Ponder:

Do I have an honest relationship with the Holy Spirit? Is he an important part of my life, or just some figure I hear about in Scripture?

Pray:

Holy Spirit, you are the Advocate, the one who testifies to the truth. Touch my heart with the desire to know you better and the awareness that I need you to become a vital witness to the truth.

Copyright 2014 Marge Fenelon