Daily Gospel Reflection for May 11, 2015

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

To proceed means to carry on or continue an action, to bring something forward or onward. Jesus came to show us the Father, and all the actions of the Father, and now promises an Advocate who will do the same. And Jesus equates this Spirit/Advocate with Truth. So Truth gets carried on…Truth is brought forward from the Father, just as Jesus—the Way, the Truth, and the Life—was brought forward from Him.

Here we see how the Catholic Church came to understand the doctrine of the Trinity. Though the word Trinity is never mentioned in Scripture, this gospel clearly admits Jesus taught it! We can see how Father, Son, and Spirit are all one, one Truth: the Father’s every action in truth, Jesus being the Truth, and now the Spirit who will testify to, carry forward, and affirm that Truth which is the Father and the Son.

Today in 2015, we already know that this Advocate of Truth will come only after Jesus ascends bodily into heaven. His disciples would not have had full knowledge of that yet and were most likely trying to make sense of all they were being told. And even for us, the concept of the Trinity remains a mystery we can still spend much time pondering in prayer today. We do not ponder with a sense of futility, however, but with a sense of entering ever deeper into a beautiful and powerful mystery!

Ponder:

Is the Trinity, three persons in one God, something I have given up trying to understand? Is today’s gospel an invitation? Can I open myself to the Truth that the Trinity wants to share with me?

Pray:

Holy Trinity, you are a mystery! And I am not afraid! Come share with me the Truth, and open up new insights as you deepen my understanding of who you are! Grant me the grace to enter ever deeper into your mystery of Love!

We thank our friends at The Word Among Us for providing our gospel reflection team with copies of Abide In My Word 2015: Mass Readings at Your Fingertips. To pray the daily gospels with this wonderful resource, visit The Word Among Us.

Copyright 2015 Cynthia Ann Costello