Word to the Wise
Monday, May 7, 2012 - 5th Week of Easter - Mon
[Acts 14:5-18 and John 14:21-26]I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name - he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.
Anyone making the effort to follow the scriptures as presented in the lectionary (or in your paper misalet!) from the "Farewell Discourse" could be confused! The Sunday scriptures follow a different "cycle" (Cycle B this "year") from the daily scriptures ("Year II"). The result is uneven because there is some cutting and jumping in the process. Yesterday's (5th Sunday of Easter) gospel scripture is from John 15, while the daily scriptures are working their way more slowly through John 14! The result is that when we get to John 15 in the daily scriptures, the "deja vu all over again" effect hits us. Nevertheless, I'll try to keep focused on the slower process. The "cutting and jumping" shows up in today's passage. Saturday we stopped at verse 14 and today we pick up at verse 21! This is unfortunate because at verse 15, Jesus makes the first mention of the "Advocate, the spirit of truth...." and makes the wonderful statement, "I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you...." So, I recommend starting today with verses 15-20 to provide a background for verses 21-26.
Each time we have to remind ourselves that Jesus is trying to help the disciples come to terms with his "going away." That reality is the hard one. What the disciples are trying to understand is how Jesus will continue to be present if he has gone! This is where the "Advocate" [paraclete] comes in. The Holy Spirit will be the presence of Jesus in the community. This spirit will "teach everything and remind you all that I told you." We have to remind ourselves, too, that we are a "remote" audience from the original hearers or readers of these words. That same spirit is present to the person of faith. I know in my itinerant ministry of preaching parish missions and retreats as well as in this online preaching ministry that I could not keep it up if it were not for my reliance on Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit. There are more assurances coming in the days ahead, but we receive a major one today in the promise of the Holy Spirit. Can we accept it? AMEN