Word to the Wise
Monday, May 11, 2020 - 5th Week of Easter - Mon
[Acts 14:5-18 and John 14:21-26]"Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him......Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love hi, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him......I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will end in my name - he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you." [John]
The Farewell Discourse now introduces a third "person" to the disciples: the Holy Spirit. Every Sunday and solemn feast day, when the community prays together the Nicene Creed, we say about the Holy Spirit: "who proceeds from the Father and the Son..." This statement was a matter of fierce theological controversy in the 4th century when the church was gradually developing its understanding of the trinitarian nature of God. Some pointed to the lines from the discourse quoted above, "Whom the Father will send in my name!." Others pointed to another line later on in the discourse when Jesus says, "For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." The matter was finally settled at the Council of Nicea, and it took a secular authority to force the issue to the settled belief that we have today and profess! The emperor, Constantine, wanted peace in the empire and this controversy was a big headache!
For most of us, the theology of the Holy Trinity, which we profess every time we make the Sign of the Cross, remains a mysterious territory which we accept as part of our faith but go no further. It is easier to accept the role of the Holy Spirit in everyday life, guiding and enlightening the Body of Christ as Jesus promised. We will celebrate this particularly with Pentecost and Holy Trinity Sunday. In the Farewell Discourse, Jesus prepares the disciples by pointing out that his departure is necessary for the completion of his mission so that his mission can be carried on with the help of the Holy Spirit. How all this would be put together later on into Catholic theological tradition is a matter of history. We have a lot more discourse to consider in the days ahead. AMEN