MAY 26, 2013 : THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity 
Lectionary: 166

Reading 1PRV 8:22-31

Thus says the wisdom of God:
"The LORD possessed me, the beginning of his ways,
the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago;
from of old I was poured forth,
at the first, before the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no fountains or springs of water;
before the mountains were settled into place,
before the hills, I was brought forth;
while as yet the earth and fields were not made,
nor the first clods of the world.

"When the Lord established the heavens I was there,
when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep;
when he made firm the skies above,
when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth;
when he set for the sea its limit,
so that the waters should not transgress his command;
then was I beside him as his craftsman,
and I was his delight day by day,
playing before him all the while,
playing on the surface of his earth;
and I found delight in the human race."

Responsorial PsalmPS 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (2a) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place —
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet:
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

Reading 2ROM 5:1-5

Brothers and sisters:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have gained access by faith

to this grace in which we stand,

and we boast in hope of the glory of God.

Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions,

knowing that affliction produces endurance,

and endurance, proven character,

and proven character, hope,

and hope does not disappoint,

because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts

through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

GospelJN 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you."

www.usccb.org

Meditation: "The Spirit will guide you into all the truth"

Jesus makes a claim which only God can make – he knows all things – the present and the past, as well as the future. Jesus not only claims to speak the truth, he calls himself the very source of truth when he proclaims that he is the way, the truth and the life. Now Jesus promises to send his disciples the Spirit of truth who will guide them in understanding all that Jesus came to say and do! Jesus tells his disciples that it is the role of the Holy Spirit to reveal what is true. It is through the gift and working of the Holy Spirit, who enlightens our hearts and minds, that we come to understand that God is a trinity of persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Jews understood God as Creator and Father of all that he made (Deuteronomy 32:6) and they understood the nation of Israel as God's firstborn son (Exodus 4:22). Jesus reveals the Father in an unheard of sense. He is eternally Father by his relationship to his only Son, who, reciprocally, is Son only in relation to his Father (see Matthew 11:27). The Spirit, likewise, is inseparably one with the Father and the Son. Jesus reveals the triune nature of God and the inseparable union of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The mission of Jesus and of the Holy Spirit are the same – to reveal the glory of God and to share that glory with us by uniting us in a community of love with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. That is why Jesus tells his disciples that the Spirit will reveal the glory of the Father and the Son and will speak what is true. Before his Passover, Jesus revealed the Holy Spirit as the “Paraclete” and Helper who will be with Jesus’ disciples to teach and guide them “into all the truth” (John 14:17,26; 16:13). The ultimate end, the purpose for which God created us, is the entry of God's creatures into the perfect unity of the blessed Trinity. In baptism we are called to share in the life of the Holy Trinity here on earth in faith and after death in eternal light.
Clement of Alexandria, a third century church father, wrote: “What an astonishing mystery! There is one Father of the universe, one Logos (Word) of the universe, and also one Holy Spirit, everywhere one and the same; there is also one virgin become mother, and I should like to call her 'Church'."
How can we personally know the Father and his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ? It is the Holy Spirit who reveals the Father and the Son to us and who gives us the gift of faith to know and understand the truth of God’s word. Through the Holy Spirit, we proclaim our ancient faith in the saving death and resurrection of Jesus Christ until he comes again. The Lord gives us his Holy Spirit as our divine Teacher and Helper that we may grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God. Do you seek the wisdom that comes from above and do you eagerly listen to God's word and obey it?
"May the Lord Jesus put his hands on our eyes also, for then we too shall begin to look not at what is seen but at what is not seen. May he open the eyes that are concerned not with the present but with what is yet to come, may he unseal the heart's vision, that we may gaze on God in the Spirit, through the same Lord, Jesus Christ, whose glory and power will endure throughout the unending succession of ages." (prayer of Origin, c. 185-254)
www.dailyscripture.net

Scripture Study

Although the Easter Season ended with Pentecost, last week, and Ordinary Time has begun, this Sunday's celebration is not quite in the normal mold of Ordinary time. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity. It is a celebration of a most intimate detail about God's inner life which we could never even have guessed at had He not revealed it to us. The readings this week approach the Trinity indirectly in terms of function or mission.

First Reading: Proverbs 8:22-31

8:22 "The LORD begot me, the first-born of his ways, the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago; 8:23 From of old I was poured forth, at the first, before the earth. 8:24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains or springs of water; 8:25 Before the mountains were settled into place, before the hills, I was brought forth; 8:26 While as yet the earth and the fields were not made, nor the first clods of the world.

8:27 "When he established the heavens I was there, when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep; 8:28 When he made firm the skies above, when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth; 8:29 When he set for the sea its limit, so that the waters should not transgress his command; 8:30 Then was I beside him as his craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, Playing before him all the while, 8:31 playing on the surface of his earth; and I found delight in the sons of men."

NOTES on First Reading:

In Jewish tradition, Divine Wisdom is God's self-disclosure. Because Christians see Jesus as the complete revelation of God, they have always understood Jesus as God's wisdom incarnate. Thus the Church has always taken this text as an ancient preview of the doctrine of the Trinity.

* 8:22-31 Wisdom is superior to all things because of her divine origin and her existence prior to all created things. The Jews saw Wisdom as an attribute of God but they also spoke of it in personified terms as Lady Wisdom, a servant or handmaiden of God. Here she is represented as a personified being which existed before all things (Prov 8:22-26) and was with God when He planned and executed the creation of the universe, adorned it with beauty and variety, and established its wonderful order (Prov 8:27-30). In this passage Christians saw early hints foreshadowing the Trinity although it was to be fully revealed only when Wisdom in the Person of Jesus Christ became incarnate.

* 8:23 The exact meaning of the Hebrew expression that has been rendered as "Poured forth" is uncertain. Scholars generally believe that the expression implies the equivalent of "born." Hebrew speech likened the movement of air and of spirit to that of liquids.

* 8:24-26 These verses speak of the formless mass from which God created the heavens and the earth. See Genesis 1:1-2; 2:4-6.

* 8:30 Wisdom as His craftsman furnished God with the plan, as it were, for the creation of all things. See Job 38:1-2; Wisdom 7:22-8:1. Wisdom was the ever-present object of God's delight and joy.

Second Reading: Romans 5:1-5

5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:2 through whom we have gained access (by faith) to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. 5:3 Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, 5:4 and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, 5:5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

NOTES on Second Reading:

*5:1-11 Popular thinking frequently took reverses and troubles to be punishment for sin as in John 9:2. Paul assures believers that God's justifying action in Jesus Christ is a declaration of peace between God and humanity. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ displays God's initiative in giving us unimpeded access to the divine presence. Reconciliation is God's gift of pardon to the entire human race. The term, justification, as used by Paul, means to benefit personally from this pardon through faith. The ultimate aim of God is to liberate believers from their pre-Christian selves as described in Romans 1-3. Because this liberation will first be seen in the believer's resurrection, salvation is described as future in Romans 5:10. Thus it is called the Christian hope. Paul's Greek term for hope does not suggest any note of uncertainty. Rather, God's promise in the gospel fills believers with expectation and anticipation. The persecutions that attend Christian commitment teach believers patience and strengthen this hope, which will not disappoint them because the Holy Spirit dwells in their hearts and imbues them with God's love (Romans 5:5).

Gospel Reading: John 16: 12-15

16:12 [Jesus said to His disciples] "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. 16:13 But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. 16:14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 16:15 Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you."

NOTES on Gospel Reading:

* 16:12-13 Because Jesus has not been able to teach the disciples everything they need to know and they could not understand it all, the Holy Spirit will be extremely important in the community of believers in that He will fill in what is missing. The Paraclete will guide the community in and through the future.

* 16:13-15 The truth into which the Holy Spirit will guide the disciples will not be new truth but will stem from Jesus as the revelation of the Father. He will help the disciples to understand the truth of Jesus more deeply and more completely. 

www.st-raymond-dublin.org

How to Grow in My Faith

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Father Edward Hopkins, LC John 16: 12-15 “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” Introductory Prayer:Lord Jesus, I believe in you. I believe you have called me to the faith and to share that faith. I trust that you will fill me with your spirit of courage and truth so that I might faithfully assimilate and transmit the faith. I love you. I want to love you more with my prayer and with my life, and so grow in the unity of the love you share with your Father and the Holy Spirit. Petition:Reveal yourself to me, Lord. 1. Knowledge of the Truth: The Blessed Trinity is a mystery that far surpasses our comprehension. Yet it also reveals the most basic process of faith, of Christian maturity. When we receive faith, it is like a seed that needs development: “You cannot bear it now.” The Holy Spirit guides us to a fuller understanding so that our faith can show itself in our lives. We come to a better understanding of God, ourselves, our lives and others, especially in a world that tends to distort them. We must be convinced that we need to grow, to deepen our faith, and to widen it to encompass all the dimensions of our lives. To stop learning about our faith (that which we believe) and to stop growing in our faith (that by which we believe) is to thwart the Holy Spirit’s plans over our lives. He has more to tell us! Do I believe it and seek it? How? 2. Accepting and Living the Truth: Jesus here identifies the truths of faith – as well as what the Father “has” – as “his”. So the faith is something personal to be possessed. It must be made our own! Faith is not made our own by reducing it to mere sentiment or subjective conviction. It is the same for everyone. We must adjust to it, not adjust it to ourselves. It is personal but not therefore different for each, like choices on a cafeteria menu. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI clarified in the homily before his election: “An ‘adult’ faith is not a faith that follows the trends of fashion and the latest novelty; a mature adult faith is deeply rooted in friendship with Christ” (Homily, April 18, 2005). Do I fully possess my faith? Or do I feel it forced upon me, as though something foreign? Is my faith heartfelt as well as accepted by my intellect? Do I make it my own by accepting it, embracing it, loving it, growing in it, exercising it, defending it, sharing it? 3. Evangelization: The unity of the Trinity is not static, but a living dynamism. They live and act in unity. “He will take from what is mine.…” This has two implications. The mission of the Holy Spirit is precisely to remind us of what Jesus taught (Cf. Jn.14:26). He is faithful to his mission by teaching Christ. For us, too, possessing the faith leads to sharing it. What is alive tends to grow. "Those who have come into genuine contact with Christ cannot keep him for themselves, they must proclaim him. This proclamation must not be imposed but proposed ‘with confidence…’" (Pope John Paul II, Address of June 5, 2001). We must proclaim the one truth we have received. “He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears.”  Our love for Christ can be measured by how faithful we are in transmitting his message without alteration. How great is my love for him? Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, send me your Holy Spirit so that I might better know and love you. Grant me a hunger to know you better, to experience you more deeply. May my knowledge of you set my heart on fire so that I cannot keep you to myself. Aid me in faithfully communicating you and your message of love. Resolution:I will (re-)commit myself to a regular study of my faith using the Catechism or the Compendium to the Catechism.

www.regnumchristi.org

SUNDAY, MAY 26

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
JOHN 16:12-15
(Proverbs 8:22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5)
KEY VERSE: "But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth" (v 13).
READING: Jesus promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would enlighten their minds after he was raised to glory with the Father. The work of Christ would be continued on earth through the indwelling Spirit who would guide the Church to all truth. Just as Jesus only spoke the words he heard from the Father, the Spirit does not speak alone, but interpretsChrist's eternal message of truth for each generation. The word "Trinity" does not appear in the Bible, but since the year 200 CE, the term has been used to denote the central Christian doctrine that God is absolutely one in nature and essence, and is three distinct persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, co-eternal and deserving equal honor and glory. Each person of the Trinity is whole and complete, of the same substance, not divided but one. This revelation of the Father and Son through the Spirit was transmitted by the apostles and the evangelists through their teaching, example, institutions and writings. This "Apostolic Tradition" has been preserved by the Spirit in the doctrine, worship and the sacraments of the Church.
REFLECTING: In what ways do I teach God's truth to others?
PRAYING: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, illuminate my mind to understand the Church's teachings.

NOTE: Pope John XXII established the feast day for universal observance of Trinity Sunday in AD 1334

www.daily-word-of-life.com

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

 I was by God’s side, delighting him day after day.
Lord, you always intended me to be like that Wisdom who was by your side in the beginning. You always wanted me to share your delight in living. You yearn to give me all that is yours. You long to see me dancing and singing, walking in your love and loving your other children, especially the unhappiest ones. Even though I refuse your gift at times, too proud to call you Father, or too blind, your heart does not cease to love me.

Jesus is always our brother so that we may always be God’s children. He puts the same love in our hearts that enabled him to endure all his sufferings. The Holy Spirit is our hope, keeping God’s plan alive and God’s name wonderful throughout all the earth.
www.churchresources.info

May 26
Venerable Pierre Toussaint
1766-1853

Born in modern-day Haiti and brought to New York City as a slave, Pierre died a free man, a renowned hairdresser and one of New York City’s most well-known Catholics. 

Pierre Bérard, a plantation owner, made Toussaint a house slave and allowed his grandmother to teach her grandson how to read and write. In his early 20s, Pierre, his younger sister, his aunt and two other house slaves accompanied their master’s son to New York City because of political unrest at home. Apprenticed to a local hairdresser, Pierre learned the trade quickly and eventually worked very successfully in the homes of rich women in New York City. 

When his master died, Pierre was determined to support his master’s widow, himself and the other house slaves. He was freed shortly before the widow’s death in 1807.
Four years later he married Marie Rose Juliette, whose freedom he had purchased. They later adopted Euphémie, his orphaned niece. Both preceded him in death. He attended daily Mass at St. Peter’s Church on Barclay Street, the same parish that St. Elizabeth Seton attended. 

Pierre donated to various charities, generously assisting blacks and whites in need. He and his wife opened their home to orphans and educated them. The couple also nursed abandoned people who were suffering from yellow fever. Urged to retire and enjoy the wealth he had accumulated, Pierre responded, “I have enough for myself, but if I stop working I have not enough for others.” 

He was originally buried outside St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, where he was once refused entrance because of his race. His sanctity and the popular devotion to him caused his body to be moved to St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. 

Pierre Toussaint was declared Venerable in 1996.

Comment:

Pierre was internally free long before he was legally free. Refusing to become bitter, he daily chose to cooperate with God’s grace, eventually becoming a compelling sign of God’s wildly generous love.

Quote:

Emma Cary, one of Pierre’s customers, said: “His life was so perfect, and he explained the teaching of the Church with a simplicity so intelligent and courageous that everyone honored him as a Catholic. He would explain the devotion to the Mother of God with the utmost clearness, or show the union of the natural and supernatural gifts in the priest.”

May 26
St. Philip Neri
(1515-1595)

Philip Neri was a sign of contradiction, combining popularity with piety against the background of a corrupt Rome and a disinterested clergy, the whole post-Renaissance malaise.

At an early age, he abandoned the chance to become a businessman, moved to Rome from Florence and devoted his life and individuality to God. After three years of philosophy and theology studies, he gave up any thought of ordination. The next 13 years were spent in a vocation unusual at the time—that of a layperson actively engaged in prayer and the apostolate.
As the Council of Trent (1545-63) was reforming the Church on a doctrinal level, Philip’s appealing personality was winning him friends from all levels of society, from beggars to cardinals. He rapidly gathered around himself a group of laypersons won over by his audacious spirituality. Initially they met as an informal prayer and discussion group, and also served poor people in Rome.
At the urging of his confessor, he was ordained a priest and soon became an outstanding confessor, gifted with the knack of piercing the pretenses and illusions of others, though always in a charitable manner and often with a joke. He arranged talks, discussions and prayers for his penitents in a room above the church. He sometimes led “excursions” to other churches, often with music and a picnic on the way.
Some of his followers became priests and lived together in community. This was the beginning of the Oratory, the religious institute he founded. A feature of their life was a daily afternoon service of four informal talks, with vernacular hymns and prayers. Giovanni Palestrina was one of Philip’s followers, and composed music for the services.
The Oratory was finally approved after suffering through a period of accusations of being an assembly of heretics, where laypersons preached and sang vernacular hymns! (Cardinal Newman founded the first English-speaking house of the Oratory three centuries later.)
Philip’s advice was sought by many of the prominent figures of his day. He is one of the influential figures of the Counter-Reformation, mainly for converting to personal holiness many of the influential people within the Church itself. His characteristic virtues were humility and gaiety.

Comment:

Many people wrongly feel that such an attractive and jocular personality as Philip’s cannot be combined with an intense spirituality. Philip’s life melts our rigid, narrow views of piety. His approach to sanctity was truly catholic, all-embracing and accompanied by a good laugh. Philip always wanted his followers to become not less but more human through their striving for holiness.

Quote:

Philip Neri prayed, "Let me get through today, and I shall not fear tomorrow."

www.americancatholic.org

LECTIO: THE MOST HOLY TRINITY (C)

Lectio: 

 Sunday, May 26, 2013 

The promise of the Spirit: 
Jesus will send the Spirit in the Father’s name
John 16:12-15

1. LECTIO

a) Opening prayer:

O God, who in sending your Son Jesus have revealed abundantly your love for the salvation of all people, stay always with us and continue to reveal your attributes of compassion, mercy, clemency and fidelity. Spirit of Love, help us to grow in the knowledge of the Son so that we may have life.
Grant that, by meditating your Word on this feast day, we may become more aware that your mystery is a hymn to shared love. You are our God and not a solitary God. You are Father, fruitful source. You are Son, Word made flesh, close and fraternal love. You are Spirit, all-embracing love.

b) Reading of the Gospel:

12 I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you to bear now. 13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking of his own accord, but will say only what he has been told; and he will reveal to you the things to come. 14 He will glorify me, since all he reveals to you will be taken from what is mine. 15 Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: all he reveals to you will be taken from what is mine.

c) A time of prayerful silence:

With St. Augustine we say: «Grant me time to meditate on the secrets of your law, do not shut the door to those who knock. Lord, fulfil your plan in me and unveil those pages. Grant that I may find grace before you and that the deep secrets of your Word may be revealed to me when I knock».

2. MEDITATIO

a) Preamble:

Before we start the lectio, it is important to pause briefly on the context of our liturgical passage. Jesus’ words in Jn 16:12-15 are part of a section of the Gospel known by exegetes as the book of revelation (13:1-17:26). In his farewell discourse, Jesus reveals his intimate self, calls the disciples friends and promises them the Holy Spirit who will accompany them as they accept the mystery of his Person. The disciples, then, are invited to grow in love towards the Master who gives himself to them completely.

In this section, we can distinguish three well-defined sequences or parts. The first includes chapters 13-14 and treats of the following theme: the new community is founded on the new commandment of love. Through his instructions, Jesus explains that the practice of love is the way that the community must walk in its journey to the Father. In the second part, Jesus describes the position of the community in midst of the world. He reminds them that the community he founded carries out its mission in the midst of a hostile world and can only acquire new members if it practises love. This is the meaning of “bearing fruit” on the part of the community. The condition for a fruitful love in the world is: remain united to Jesus. It is from him that life flows – the Spirit (Jn 15:1-6); union with Jesus with a love like his so as to establish a relationship of friendship between Jesus and his disciples (Jn 15:7-17).

The community’s mission, like that of Jesus, will be carried out in the midst of the hatred of the world, but the disciples will be strengthened by the Spirit (Jn 15:26-16:15). Jesus tells them that the mission in the world implies pain and joy and that he will be absent-present (Jn 16:16-23a). He simply assures them of the support of the Father’s love and his victory over the world (Jn 16:23b-33). The third part of this section includes Jesus’ prayer: he prays for his present community (Jn 17:6-19); for the community of the future (Jn 17:20-23); and expresses his desire that the Father glorify those who have known him and, finally, that his mission in the world may be fulfilled (Jn 17:24-26).

b) Meditation:

- The voice of the Spirit is Jesus’ voice

Previously, in Jn 15:15, Jesus had told his disciples what he had heard from the Father. This message was not nor could it have been grasped by the disciples in all its force. The reason is that the disciples, for the present, ignored the meaning of Jesus’ death on the cross and the substitution of the new way of salvation for the old. With his death, a new and definitive saving power comes into the life of humanity. The disciples will understand Jesus’ words and actions after the resurrection (Jn 2:22) or after his death (Jn 12:16).

In Jesus’ teaching there are many matters and messages to be understood by the community as it gradually faces new events and circumstances; it is in daily life and in the light of the resurrection that it will understand the meaning of his death-exaltation.

It will be the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ prophet, who will communicate to the disciples what they have heard from Him. In the mission that Jesus’ community will carry out it will be the Holy Spirit who will communicate to them the truth in that he will explain and help them to apply that which Jesus is and means as the manifestation of the Father’s love. Through his prophetic messages, the community does not transmit a new doctrine but constantly proposes the reality of the person of Jesus, in the witness to and orientation of its mission in the world. The voice of the Holy Spirit, which the community will hear, is the voice of Jesus himself. In the wake of the Old Testament prophets who interpreted history in the light of the covenant, the Holy Spirit becomes the determining factor in making Jesus known, giving the community of believers the key to an understanding of history as a continual confrontation between what the “world” stands for and God’s plan. The starting point for reading one’s presence in the world is Jesus’ death-exaltation, and as Christians grow in this understanding they will discover in daily life “the sin of the world” and its harmful effects.

The role of the Holy Spirit is a determining factor for the interpretation of the mystery of Jesus’ life in the life of the disciples: he is their guide in undertaking a just commitment on behalf of humanity. To succeed in their activities for humankind, the disciples have to, on the one hand, listen to the problems of life and history, and on the other be attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, the only reliable source for getting a real sense of the historical events in the world.

- The Holy Spirit’s voice: true interpreter of history

Then Jesus explains how the Holy Spirit interprets human life and history. First, by manifesting his “glory”, that is that he will take “what is mine”. More specifically, “what is mine” means that the Holy Spirit draws his message from Jesus, whatever Jesus said. To manifest the glory means manifesting the love that he has shown by his death. These words of Jesus are very important because they avoid reducing the role of the Holy Spirit to an illumination. The Spirit’s role is to communicate Jesus’ love and places Jesus’ words in harmony with his message and also with the deeper sense of his life: Love expressed in giving his life on the cross. This is the Holy Spirit’s role, the Spirit of truth. Two aspects of the role of the Holy Spirit that enable the community of believers to interpret history are: listening to the message and understanding it, and being in harmony with love. Better still, Jesus’ words mean to communicate that only through the communication of the love of the Holy Spirit is it possible to know who a person is, to understand the purpose of life, and to create a new world. The model is always Jesus’ love.

- Jesus, the Father, the Holy Spirit and the community of believers (v.15)

What does Jesus mean when he says “everything the Father has is mine”? First that what Jesus has is shared with the Father. The first gift of the Father to Jesus was his glory (Jn 1:14), or more precisely, faithful love, the Spirit (Jn 1:32; 17:10). This communication is not to be understood as static but rather as dynamic, that is on going and mutual. In this sense the Father and Jesus are one. Such mutual and constant communication permeates Jesus activity so that he is able to realise the designs of the Father and his plan for the whole of creation. So that believers may be able to understand and interpret history, they are called to live in harmony with Jesus, accepting the reality of his love and making this love concrete for others. This is the Father’s plan that the love of Jesus for his disciples may be realised in all. God’s plan as realised in Jesus’ life must be realised in the community of believers and guide the believer’s commitment in their endeavour to improve everyone’s life. Who carries out the Father’s plan in Jesus’ life? It is the Holy Spirit who unites Jesus and the Father and carries out and fulfils the Father’s plan and makes the community of believers partakers in this dynamic activity of Jesus: “will be taken from what is mine”. Thanks to the action of truth of the Holy Spirit, the community listens to him and communicates him concretely as love.

The Holy Spirit communicates to the disciples all the truth and wealth of Jesus; he dwells in Jesus; “comes” into the community and when he is received renders the community partakers in Jesus’ love.

b) A few questions:

- A serious danger threatens the Christian community today. Are we not tempted to divide Jesus, following either a human Jesus who through his actions has changed history, or a glorious Jesus detached from his earthly existence and thus also from ours?
- Are we aware that Jesus is not just a historical example but also and above all the present Saviour? That Jesus is not just an object of contemplation and joy, but the Messiah whom we must follow and with whom we must collaborate?
- God is not an abstraction, but the Father made visible in Jesus. Are you committed to “seeing him” and recognising him in Jesus’ humanity?
- Do you listen to the voice of the Spirit of truth who communicates to you Jesus’ whole truth?

3. ORATIO

a) Psalm 103: Send your Spirit, Lord, to renew the earth

This is a joyful hymn of thanksgiving that invites us to meditate on humanity’s fall and God’s eternal mercy. After sin, sickness and death, comes the kind and loving action of God: he fills us with good things all our lives.

Bless Yahweh, my soul, 
from the depths of my being, 
his holy name;
bless Yahweh, my soul, 
never forget all his acts of kindness.

He forgives all your offences, 
cures all your diseases,
he redeems your life from the abyss, 
crowns you with faithful love and tenderness;
he contents you with good things all your life, 
renews your youth like an eagle's.

Yahweh acts with uprightness, 
with justice to all who are oppressed;
he revealed to Moses his ways, 
his great deeds to the children of Israel.

Yahweh is tenderness and pity, 
slow to anger and rich in faithful love;
his indignation does not last for ever, 
nor his resentment remain for all time;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve, 
nor repay us as befits our offences.
As tenderly as a father treats his children, 
so Yahweh treats those who fear him;
But Yahweh's faithful love for those who fear him 
is from eternity and for ever;

Bless Yahweh, all his angels, 
mighty warriors who fulfil his commands, 
attentive to the sound of his words.
Bless Yahweh, all his armies, 
servants who fulfil his wishes.
Bless Yahweh, all his works, 
in every place where he rules. 
Bless Yahweh, my soul.

b) Closing prayer:

Sprit of truth
You make us children of God,
so that we can approach the Father in trust.
Father, we turn to you
with one heart and one soul
and we ask you:
Father, send your Holy Spirit!
Send your Spirit upon the Church.
May every Christian grow in harmony with Christ’s love,
with the love of God and of neighbour.
Father, renew our trust
in the Kingdom that Jesus came to proclaim 
and to incarnate on earth.
Let us not be dominated by delusion
or be conquered by weariness.
May our communities be a leaven
That produces justice and peace
in our society.

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