Jn. 14:15-21
When it is a question of God’s almighty Spirit, never say, “I can’t.” (Oswald Chamber)
In the gospel passage, we see that when Jesus was telling about his departure, the hearts of the disciples were heavily saddened. However, Jesus assures them of the indwelling presence and the companionship of the Holy Spirit with them, saying, “I will not leave you orphaned.” We can’t live out our discipleship without the assistance of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who helps us to live in the presence and awareness of Jesus.
It is the Holy Spirit who helps each and every disciple grow into the awareness that they are not alone in their faith journey. The presence of the Holy Spirit leads us to the realisation that we are called to live in communion with the Holy Trinity, which was initiated at the sacrament of baptism and rejuvenated at the sacrament of confirmation. It is the Spirit who helps us understand the inseparable union between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When we rely on the Holy Spirit constantly, we will dwell deep in the awareness that we too are called to enter into this Trinitarian Communion. The indwelling Spirit empowers us to remain faithful to the commandment given by Jesus and strengthens our will to follow it.
We received the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit as a free gift. We lost the grace of the Spirit when Adam and Eve committed sin. It was the meritorious sacrifice of Christ that brought back the grace of the Holy Spirit. In today’s first reading taken from the first letter of St. Peter, we read: “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit.” (1Pet.3:18) And the first reading testifies to the importance of the Holy Spirit in our faith journey, quoting the story of the Samaritan Church, which, though they accepted the Word of God, became fully alive when Peter and John went there and laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
As we reflect on this gospel passage, let us be aware of the significant role of the Holy Spirit in our faith journey. We can’t live out our Christian witness without the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who leads us to the depths of the Trinitarian Communion and assists us in growing into the awareness that we are not alone in our life journey. Though we can’t experience the physical presence of Christ with us, the Spirit, the helper provided by Jesus, would help us to experience Jesus’ sacramental presence and be strengthened by the Trinitarian communion that we are called to grow into. Let us prepare well for the feast of Pentecost and awaken the Holy Spirit in us so that we may grow as effective, fruitful disciples of Christ.