The Paraclete!

I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Paraclete will not come to you; but I will send him to you if I go. John 16:7

The Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

Paraclete is a Greek word that Jesus used for the Holy Spirit.   Paraclete has several meanings in English, such as "advocate", “counselor”, "intercessor", "teacher, "helper", and "comforter".  Meditate for a moment on each of those qualities. 

Isn't it true that we need one of these roles at any given moment in our life? The scripture passages above, tell us the primary role of the Paraclete is to make perfect sense of the teachings of Christ, to open our eyes to the Truth. 

At Jesus' request, the Father sent the Holy Spirit to energize the Church after he ascended.  At the event we call "Pentecost," the Apostles went from quivering wimps in hiding to fearless, enthusiastic teachers of the faith.  How?  What changed?  Just one thing, they received into themselves the Paraclete – the Holy Spirit.  Would our faith go from wimpy to bold if we welcomed the Holy Spirit into our lives? 

We recognize the Spirit's influence on people we know when we see it. If someone is full of life and energy, we say they are "spirited."  That’s the Spirit's role, to fill us with joy and enthusiasm because we understand the truth of Jesus’ teaching. Pray for that. Pray for the Spirit to fill you!

So, where does the Spirit lead us?  He leads us to the teachings of Jesus and opens our eyes to the truth of them. And what is the truth of his teachings?  Jesus tells us clearly - "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another."  John 13:34-35

That’s it!  It isn’t complicated. Our call is to love!  

So what does the love Jesus speaks of require from us?  This love, Jesus asks of us, requires that we be able to find good in everyone. And he truly means everyone: your family, your neighbor, and even your enemy. Love for your enemy who harmed you, love for your neighbor who dumps his lousy attitude on you; love for the parent who physically or mentally abused you and left you paralyzed in fear and low self-esteem; love for the child who neglects you; love for the lover or spouse who has betrayed your trust by seeking a self-indulgent relationship that leaves the very harmony of life in ruins; everyone! The call to love is simple yet amazingly challenging.

How do we achieve this kind of love?  Only with the help of ... The Paraclete!