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."...the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I
have said to you. "
One day a tribal found the
egg of an eagle in the forest. He took the egg home and hatched it along
with the other chicken eggs. The eaglet started growing up with the other
chicks. It started eating mud, pecking and hopping here and there like the
other chicks. But it never learned to fly like the eagle.
One day, as it was foraging for food from the ground, it saw an eagle
majestically soaring high in the sky. As the eaglet was admiring the
grandeur of this soaring eagle, the other chicks came and said to this
eaglet, “Look, that is the eagle –the king of the birds. You and I are
chickens. We cannot fly like that eagle.”
We are like that eaglet helplessly admiring the power in others when we
ourselves possess that power. Often, we land up in defeat, frustration and
failure because we are ignorant of the powers God has given us. We can do
marvelous things when we associate ourselves with God. St. Paul very
confidently said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
(Phil 4:13).”
In St. John 14, Jesus says "I shall ask the father and he shall give
you another advocate". The disciples were heartbroken that Jesus was
going away from them. They were troubled as to how they would face life in
the absence of Jesus. It is then that Jesus assured them that he would ask
the Father to send the advocate - the Holy spirit on them to be with them
forever. Jesus promised the coming of the counselor who is another
comforter to be with the faith community forever.
Being
Faithful in Love and obedience:
Jesus says, “if you love me, you will keep my commandments.” The
commandments refer to Jesus life and teachings. Faithfulness and total
allegiance to Jesus and his teachings is a mark of true discipleship.
Keeping the commandment is the ultimate expression of one’s love towards
Jesus. The disciples’ abiding in the Father's love is the result of
their love towards Christ. This mutual love between the disciples, Jesus
and the Father defines the future course of action. The intense
relationship and mutual abiding is clearly expressed when Jesus says, 'I am
in my Father, and you in me, and I in you’ (v. 20). This mutual indwelling
is the mark of Christian discipleship. The relationship with Christ is the
criterion for understanding their relationship with God.
Holy
Spirit: Presence of Christ in Continuum
The sending of the Comforter is a response to the Son's request. He is the
mediator between the Father and human beings. His love for his disciples is
the manifestation of the Father's love for the world (3:16,5:19). Jesus on
earth promises the sending of another Paraclete, who is to remain forever
with the disciple. This means that up to this time he himself was their
Paraclete (Counsellor), their companion and protector. The Comforter will
come to dwell with them. He will continue the work which began with Christ.
(v. 26). Since Jesus is the way, the life and the truth, the Spirit of
truth shares the work of Jesus. And it enables us to witness his
resurrection.
PRAYER
"Come Holy Spirit,
Fill the hearts of the
faithful
And renew the face of the
earth"
Amen.
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THOUGHT FOR THE
DAY
" Do not let your heart be
troubled, believe in God, believe also in me" John 14:1
Rev. Sonu Skariah Varghese.
Emmanuel MTC. Lubbock
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