“When he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.
“Truth” is an important concept in John’s Gospel, and for Christians. “He who practices the truth comes to the Light” the Lord says. “The truth will make you free” “I am the way, the Truth, and the life”. “My flesh is true food, my blood is true drink”. Those who believe in jesus will be known by God as true worshippers, who worship in Spirit and Truth. “Quid est veritas?” asks Pontius Pilate. What is truth?
The Gospel notion is truth is not the same as the accumulation of scientific fact. The sending of the Holy Spirit isn’t so that we can understand quantum physics better or how an air conditioner works.
But when the Lord speaks of the truth that “makes you free” he’s not talking about scientific knowledge. Rather, he’s speaking about the truth that frees us from moral, theological, and spiritual evil—the light of truth which frees us from darkness of sin and death.
The truth Jesus speaks of—the truth that sets us free—is not merely informational, it is transformational. It’s not just something we know; it’s someone we follow. Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” To live in the truth, then, is to live in union with Him—to see reality as it really is, to understand who we are, what we are made for, and how we are to live.
And because the Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of Truth,” He helps us not only to recognize the truth but to remember it, to live it, and to proclaim it. He strengthens our consciences, enlightens our minds, and gives us courage to witness to the truth in a world that often prefers comfortable lies.
Living in the truth frees us from the slavery of sin—because once we know the truth about our dignity, about the mercy of God, about the purpose of life, we can no longer be content with mediocrity or the chains of sin and addiction. Truth makes us hunger for holiness.
About three and a half centuries after the Gospel of John was written, St. Augustine wrote “Victoria Veritatis est caritas”—”the victory of truth is love”. Through Christ, God conquers the darkness of error which debilitates us and divides us from the life of God.
May the Truth of Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, bring victory in our lives and in our mission for the spread of the Gospel, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
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Knowing that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth who guides us, strengthens us, and sets us free, we offer our prayers to God with confidence:
For the Church, that she may always be a faithful teacher of the truth, leading all people into union with Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
For those who govern nations and influence public life, that they may seek truth and justice in all their decisions and uphold the dignity of every human person
For those caught in the chains of sin, confusion, or addiction, that the truth of Jesus Christ may free them and restore them to new life
For our young people on summer vacation, that they may be kept safe from the poison of sin and strive to live in the freedom and truth of Christ.
For the sick, the ill, the poor and afflicted, that the truth of God’s love, closeness, and mercy may abound in their lives and give them meaning and strength.
For the faithful departed, that they who strove to live by the truth may now behold the glory of God face to face
Father of Truth, hear the prayers of your people. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may we live in the truth that sets us free and walk always in your light. Through Christ our Lord.
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