The Lord’s Farewell follows the example of the farewell speeches of the great men and women from the Old Testament: people like Jacob, Moses, David, Tobit, Noah, Rebecca, Isaac, and Enoch. Addressing those who are closest to them, they speak about their impending deaths, and offer comfort in the face of the grief their announcement produces. They promise how after the departure, their deaths, God’s care and God’s saving plan will continue. And they leave instructions on how those left behind should behave.
The Lord’s farewell speech fits this pattern well: he speaks about his coming crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension to the Father, and offers instructions for his disciples: they are to love one another, by following his example of humble self-sacrificial service.
On this fourth Sunday after Easter, the Gospel is taken from a portion of the Lord’s Last Supper farewell discourse in which is explanation his news of his going to the Father so fills the disciples hearts with sadness that they are rendered speechless. “I have spoken these things to you, and sorrow has filled your heart”. Then the Lord then makes an astonishing claim that it’s even hard for us to understand. He says that it’s better for everyone that he does go than if he stayed on earth.
He must go, he explains, that the Holy Spirit may descend and usher in the final age—the end chapter in God’s Saving Plan in which the world will become convicted of the Gospel.
The Lord uses a fascinating title for the Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity. The Lord calls him, in Greek, the parakletos, the paraclete—a word having legal connotations, sometimes even translated as Counselor or Advocate, titles given to lawyers. One the Paraclete comes, he will act as a sort of defense attorney, to prove the case for Jesus Christ. The Paraclete will defend Christ’s claim to be God, to be the Messiah, to be the Savior. And this legal case will take place on the world stage over the course of the remainder of human history. And the evidence with which the Spirit will use to prove Christ’s case, is us, the Church.
You want to proof that Jesus Christ is truly God and Lord? Look at the evidence produced by the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church. Look at the courage of the martyrs; look at the saints he has produced, look at their miracles. Look at the unity he has brought among the disparate people of the world who accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Look at the patience and joy and understanding and knowledge he gives to ordinary people who pray.
The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, helps us convince—to convict—the world about the error of sin, and the travesty of not believing and following Jesus. He helps us prove to the world that God is real and Jesus is worth following. He helps us learn our faith, that we may teach it and preach it with clarity and conviction. And arranges opportunities for us to share the faith with those who yearn for truth and righteousness. The Paraclete even helps to convince us to turn away from the sins that still linger in us, the destructive habits, the behaviors and attitudes, that are incompatible with the Christian way. For the enemy is a sort of lawyer too that will use our sins and selfishness as counterpoints. But, as Bishop Perez used to say, the Spirit works through us and sometimes even in spite of us, thanks be to God.
Over half a million adults became Catholic at Easter this year. The Holy Spirit, through the preaching of the Church, through the faithfulness of Catholics like ourselves, drew them, guided them to the truth of Christ.
May we continue to cooperate with the Spirit’s work to convict the world, giving evidence to the truths of our faith by the integrity of our lives for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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