Early in John’s Gospel, Jesus is introduced as the incarnate word of God, filled with grace and truth. “Truth” is an important concept in John’s Gospel, and for Christians. “He who practices the truth comes to the Light”. “The truth will make you free”, the Lord teaches. “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. That’s not to say that Christians should have nothing to do with the world of science. Science, as we know it grew out of Catholic Europe. Many of the important scientific discoveries were made by Catholics. We can thank the Catholic intellectual tradition for the modern scientific method.
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.
Ignorance of God and his ways keeps us from the blessedness for which we were created. Moral error keeps us from loving God and loving our neighbor as we should.
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, which mars the mind and soul of the human person. The weakening of the will—darkening of the intellect through sin—is healed and reversed—when we live the truth of the Gospel.
The Second Vatican Council document, Gaudium et Spes, put it like this: without the knowledge of God, man remains an unsolved puzzle to himself. Only in light of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light, and it is only Christ by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His Love, that fully reveals man to himself and makes his supreme calling clear.
A culture that does not know him will become depraved, a government that does not acknowledge Him will always be misguided and devolved into tyranny or anarchy, the soul which does not profess Him as Lord will be lost.
And how many of our family, and coworkers, and countrymen do not know Christ, do not know him really. The Holy Spirit—the Spirit of truth—is sent down upon us, that we may make Christ known. That through us the Spirit of Truth will guide men to all truth—the Truth of Christ—for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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For an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit among all Christians, and that the Spirit of Truth may be enkindled in all those who do not believe, the lukewarm, and those who have fallen away from the Church.
That during this month of May, Christians may turn to Mary, Mother of the Church, seeking her aid and imploring her intercession with increased and fervent devotion, especially by praying the Holy Rosary. Let us pray to the Lord.
For the sick, the suffering, those in nursing homes, hospitals, and hospice care, for the underemployed and unemployed, for the imprisoned, those with addictions, for those undergoing surgery, those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, that the Spirit of Consolation may comfort them.
For the deceased members of our families, friends and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all those who fought and died for our freedom.
O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.
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