John 16:12-15

Acts 17:15, 22-18:1

Psalm 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14

John 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:

“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.

But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,

he will guide you to all truth.

He will not speak on his own,

but he will speak what he hears,

and will declare to you the things that are coming.

He will glorify me,

because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

Everything that the Father has is mine;

for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine

and declare it to you.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I praise you for who you are and thank you for all you have done for me. You have created all things and guide them carefully to their ultimate end. You sent your Son to redeem me and your Spirit to sanctify me. You have done marvelous things and show, in all things, your love and mercy.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Guidance of the Spirit: The Gospel of John reminds us that it is the Holy Spirit who will guide us to all truth. When we are stubborn and reject the Spirit’s guidance, we abuse our freedom. However, when we allow ourselves to be guided by the Spirit, it is then that we are truly free. As Jesus says: “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). When we deviate from the moral law, we violate our own freedom, become imprisoned within ourselves, disrupt fellowship with our brothers and sisters, and rebel against divine truth (CCC, 1740). The grace of Christ and the Holy Spirit do not take away our freedom or act as a rival to our freedom. “On the contrary, … the more docile we are to the promptings of grace, the more we grow in inner freedom and confidence during trials… By the working of grace the Holy Spirit educates us in spiritual freedom in order to make us free collaborators in his work in the Church and in the world” (CCC, 1742).

2. The Speech of the Spirit: Jesus declares at the Last Supper that the Spirit will not speak on his own apart from the Father or the Son. Just as the Son speaks the words of the Father and reveals what the Father has revealed to him, so also the Spirit will speak “what he hears and will declare to you the things that are coming.” We see this action of the Holy Spirit especially in the prophets of Israel. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and all the other prophets were inspired by the Spirit to speak to Israel and Judah about their then-present situations but ultimately pointed forward to the Messianic age. And just as the Spirit inspired the Apostles, the Spirit continues to inspire us about our present but also points our gaze to the future. We need to be attentive to the voice of the Spirit and discern the good path that the Spirit opens up to us.

3. The Spirit Leads Us to Glory: The Spirit guides us and speaks to us with the goal of helping us attain a share in divine glory. Ultimately, this world was created for the glory of God. It is not the result of chaos or just one more world in a never-ending series. God did not create the world because he lacked something or needed something. He didn’t create the world because he was bored. “God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life” (CCC, 1). By allowing the Holy Spirit into our lives, we share in the glory of the Son and of the Father.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the true philosopher and lover of wisdom. You teach the truth about all things and the path that leads to true happiness. Welcome me into your school of wisdom and let me learn from you each day.

Living the Word of God: What do I place my happiness in? What do I pursue most in this short life? Money? Possessions? Health? Pleasure? Honor? Seeing the Face of God? How can I correct my pursuit of ultimate happiness?