Gospel (Jn 16:12-15)

Jesus said to his disciples:

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

Commentary

The four verses in today’s Gospel passage have a rich theological content. Some aspects of the mystery of the Holy Trinity are revealed, such as the equality of the three divine Persons. Everything the Father has belongs to the Son, and everything the Son has belongs to the Father. Moreover, the Holy Spirit possesses what is common to the Father and the Son, namely, the divine nature.

Our Lord also refers to the Holy Spirit as the one who will guide them into the fulness of the truth.

Certainly, the apostles already knew Christ and had even been sent out by Him to preach in his name. We Christians too know Christ, at least to some extent. But as Pope Benedict told the young people gathered at World Youth Day in Cologne, “religion often becomes almost a consumer product. People choose what they like, and some are even able to make a profit from it. But religion sought on a ‘do-it-yourself’ basis cannot ultimately help us. It may be comfortable, but at times of crisis we are left to ourselves. Help people to discover the true star which points out the way to us: Jesus Christ! Let us seek to know him better and better, so as to be able to guide others to him with conviction. This is why love for Sacred Scripture is so important, and in consequence, it is important to know the faith of the Church which opens up for us the meaning of Scripture. It is the Holy Spirit who guides the Church as her faith grows, causing her to enter ever more deeply into the truth” (Homily, 21 August 2005).