THE ADVOCATE IS COMING.

MAY 17 2020: SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER - A

A Namibian proverb says, “A warrior does not let a friend face danger alone.” And another Zimbabwean proverb adds, “Those who eat alone, die alone.”
Easter season, besides pointing our minds and hearts on the rejoicing for the Resurrection of Christ, is also a time of separation and expectation. It is a time of separation because the Risen Lord won’t ever again be with his disciples the way he was with them before his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. The Lord will have to return to where he came from, to his Father and our Father. That is what we will be celebrating at the coming solemnity of the Ascension. At the same time, Easter becomes a time of preparation for a coming. We have to prepare ourselves to welcome the promised Paraclete, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. For two weeks, from now, all the readings in the liturgy will point to the Holy Spirit, and today’s celebration opens us to that expectation.
The main melody of today’s liturgy is sung by the Holy Spirit, the promised. The Lord Jesus in the Gospel openly expresses it while preparing spiritually and psychologically his disciples for the separation. He says, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always…” After Jesus will depart from his disciples, they will not be left alone, without support and advocate. The mission of the Spirit is well indicated in the words of the Lord, and these words are very comforting. Jesus tells his followers, “I will not leave you orphans…” Then, for the disciples to preserve that continual relationship with the Lord, he exhorts them to keep his commandments, mainly the commandment of love.
The promised Paraclete is the one who gives strength and motion to the Apostles in the first reading. The apostolic endeavor of Philip and the others are filled with the presence of the Spirit, and Peter can attest to it.
Moving under the guidance of the Spirit, St. Peter, in his Pastoral letter, exhorts us to give reverence to Christ in all that we do. As Christians, he says, you must “always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.”
The Christian life is not without trials and crosses or tribulations. Our oppressors might surely abuse us. We will face trials, misunderstandings, mistreatments, rejections, and many kinds of adversities. But we are guaranteed of one thing, we will not be left alone. The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete will always be with us. And even more, our oppressors will be put to shame.
As Christ-followers, we must be happy, if, while doing the good, people oppress and oppose us, Peter says. “For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.”
We are still in the Easter season. Let us remember the reason why Jesus our Lord died. It was simply because he was doing the good, sharing God’s love, preaching the truth and fighting for the right of the outcasts and marginalized, the poor. Evildoers, those who abuse the poor and violate the rights of the less fortunate will always oppose he who wants to instore righteousness. The just will always be seen as an enemy by the unrighteous. Nevertheless, this must not constitute a reason for the righteous one to start opposing evil to evil or stop doing what is right and good. “Do good to everyone, always do good, never harm anyone!” the great St. Luigi Orione, could say. No matter what you might get in return, you, do good. The Spirit, the Advocate will defend you in God’s tribunal for your goodness and confuse the evildoers who oppose you.
This present situation of the Wuhan Virus in which the world is immersed is the right time for us, Christians, not only to know that, we are not left alone, but also to show signs of goodness and love, expressed through concern for the needy and acts of charity. God's Spirit of Love is on His way.
Another thing very interesting about the Holy Spirit, is the attribute Jesus uses to speak of Him: “the Spirit of truth.” And Jesus adds, “whom the world cannot accept”. We live in a world built upon so many falsehood and fake news, that we hardly can accept the truth. The coming of the Spirit of God will bring about a great confusion. People whose life is made of falsehood, our social values which in reality are counter-values, and everything fake or false that we care for or nourish will come to light. There is a great revolution coming up. And we Christians, must be instruments of that revolution; the revolution of truth. For, our world needs the truth. And it is only through knowing the truth that we will all be set free from the chains of falsehood where we are retained slaves (Jn 8:32).

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