by Jose Kurian Puliyeril

Gospel Reading: St. John 15: 20- 16: 15

In the first verse of today's reading our Lord reminds us to remember the word He has told us. What is that word? For argument sake we could say "No servant is greater than the master". But our Lord reminds us to stick on His blessed teaching to love each other. Are we not spreading messages of enmity and hatred instead of spreading His love and care? When we would try to analyze 'love' we must take 1 Corinthians 13: 1-12 as a guideline of love. In verse 22 we read, "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no choke for their sin". Can we say that our Lord will not say like this about us? How we could make so sure? Our Lord might be saying "I have redeemed them from the slavery of sins and death. Still their loyalty is to sin and sin again." When our Lord spoke to the people of His time and when His word was accepted by the good minds like the good fields in the parable of the sower, there occurred a feeling of sin in their minds. We are given with the free gift of Holy Spirit in us to guide us and to grant us good advice. In every moves, the Holy Spirit in us is giving advice like do this, don't do it etc. But how many of us could acknowledge to the Holy Spirit in us, as desired?

In St. John 16: 24, our Lord says, "Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name; ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full." In I John 1: 4 we read, "And we write these things unto you, that your joy may be full". Our Lord's wish and desire about us is that our joy must be full. Our Lord is making it clear that He never likes to see us all as sinners. Joy is an experience of being with the Holy Spirit. Our Lord God wants us all to remain in His spirit and enrich ourselves with the God given peace, happiness and joy. From the verse 25 onwards, our Lord is trying to make us understand more about the Holy Spirit. In Verses 2 and 27 we read, "But when the comforter is come, whom, I shall send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify me: and you also shall bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning." See our Lord uses 'comforter' for the Holy Spirit. When our Lord was about to ascend Heaven, He advised His followers and disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit, the promise of His Father. Our Lord added: You shall gain strength and be able to witness me all over the world. (Acts 1: 1-4) A team of about 120 waited with one mind and one prayer and they all were blessed with the abundant supply of the Holy Spirit. And this is why we the Christians are observing the Pentecost so importantly.