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." (John
16:12-15)
Introductory Prayer: Lord, as I begin this prayer I offer
you my whole self: my thoughts, desires, decisions, actions, hopes, fears,
weaknesses, failures and petty successes. I open my entire being to you, aware
that you know everything already. I’m certain of your mercy and of the
purifying power of your penetrating, loving gaze.
Petition: Lord, allow me to be sincerely and
truthfully yours.
1. Bearing the Truth Jesus tells his apostles he has many
more things to tell them, but it seems that they are not yet ready to accept the
truth. They were not ready, for one thing, to acknowledge the fact that in a
few short hours all of them would flee before the prospect of the Cross,
leaving Christ quite alone. I, too, may find it hard to see, or to accept, a
realistic picture of my relationship with Christ or my state of soul. I may
justify myself or my indifference with any number of psychological
consolations. I might convince myself that I am not quite as bad off as
so-and-so. Perhaps I put up an excellent external show, living all the motions,
but with little true conviction and sincerity.
2. Holy Spirit, Guide of Truth In our consumer-oriented world,
first impressions often seem to count more than the goodness or evil of a
thing. Opinion polls appear to set the standard for right and wrong, and a
false idea of tolerance is a highly held ideal. Truth can be seen as bluntly
offensive, and so it is repackaged in a more appealing way. However, none of
these attempts by the “spirit of the world” can ever succeed in the end, just
as no amount of darkness can ever stop the smallest beam of light. The Holy
Spirit is at work in the world declaring the truth loud and clear in the depths
of the human soul. Only the truth -- which comes from Christ -- has the power
to bring true peace and joy to the human heart when all illusions are shown up
as such.
3. Living the Truth As Christians we must be on guard
against the spirit of insincerity. No one who lives outside the truth can claim
to be a disciple of Christ. Little falsehoods in our lives are utterly
destructive to the action of the “Spirit of Truth” in our souls. Our Savior
never spoke out so strongly against anything as he did against the pretended
righteousness of the leaders of his time. How many things have I done recently
just to be praised by others? How many good things have I done which are known
to God alone? Am I capable of standing firm to my convictions in the face of
misunderstanding or ridicule?
Conversation with
Christ: Jesus, the
example of your life and death is one of complete honesty. Empower me through
the “Spirit of Truth” to be sincere in all that I do before God and others.
Resolution: I will ask
forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation at the first available
opportunity for any insincerities in my life
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