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. My Truth Before
God: 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. Cheap Deceptions: 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 in 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
insincerity in my life.
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