Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me? (John 14:9)
Philip didn’t see the whole picture. Even though he had spent several years with Jesus, he still didn’t understand who Jesus was. He didn’t grasp that when he looked at Jesus, he was seeing a perfect image of God the Father.
Of course, we can’t blame Philip for his confusion. So much about God is a mystery to us—and it will remain a mystery until the day when we meet him face-to-face.
Like Philip, you may have been following Jesus for a long time. But however long or short it’s been, what would you say if he were to ask you, “Do you know me?”
On one level, the answer is an obvious yes. You believe in Jesus. He is your Redeemer, the One who has won your forgiveness through the cross. He is your risen Savior, who is with you always, filling you with his Holy Spirit.
But on another level, the answer for each of us is also no. We all can come to know Jesus more deeply. You may have a glimpse of his love today, but that vision can grow brighter tomorrow and the next day. You may have experienced his mercy yesterday, but doubts may linger over whether he can ever forgive that sin you committed years ago. You may believe that his Spirit is with you but underestimate his power to change you and guide you.
So how do you get to know Jesus better? It doesn’t happen all at once. It takes time, over days, months, and years, as you keep drawing closer to him. Each day as you spend time with him in prayer, your relationship with him deepens. Each time you receive Communion or confess your sins, you touch Jesus in real tangible ways. Each time you put aside your agenda to help someone else, you draw closer to him.
Just like Philip and James, you could say that the whole purpose of your life is to keep growing in your friendship with Jesus. But it’s not all your work. As you draw close to the Lord, he will draw close to you (James 4:8). So continue to reach out to Jesus. Trust that you can come to know, ever more deeply, the love of the Father in the Person of his Son.
Right here, right now, stop and proclaim it out loud: God so loved.
Everything that proceeds from God originates in love. It is who he is. He loved so much that his love overflowed and spoke creation into existence. It continued to overflow and cascaded onto fallen creation, onto sinful men and women, onto you. God so loves you, and neither sin nor brokenness can obstruct that flow. He wants you to be with him, always and forever. And so, God so loved the world . . . that he gave his only-begotten Son.
He gave his very heart, Jesus, to the world. He sent his Son to be a sacrifice for all the sin that separates us from him—a sacrifice that we could never make on our own. He sent his Son to us so that we might know what love looks like: a love so powerful that it infuses new life into cold or hard or wounded hearts. God so loved that he gave his all, for you . . . so that everyone who believes in him . . . Believe that Jesus died for you, personally. Believe that Jesus loves you even when you feel ashamed or unworthy of his love. Believe that nothing you have done, or failed to do, can ever change that truth. Believe that he will strengthen you in your weakness. Believe that he will forgive your every sin. Believe that his perfect love casts out all fear. Stake your life on it. Consciously choose to believe it, especially in the face of doubt, fear, or failure. God so loves you! So that you. . . might not perish but might have eternal life.
You have nothing to fear. Death no longer has power over you. When your life ends here on earth, God will be right there, ready to carry you to his eternal dwelling place. He will say to you, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). You are my delight (Isaiah 62:4). Now enter my kingdom and live forever.”
“Father, thank you for loving me and for sending your only Son, Jesus, so that I might share in your life forever.”
Returning to his home in Nazareth after his baptism in the Jordan, Jesus solemnly applies the words of Isaiah to himself:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19)
It was thanks to the anointing of the Holy Spirit that Jesus preached the good news, healed the sick, comforted the afflicted, and performed all his works of mercy. St. Basil writes that the Holy Spirit was “inseparably present” with Jesus so that his “every operation was wrought with the co-operation of the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit, who is love personified in the Trinity, is also the mercy of God personified. He is the very “content” of divine mercy. Without the Holy Spirit, “mercy” would be an empty word.
The name “Paraclete” clearly indicates this. In announcing his coming, Jesus says, “And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever” (John 14:16). “Another” here implies “after having given me, Jesus, to you.” The Holy Spirit is, therefore, the one through whom the risen Jesus now continues his work of “doing good and healing all” (Acts 10:38). The statement that the Paraclete “will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14) also applies to mercy: the Holy Spirit will open the treasures of Jesus’ mercy to believers in every age. He will make Jesus’ mercy not just be remembered but also experienced.
The Paraclete is active above all in the sacrament of mercy, Confession. “He is the remission of all sins,” says one of the Church’s prayers. Because of that, before giving absolution to a penitent, a confessor says, “God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace.”
Some Church Fathers considered the oil the Samaritan poured on the wounds of the man who was robbed to be a symbol of the Holy Spirit. A beautiful African-American spiritual expresses this thought with the evocative image of the balm in Gilead: “There is a balm in Gilead, / to heal the sin-sick soul /. . . . / to make the wounded whole.” Gilead is a place mentioned in the Old Testament that was famous for its perfumed healing ointment (see Jeremiah 8:22). Listening to this song we could almost imagine a street vendor shouting out a list of his merchandise and their prices. The whole Church should be this “street vendor.” The balm the Church offers today is no longer the medicinal ointment of Gilead; it is the Holy Spirit.
An essential work of the Holy Spirit with respect to mercy is also that of changing the picture people have in their minds of God after they sin. One of the causes—perhaps the main one—for the alienation of people today from religion and faith is the distorted image they have of God. It is also the cause of a lifeless Christianity that has no enthusiasm or joy and is lived out more as a duty than as a gift, by constraint rather than by attraction.
People unconsciously link God’s will to everything that is unpleasant and painful, to what in one way or another is seen as destroying individual freedom and development. It is as though God were the enemy of every celebration, joy, and pleasure. People do not take into account that in the New Testament, the will of God is called “eudokia” (see Ephesians 1:9; Luke 2:14), meaning, goodwill, kindness.” When we pray, “May your will be done,” it is really like saying, “Fulfill in me, Father, your plan of love.” Mary said her fiat with that attitude, and so did Jesus.
The first thing the Holy Spirit does when he comes to dwell in us is to reveal a different face of God to us. He shows him to us as an ally, as a friend, as the one who “did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all” (Romans 8:32). In brief, the Holy Spirit shows us a very tender Father who has given us the law not to stifle our freedom but to protect it. A filial sentiment then arises that makes us spontaneously cry, “Abba, Father.” It is like saying, “I did not know you, or I knew you only from hearing about you. Now I know you, I know who you are, and I know that you truly wish good for me and that you look upon me with favor!” A son or daughter has now replaced a servant; love has replaced fear. This is what happens on the subjective and existential level when a person is “born anew of the Spirit” (see John 3:5, 7-8).
This is a selection from The Gaze of Mercy, by Raniero Cantalamessa (The Word Among Us Press, 2011).
The community of believers was of one heart and mind. (Acts 4:32)
Why did the early Christians decide to share all that they had with one another? The short answer is the Holy Spirit. After Pentecost, the followers of Jesus decided to place everything in common—property, possessions, and money—so that no one would suffer from lack. Motivated by love, they wanted to make sure that personal possessions posed no stumbling blocks to their unity.
God wants us to live in unity as well—in unity with our spouses, in our families, and in our parishes. We know that this can be hard to attain, even when we earnestly desire it. It can be so easy, even if we don’t intend it, to place our needs and wants above other people’s or to see things only from our own perspective.
That’s why it’s good to ask ourselves, Where can there be more unity in my life? Maybe an estranged relationship with an adult child or a coworker comes to mind. It could be that you have a gnawing issue in your marriage. Maybe you see divisions at work or among the people in your parish.
Once you have settled on a situation, take a few moments to pray for unity. Even a simple prayer such as “Come, Holy Spirit; bring us together in unity” can make a difference. Then, quiet yourself and try to listen to what God may say to you. Maybe he’ll encourage you to be more attentive to your spouse’s concerns. He may give you a fresh perspective on a troubling relationship at work. He may even prompt you to do something to bring two parties together—over a meal or in a conversation. He is creative, so just try to be open!
We probably aren’t called to live the way the early Christians did, but we can still strive to have “one heart and mind” with one another (Acts 4:32). We will never achieve perfect unity in this life, but as we pray, the Spirit will give us a greater desire for it—and show us what we can do to help make it happen.
“Holy Spirit, show me how I can be an instrument of unity in the lives of those around me.”
Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church (Memorial)
Enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness. (Acts 4:29)
Peter and John had just spent the night in jail for healing a man who couldn’t walk. The next morning, authorities released them after sternly warning them never again to proclaim Jesus. So what did they do? Return to the Christian community and pray—not for protection, but for courage to continue.
Boldness is one of the key signs of holiness Pope Francis identifies in his apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate. He praises “the freedom of a life open to God and to others” (129). That sounds great, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t we all like a bit more boldness? But this can also sound daunting, especially if we tend to be timid or private about our faith.
Well, did you know that you already have the spiritual gift of courage?
To help explain this, the Holy Father gives us a new take on a familiar image. You’ve probably seen the famous painting of Jesus knocking on a closed door (from Revelation 3:20). Pope Francis invites us to reverse the image. Jesus, who dwells within us through Baptism, is knocking on the inside of our heart’s door. He wants to be let out into the world around us so that his love can touch and transform the people we meet. As Pope Francis says, “We are weak, yet we hold a treasure that can enlarge us and make those who receive it better and happier” (131).
God confirmed this truth when he shook the room where Peter and John and the other disciples prayed for courage. They had just been released from prison for proclaiming Christ boldly, and after praying they went out and continued to proclaim him boldly. They had what was required; they just needed to act on it.
This same gift of boldness lives in you through the Holy Spirit. So put it to use. Start thinking in a fresh way about the opportunities you have to make Jesus better known. It can be as simple as taking that one small brave step to open the door for Jesus. Look at one stranger in the eye and ask his name. Do just one unexpected act of kindness. Watch for just one opportunity to pray with someone for comfort or healing. You will see how God affirms each act of boldness!
“Lord, thank you for the gift of boldness. Help me to remain confident in you today.”
