The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us of the Spirit of Truth that leads us through times of difficult understanding.
Difficult truth
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles explains the rejection of Paul by the philosophers of Athens, when they heard of the resurrection of the dead.
* [17:22–31] In Paul’s appearance at the Areopagus he preaches his climactic speech to Gentiles in the cultural center of the ancient world. The speech is more theological than christological. Paul’s discourse appeals to the Greek world’s belief in divinity as responsible for the origin and existence of the universe. It contests the common belief in a multiplicity of gods supposedly exerting their powers through their images. It acknowledges that the attempt to find God is a constant human endeavor. It declares, further, that God is the judge of the human race, that the time of the judgment has been determined, and that it will be executed through a man whom God raised from the dead. The speech reflects sympathy with pagan religiosity, handles the subject of idol worship gently, and appeals for a new examination of divinity, not from the standpoint of creation but from the standpoint of judgment.1
Psalm 148 declares praise for God’s Universal Glory.
* [Psalm 148] A hymn inviting the beings of heaven (Ps 148:1–6) and of earth (Ps 148:7–14) to praise God. The hymn does not distinguish between inanimate and animate (and rational) nature.2
In the Gospel of John, we learn that the Spirit of Truth will take what is Jesus and declare it to us.
* [16:13] Declare to you the things that are coming: not a reference to new predictions about the future, but interpretation of what has already occurred or been said.3
Julie Kalkowski asks us to imagine how the disciples felt when Jesus said “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now”? After all they had just been through and then being told they would have to wait even longer to hear the rest of what Jesus had to share with them. How difficult that wait must have been for them.
We all need to do what we can where we are and trust that God will help us get to a place where all his children have enough to eat and can live without fear. How we get there will significantly challenge us, but already there are people working with unlikely allies to create solutions. This crossroads we are at gives us the opportunity to experiment, to try different ways to live together. May the Spirit of Truth guide us as we navigate theses tough choices to create a more equitable world. Then we will be able to transition into the time where we can bear what Jesus has to tell us. 4
Don Schwager quotes “The Spirit makes Christ known,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"He [the Holy Spirit] will make me clearly known by pouring love into the hearts of believers and making them spiritual and thus able to see that the Son whom they had known before only according to the flesh - and who they thought was only a man like themselves - was equal to the Father. Or at least, when his love filled them with boldness and cast out fear, they would proclaim Christ to men and women, and in this way they would spread Christ's fame throughout the whole world... For what they were going to do in the power of the Holy Spirit, this the Holy Spirit says he does himself." (excerpt from TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 100.1)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 16:12-15 comments that just as a seasoned teacher doesn’t try to cram too much information into one lesson, Jesus didn’t want to overwhelm his disciples. They were already feeling confused. Peter wondered why Jesus wanted to wash his feet (John 13:6-10). Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father (14:8). Jude didn’t understand why Jesus was going to “reveal” himself to them but not to the world (14:22). And several disciples wondered where Jesus was going and when they would ever see him again (14:5; 16:17).
The same holds true for us. In fact, not knowing everything has its advantages. It teaches us to turn to the Spirit for more wisdom and to lean on him when we feel weak and confused. God’s ways may not always make sense at first, but give it time and keep asking the Spirit to “guide you to all truth” (John 16:13). Be patient, and don’t get discouraged as you move through your faith journey. Remember that the Holy Spirit is at your side. He will reveal his wisdom to you a little bit at a time, allowing you to grow into holiness at just the right pace. “Come, Holy Spirit, and help me to know your ways more and more each day.”6
Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the understanding of the philosophers of Athens based in Stoicism. A few converts, including Dionysius, appear as inspiration in later works of pseudo Dionysius. Friar Jude reminds us that the Spirit of Truth reveals the Love of the Father and Son to us.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Mechthild of Magdeburg (c. 1212–c. 1282), a member of the Beguines, lay women who lived communal lives of Christian devotion and service in the Low Countries of Western Europe and in France and Germany.
Describing the soul’s relationship with God, [Mechthild] marvels at “the powerful penetration of all things and the special intimacy which ever exists between God and each individual soul.” (Flowing Light 3.1) . . . The paradox enchants her: God is everywhere and surely, therefore, impersonal; and yet in relation to the individual soul, God is entirely intimate and surely, therefore, personal.7
Our incomplete understanding opens an opportunity to invite the Spirit of Truth to love us through difficult truths and situations.
References
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