Jesus reveals the Spirit will guide His men to the Truth of God. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by seeking the Virtue of Hope so he can trust the Divine King to protect His Church from error and by building the Virtue of Prayer so he can battle against sin by receiving the Desires of the Spirit.
Liturgy
6th Week of Easter – Wednesday – Jn 16:12-15
Commentary
Jesus continues His Farewell Discourse (Jn 13:31-16:33) in Jerusalem during Holy Week, preparing the Apostles for their mission after His departure. After revealing He will send the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit will help the disciples lead many to Him, Jesus reaffirms the reality of the Trinity and offers His final teaching on how the Holy Spirit will bless and fortify His men with His words.
Despite their preparation by Jesus for multiple years, the Apostles remain simply men, and Jesus knows they do not have the human capacity to absorb (“cannot bear”) everything He could explain to them; they are anxious, cannot conceive of, or face the reality of Jesus’ coming Passion, and have not yet received the Holy Spirit. Rather than rebuke them for their weakness in the face of turmoil, Jesus encourages them by once again promising He will send the Holy Spirit to them after He departs. The Holy Spirit will guide the Apostles to truth, helping Jesus’ Gospel penetrate and reside in their souls, fortifying them to resist the evil lies Satan will invoke (Jn 8:44) in an attempt to cause the Apostles to doubt.
Jesus reveals the Holy Spirit does not speak on His own authority, but only says what He is told to say by God the Father and the Son. By speaking the words of the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit glorifies them. Jesus has been given the Gospel by God the Father, and like Jesus, the Holy Spirit will proclaim Jesus’ Gospel without error to the Apostles, and men specifically called by Jesus to build His Kingdom in the future.
Be awed by Jesus Christ
Be grateful and encouraged by Jesus, Person of the Trinity: with Divine Generosity (a part of Justice), Jesus has given the astounding gift of the Holy Spirit to every Catholic man at his Baptism and Confirmation; Jesus has given the Spirit to each man to guide him to grasp the fullness of the His Truth; Jesus’ gift of the Holy Spirit is a supernatural indwelling reality that can draw a man closer to God, and can powerfully change a man’s life on earth, and his eternal destiny.
Trust the Divine King to protect His Church from error
Realize: Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guarantee that the Holy Catholic Church will never corrupt His Gospel; every Catholic man can rest in the assurance by Christ that the Holy Catholic Church remains the steadfast and only source for the fullness of saving Truth and is protected from error.
Believe: Marvel at Christ’s protection of His Church (CCC 767-768, 888-892).
Pray: Jesus, Divine King, help me build the Virtue of Hope so I always trust that You continue to rule over Your Holy Catholic Church and have sent the Holy Spirit to ensure Your priests heroically proclaim the fullness of Your Gospel and to protect them to never fall into heresy and error.
Battle sin and pray for the Desires of the Spirit
Realize: Like the Apostles, every Catholic man needs the Holy Spirit to help them overcome sin and to fill them with a fervent desire to continually grow closer to God.
Believe: Reflect upon Mortal and Venial Sin (CCC 1849-1876) and the Desires of the Spirit (CCC 2541-2543).
Pray: Almighty Father, help me build the Virtue of Prayer (a part of Justice) so I beg the Holy Spirit every day to remove spiritual barriers from my heart including lust, gluttony, sloth, anger, pride, envy and greed, and fill my heart with the righteous Desires of the Spirit.