Reflection
Today’s gospel reading from the Chapter 16 of John’s gospel is a continuation of a series of chapters entitled Last Supper Discourses that are inserted between the end of the Last Supper in Chapter 13 and the arrest of Jesus in Chapter 18. John spends these chapters summarizing all of Jesus’ teachings as he continues the preparation of his disciples for the confusion, frustration, suffering and sense of abandonment that they are about to experience during his passion, death and resurrection and the days and weeks that follow.
The Last Supper Discourses anticipate the anxiety and uncertainty that each of the disciples still had to come to terms with. Even as he tells them that he must leave them to go back to the Father who sent him, he tries to reassure them telling them that “it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate (Holy Spirit) will not come to you.” (Jn 16:7) This is the fourth of five times in the Discourses that Jesus refers to the coming of the Advocate. In this particular instance he alludes to the work of the Advocate when he comes. The Advocate will “convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation”.
The reference to sin is to those who hear the word but do not believe and follow Jesus’ teachings. They are the closed-minded and hard-hearted who he has so often referred to in his teachings. They include those of us who have turned our backs on the teachings of our faith in our times of weakness and vulnerability. However, once convicted, the Advocate will lead us back to the path that the Lord has laid out for us on our journey to the Father in heaven. We need never lose hope of seeing the Father if we accept the graces of the Advocate and return to the path that Jesus clearly laid out for us.
The reference to righteousness concerns Jesus’ coming passion, death and resurrection which is the ultimate fulfillment of his earthly ministry, whereafter he will return to the Father. How often in his teachings did Jesus remind us that he is the way to the Father and that there is no other way.
“Where I am going you know the way”. (John 14:4) Even at that Thomas still asks “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).
Here again, Jesus is trying to assure his disciples that the Advocate will come to reinforce his teachings and to encourage them to follow in his footsteps. These are words of encouragement and hope. Ultimately, these words will light the fires of faith in their hearts that will lead them to the furthest extents of the known world to preach his word. The Advocate will also create the zeal that inspires Paul and Silas to pray and sing hymns even as they were imprisoned as we see in today’s first reading.
The reference to condemnation is to the “ruler (sin) of this world” which will be convicted by the Advocate. The Advocate will grace us with the ugly truth about our own sin and through Jesus’ righteousness show us the path to forgiveness, restoration and the hope of resurrection and salvation.
In 12 days, the Church will once again celebrate the coming of the Advocate that he promised to send his disciples (us). Let us pray with great anticipation for this celebration that we will be attentive to the conviction of sin, righteousness and condemnation that the Advocate will bring upon us in his quest to once again show us the way to the Father.
May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts!
