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Illustration: Raphael’s c. 1518 painting of Prophet Ezekiel’s vision of God the Father in glory
Pope Francis’s morning Mass in the Chapel of Santa Marta
where he lived during his papacy.
Sunday, 17 May 2020
“The Holy Spirit reminds us how to access the Father”
John 14:15-21
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you.
“I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also.
In that day you will know that I am in my Father and you in me, and I in you.
He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
Pope Francis’ Homily
In his farewell address to the disciples, Jesus promises them peace of mind with the assurance, “I will not leave you as orphans” (John 14:18).
He protects them from the painful feeling of being orphaned.
Today, many people have material wealth, yet the Father is absent, creating a widespread sense of orphanhood.
Throughout history, this has been repeated: when the Father is absent, something is missing, and there is always a desire to find him again.
This desire is evident even in ancient myths.
Consider the stories of Oedipus and Telemachus, for example, who are always searching for their missing fathers.
Today, we can say that we live in a society lacking a sense of belonging and fraternity, a state of orphanhood.
This is why Jesus promised: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete” (v. 16). “
Jesus says, “I am leaving, but another will come and teach you access to the Father.
He will remind you of access to the Father.”
The Holy Spirit does not come to “make clients for himself “.
Rather, he comes to provide access to the Father and to remind us of this access, which Jesus made possible. Jesus made access to the Father visible.
There is no no such thing as the spirituality of the Son or the Holy Spirit alone; the center is the Father.
The Son was sent by the Father and will return to him. The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father to remind us of and teach us about our access to the Father.
Only with this awareness can we live in peace with one another, like children who are not orphans.
All Wars, both small and great, always have an orphaned dimension.
The Father who makes peace is absent.
For this reason, when Peter tells the first community to explain to others why they are Christians,
he says, “Do it with gentleness and reverence, and keep your conscience clear” (1 Pet. 3:16).
In other words, be meek, as the Holy Spirit gives you.
(1 Peter 3:14-18 – even if you do suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed.
Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than for doing wrong. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit),
“I will ask the Father, and he will send you another Paraclete” (John 14:16) who will remind us that we have a Father who is the center and origin of all things, as well as the source of our unity and salvation, because he sent his Son to save us.
Now he sends the Holy Spirit to remind us of our access to him, and to the Father.
This fatherhood inspires a fraternal attitude of meekness, gentleness, and peace.
Let us ask the Holy Spirit to remind us always of our access to the Father and to remind us that we have a Father.
May he give this orphaned civilization the grace to find the Father—the Father who gives meaning to all life and unites us as one family.
The Holy Spirit does not teach us to insult.
Insult and war are consequences of a sense of orphanhood because without a Father, there are no brothers and sisters, and brotherhood is lost.
Gentleness, respect, and meekness are the attitudes of belonging to a family that knows it has a Father.
“I will ask the Father, and he will send you another Paraclete” (Jn 14:16) who will remind us that we have a Father who is the center and origin of all things, the source of unity and salvation, because he sent his Son to save us.
Now, he sends the Holy Spirit to remind us of our access to him and to the Father.
This fatherhood inspires a fraternal attitude of meekness, gentleness, and peace.
Let us ask the Holy Spirit to remind us always of our access to the Father and that we have a Father.
May he grant this orphaned civilization the grace to find the Father who gives meaning to all life and unites humanity.
