The Sacred Encounter: Receiving and Sharing the Advocate
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
John 14:15-21
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
Grace Prayed For
Based on this passage, we are prompted to pray for the grace of realization:
“Father, send your Spirit and grant me the grace to truly realize that Christ is in me and I am in Him. Do not let this be just a theological concept, but a living reality, so that in every encounter, I may consciously share Your indwelling love and receive others as Christ.”
Reflection
This passage is not just a promise; it is the very blueprint for our intimacy with the Trinitarian God. Our prayer—”to share and receive in all of my encounters”—begins right here.
Jesus sets up a beautiful, divine circle of love. It starts with our response to Him: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” This isn’t a legalistic test. It’s the simple reality of a relationship: when you love someone, your actions begin to align with their heart. Our love for Jesus naturally draws us to live as He lived.
And what is His response to our love? He doesn’t just love us back from a distance. He asks the Father, who gives us “another Advocate”—the Holy Spirit. This is the heart of your theme, “Intimacy Through the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit is not just a helper; He is the Spirit of truth who “remains with you, and will be in you.” God chooses to make His home in us.
This is the antidote to the spiritual loneliness of the world. Jesus promises, “I will not leave you orphans.” An orphan is one without connection, without a home, without identity. But we are given the ultimate identity. We are drawn into the very life of the Trinity.
This is where intimacy becomes mission. The most powerful line in this passage is the revelation: “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.” This is not just a partnership; it is a union. We are invited into the divine dance, the mutual indwelling of the Father and the Son.
When we internalize this truth, every encounter in our world changes.
- When we share: We are not just sharing our time, our resources, or our opinions. We are sharing the very love of the Father that has been poured into our hearts by the Advocate.
- When we receive: We are not just receiving another person’s kindness or pain. We are recognizing Christ in them, receiving them as we would receive Him.
Our mission, then, is to allow this indwelling Trinitarian love to be the source of our sharing and the lens for our receiving. We are no longer just ourselves, but bearers of the Spirit, living extensions of the union between the Father and the Son. Every encounter becomes a sacred space, an opportunity for that divine love to shine forth and restore a small piece of creation.
Daily Evangelization and Baptismal Mission
Evangelizing in Daily Life
This passage calls us to evangelize not through argument, but through testimony and presence, showing how Jesus has impacted our lives and how His love compels us to restore creation.
- Evangelize by Listening: Jesus promises us the “Advocate” (or Paraclete), one who comes alongside us. The most powerful way to partner with Jesus is to come alongside others. Listen to a co-worker’s story without judgment. Sit with a friend in their grief. This sacred presence reflects the God who “will not leave us orphans,” and it opens a door. When they ask how you can be so patient or present, you can say, “I’ve learned from Jesus how much it means to be truly heard, and I want to share that same gift.”
- Evangelize by Sharing Your “Why”: Our “commandments” are to love. When you volunteer, help a neighbor, or practice patience in traffic, you are living the Gospel. If someone notices, be ready to share the “why” behind your actions. “I do this because I’ve been loved so extravagantly by God, even when I didn’t deserve it. It’s His love that motivates me to try and pass it on and care for the world He made.”
- Evangelize by Restoring Hope: The world often cannot “accept” the Spirit of truth because it operates on a different wavelength. People feel like orphans. By your actions, you proclaim, “because I live and you will live.” Share your own story of how Jesus gave you hope in a difficult time. “My life was deeply impacted when I realized I wasn’t alone. Jesus’s promise to be with me through His Spirit changed everything for me, and I know He offers that same peace to you.”
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post