“The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).

According to Dr. John Bergsma, “The story is told of the little boy whose father asked him, “what is faith?” the boy replied, “It’s when you believe things you know aren’t true.” This sums up the popular attitude toward the Christian faith in modern Western Culture. Both outside the Church and many inside as well, think the faith consists in clenching one’s teeth and believing things that are probably false. But that is not the teaching of Jesus. Jesus taught what is true and taught us to seek the truth. It is not the Church but the culture that believes things that are not true.”

For many years now, we have realize how many falsehoods our culture believes and hold them as true: That a baby in the womb is not a person; that all things could come to be by random chance and natural laws; that theirs is no such thing as sin; that sex outside of marriage has no negative consequences; that no biological gender, you can decide your own, be like God or replace God with yourself. Science alone can save you, no need of God, etc. We live in a surreal world of brainwashing falsehood in which truth of Christ seem odd or unrealistic. But the Gospel message is meant to lead us into real world and out of the fantasies of contemporary culture. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, not fiction. The Gospel today teaches this truth:

Firstly, Jesus says, “When he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you into all truth.” (Jn. 16:13). Jesus is speaking here not to individual Christians but to the Apostles gathered as a body. They are apostolic college, and Christ promises the Spirit will lead the gathered Apostles “into all truth.”

Secondly, “he will not speak on his own… he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” This stresses the continuity between the ministry of Jesus and the ministry of the Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit does not enable us to “surpass” the teaching of Jesus and “evolve” into some higher plane of spirituality. The Spirit leads us deeper into understanding His teachings. He does not lead us to surpass or overturn it.

Thirdly, Jesus says, “you also testify.” And while that command has its immediate application to the Apostles themselves, it also applies to the whole Church. We must testify to the truth of our faith in the middle of the culture that is founded on multiple falsehoods. The Spirit gives us the power to do that, the power to understand more deeply and also to proclaim it boldly.

May Our Blessed Mother intercede for us all as we seek the truth and submit to the Truth.

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