Monday, May 26, 2003
6th Week of Easter

1st Reading: Acts 16:11-15
Gospel: Jn 15:26-16:4

Jesus said to his disciples, "From the Father, I will send you the Spirit of truth. When this Helper has come from the Father, he will be my witness, and you, too, will be my witnesses for you have been with me from the beginning.

"I tell you all this to keep you from stumbling and falling away. They will put you out of the Jewish communities. Still more, the hour is coming when anyone who kills you will claim to be serving God; they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. I tell you all these things now so that when the time comes you may remember that I told you.

"I did not tell you about this in the beginning because I was with you."

Commentary

Men and women in the so-called Pentecostal or Charismatic groups amaze us at how they frequently, intimately, and freely address him. Songs that acclaim his gifts and whose melodies bespeak his consoling presence abound. These are beautiful achievements that recognize the Spirit sent by Jesus from the Father to continue his presence among his disciples. Yet it is not to be ignored that Jesus also commissioned those "who had been with him from the beginning" to testify to him. They received the commission to teach, welcome people into the faith, and guard them against error. It is a mistake to pit the "charismatic" against the "institutional" church. Holy Spirit is at work in all, but he gives to each one a different gift (1Cor 12).

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