6th Sunday in Easter (A)

Welcome Holy Spirit. JOHN 14:15–21

by Jemma Redman

‘Welcome Holy Spirit, we are in your presence, fill us with your power, live inside of us. You’re the living waters, never drying fountain, Comforter and Counsellor take complete control.’

Who or what is this Holy Spirit? In today’s gospel, Jesus referred to him as the Advocate. In Psalm 23, Jesus said that He would never leave nor forsake us, that He is with us always until the end of time.

How can He do that? By sending the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, who pleads on our behalf and attends to our needs. The Holy Spirit is not to be taken lightly. We can let him take complete control of our lives, for God has sent him for us.

Many times, we are led to do something or not do, and we do not have a clue from where that prompting came. That is why we get ‘gut’ reactions and we instinctively know what to do, if we listen and obey.

When you feel ‘dry’ in your soul, you need a touch of the Holy Spirit.

Regardless of what we are going through right now, we can be assured and comforted that we are not alone.

When we were baptised, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit, and as we obey His commandments and grow in Christ, our lives get more and more directed, our steps are ordered, and we are shown the way we should go. He makes us to walk in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. God’s divine order takes over our lives. Romans 8:13 says: “For if you live after the flesh, you shall die but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

Throughout this new change in our lives and in the world, we more and more must depend on the Holy Spirit. We need to trust and depend on God and hold on to our Advocate, to get us through this rough time, who will intercede for us to the Father, who knows our needs even before we ask.

This is a time, an urgent time to build that relationship of trusting, of believing, of surrendering, of giving our lives over to the Holy Spirit, to let Him take complete control.

COVID or no COVID, God wants us to have life and have it more abundantly. Let us take hold of this gift of love and life.

Rain down Holy Spirit, let your power fall, let your voice be heard; come and change our hearts as we stand on Your Word, Holy Spirit rain down. Amen.

The gospel meditations for May are by Jemma Redman, founder of Spirit Global, a spiritual support non-governmental organisation called ‘to walk with men and women’. She is the Artistic Director of The Drama Ministry for the Southern Vicariate, and for St Mary Magdalene RC Church, Houston, Texas.