{"id":5752,"date":"2025-06-07T09:08:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-07T08:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/?p=5752"},"modified":"2025-05-06T14:09:13","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T13:09:13","slug":"commentary-on-pentecost-sunday-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/commentary-on-pentecost-sunday-c\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary on Pentecost Sunday C 8.06.2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TEXT<\/em> \u2014 John 14: 15\u201316, 23\u201326<\/em> \u2014 The Holy Spirit will live with people for ever<\/em><\/h3>\n

Loving Jesus means Keeping his Commandments<\/strong><\/p>\n

[15] \u201cIf you love me, you will keep my commandments.<\/em><\/p>\n

As a result the Father will send a second Counsellor for ever<\/strong><\/p>\n

[16] And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor, to be with you for ever.<\/em><\/p>\n

If a man loves Jesus he will keep his word which is the Father\u2019s word<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

23 \u201cIf a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father\u2019s who sent me.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Counsellor, Holy Spirit, will be a teacher and memory facilitator<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

25 \u201cThese things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 26 But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

EXPLANATION<\/strong><\/h3>\n

[15] \u201cIf you love me, you will keep my commandments. [16] And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor, to be with you for ever<\/em>. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you love me, you will keep my commandments<\/em>\u201d \u2014 To receive the Holy Spirit, who is mentioned at the end of this verse, two requirements are necessary on the part of the disciple: (i) that he\/she loves Jesus and (ii) shows this by obedience to him (Jn. 13: 15; 34\u201335).<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I will pray the Father<\/em>\u201d \u2014 (iii) This is a third requirement to receiving the Holy Spirit, that Jesus prays for us. This is what he is doing as our High Priest in heaven.<\/p>\n

\u201cand he will give you another Counsellor<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The Greek word, transliterated into English, is \u201cParaclete<\/em>\u201d, a word difficult to translate. \u201cCounsellor<\/em>\u201d and \u201cAdvocate<\/em>\u201d are the two most common. What is general is that the \u201cParaclete<\/em>\u201d is \u2018at hand\u2019, \u2018near\u2019, \u2018with a person\u2019, a \u2018helper\u2019, especially \u2018to speak on behalf of a person\u2019 in legal matters. We can sum up this general idea with the idea common to all, namely \u201ca presence\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201canother Counsellor<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Jesus is the first \u201cCounsellor<\/em>\u201d according to I John 2: 1, where we read: \u201cWe have an advocate <\/em>[Paraclete] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous<\/em>\u201d. He had affirmed that role already \u2014 \u201c\u201cTruly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it<\/em>\u201d. (Jn. 14: 13\u201314). He is our High Priest in heaven interceding for us with his Father. During his short public ministry he was a presence to his disciples, helping them to develop in faith and love.<\/p>\n

The Paraclete, Holy Spirit, is sent by the Father at the request of Jesus or Jesus sends him from the Father (Jn. 15: 26). The same person who asks for the Paraclete to be sent is described at times as sending him \u2014 Jesus asks as a human person; he sends by his divine nature.<\/p>\n

What is the role of this second Counsellor? He is to be a presence to the disciples \u201cfor ever<\/em>\u201d. The Spirit\u2019s role is elaborated in John 14: 26; 15: 26; 16: 7\u201314.<\/p>\n

\u201cto be with you for ever<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This Paraclete will remain permanently, in contrast to Jesus who is departing (see verse 12). The Spirit will remain in and with the Church. The era of the Church will be the era of the Spirit.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

23 Jesus answered him, \u201cIf a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father\u2019s who sent me.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cJesus answered him<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The setting of this scene is the Last Supper where Jesus is giving his farewell address to his apostles (Chapters 14\u201317). Jude Thaddeus asked him a question about the Second Coming. From what Jesus had said to the apostles Jude had the impression that Jesus would come again to show himself to the disciples but not to the world.<\/p>\n

Jesus does not answer the question directly but tells Jude Thaddeus and the others that he. Jesus, will come again to them if they \u201ckeep my word<\/em>\u201d. The world does not \u201ckeep my word<\/em>\u201d which is the \u201ccommandment of love<\/em>\u201d (Jn. 14: 15, 21, 23, 24). From these verses it can be seen that in this context \u201ccommandment<\/em>\u201d and \u201cword<\/em>\u201d are interchangeable.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018If a man loves me, he will keep my word<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This is the first of three consequences of loving Jesus \u2014 the person who loves will keep Jesus\u2019 word by obedience.<\/p>\n

One who loves obeys Jesus\u2019 command to love one another as he has loved them (Jn. 13: 34). That is how the world will come to Jesus because after he has gone his spirit will remain for all to see in the way the disciples observe fraternal love, the divine presence and spirit.<\/p>\n

\u201cand my Father will love him<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This is the second of three consequences of loving Jesus \u2014 God the Father loves those who obey Jesus and reflect his love for them for others. That spirit will draw people to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cand we will come to him and make our home with him<\/em> \u2014 This is the third of three consequences of loving Jesus \u2014 This is the great promise. We may sum up as follows: Those who love Jesus and show it by keeping his words in obedience (first consequence), are loved by his Father (second consequence) and he and Jesus will come to live in those persons\u2019 hearts (third consequence).<\/p>\n

Where the spirit of Jesus is, God is there too. This is how the \u201cglory of God<\/em>\u201d is manifest in the world (Jn. 13: 31\u201335, Gospel for Sunday of Easter 5C).<\/p>\n

\u201cHe who does not love me does not keep my words<\/em>\u201d \u2014 One who does not love Jesus does not obey or fulfill the will of Jesus.<\/p>\n

\u201cand the word which you hear is not mine but the Father\u2019s who sent me<\/em>\u201d \u2014 These words are not just Jesus\u2019 words; they are the words of the Father who sent him. Therefore, one who rejects these words of Jesus rejects the Father as well as Jesus (Jn. 3: 34; 5: 23b\u201324; 8: 18, 28, 38, 47; 12: 49).<\/p>\n

This is the answer to Jude Thaddeus\u2019 question. The Father will not come to \u201cthe world<\/em>\u201d because \u201cthe world<\/em>\u201d, which is opposed to Jesus, is also opposed to the Father whose word \u201cthe world<\/em>\u201d will not accept. The Father is the source of eternal life as Jesus points out: \u201c<\/sup>The one who rejects me and does not receive my word has a judge; on the last day the word that I have spoken will serve as judge, for I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

25 \u201cThese things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 26 But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you<\/em>\u201d \u2014 These or similar words occur six times as a refrain either beginning, as here, or ending a sub\u2013section of a passage (Jn. 14: 25; 15: 11; 16: 1, 4, 6, 215, 33.)<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the Counsellor<\/em>\u201d \u2014 see v. 16 above<\/p>\n

St. John is the only evangelist who uses the term \u201cParaclete<\/em>\u201d and then only five times (Jn. 14: 16, 26; 15:26; 16: 1\u201314). In each of these references he speaks of the third person of the Blessed Trinity. In his First Epistle he used the term referring to Christ who intercedes for the sinner before his Father (I Jn. 2: 1). That is why the Holy Spirit is referred to as \u201canother Paraclete<\/em>\u201d (Jn. 14: 16).<\/p>\n

\u201cthe Holy Spirit<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This is John\u2019s only use of this title. \u201cThe Holy Spirit<\/em>\u201d is a distinct divine person. John will develop the meaning as he writes. The title became the normal one in the Acts of the Apostles and in the various Creeds.<\/p>\n

The \u201cHoly Spirit<\/em>\u201d, the \u201cParaclete<\/em>\u201d, including the English translations, comes to the assistance of the apostles and their successors by teaching and recalling Jesus\u2019 instructions (Jn. 14: 26; 16: 13); by bearing witness to Jesus (Jn. 15: 26); he will prove the world wrong about sin, righteousness and judgement (Jn. 16: 7\u201310) and lead the apostles into all truth (Jn. 16:13). He is also known as the \u201cSpirit of Truth<\/em>\u201d (Jn. 14: 16). There are many other roles that he plays but these are mentioned because of their connection with the current Gospel passage.<\/p>\n

\u201cwhom the Father will send in my name<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The Father had sent the Son to do his will in word and deed. The \u201cHoly Spirit<\/em>\u201d will also be sent to do the Father\u2019s will.<\/p>\n

The Holy Spirit will be sent \u201cin the name<\/em>\u201d of Jesus (Jn. 14: 26). The Jews used the word \u201cname<\/em>\u201d for \u201cperson\u201d as Christians do when they say \u201cIn the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit\u201d which means \u2018on behalf of the person of the Father and the person of the Son and the person of the Holy Spirit\u2019. It can also mean \u2018at the request of\u2026the Father\u2026 \u2018(Jn. 14: 16). In this verse the meaning is \u2018whom the Father will send at the request of Jesus\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201che will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you<\/em>\u201d \u2014 \u201cYou<\/em>\u201d and \u201cyour<\/em>\u201d are in the plural and so do not refer to each individual in the Church but to the apostolic leaders.<\/p>\n

When the Holy Spirit comes he will perform two aspects of the same function. He will:<\/p>\n

(i) teach<\/em><\/strong> the disciples all the truths of revelation. This does not mean that he will teach any new revelation but will \u201cdeclare<\/em>\u201d what Jesus, who is both the messenger and message from his Father, has taught. He will enable the apostles to understand what Jesus left them: \u201cWhen the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you\u201d (Jn. 16: 13\u201315).<\/em><\/p>\n

(ii) bring back to their memories<\/em><\/strong> what Jesus had taught them.<\/p>\n

Two examples are: Jn 2: 22 \u2014 \u201c\u2018Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up\u2019 The Jews then said, \u2018It has taken forty\u2013six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?\u2019 But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

Jn 12: 16 \u2014 \u201cHis disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

APPLICATION<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are five passages in St. John\u2019s Gospel where the word \u201cParaclete<\/em><\/strong>\u201d occurs. Raymond Brown, one of the great commentators on John\u2019s Gospel, has listed 21 points about the Holy Spirit that are made in these five passages:<\/p>\n

Relationship with Father and with Jesus:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

(a)\u00a0\u00a0 The Paraclete will come when Jesus departs \u2014 Jn. 15: 26; 16: 7, 8, 13<\/p>\n

(b)\u00a0 The Paraclete comes forth from the Father \u2014 Jn. 15: 26<\/p>\n

(c)\u00a0\u00a0 The Father will give the Paraclete at Jesus\u2019 request \u2014 Jn. 14: 16<\/p>\n

(d)\u00a0 The Father will send the Paraclete in Jesus\u2019 name \u2014 Jn. 14: 26<\/p>\n

(e)\u00a0\u00a0 Jesus will send the Paraclete from the Father \u2014 Jn. 16: 26; 16: 7<\/p>\n

Identification:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

(f)\u00a0\u00a0 He is not the first but \u201canother Paraclete\u201d \u2014 Jn. 14: 16<\/p>\n

(g)\u00a0 He is the Spirit of Truth \u2014 Jn. 14: 17; 15: 26; 16: 13<\/p>\n

(h)\u00a0 He is the Holy Spirit \u2014 Jn. 14: 26<\/p>\n

Role in relation to disciples:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

(i)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The disciples recognise the Holy Spirit \u2014 Jn. 14: 17<\/p>\n

(j)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He will be with the disciples and remain with them for ever \u2014 Jn. 14: 17<\/p>\n

(k)\u00a0 He will teach the disciples everything \u2013,Jn. 14: 26<\/p>\n

(l)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He will guide the disciples along the way of all truth \u2014 Jn. 14: 16: 13<\/p>\n

(m)He will take what belongs to Jesus to declare to the disciples \u2014 Jn. 16: 14<\/p>\n

(n)\u00a0 He will glorify Jesus \u2014 Jn. 16: 14<\/p>\n

(o)\u00a0 He will bear witness on Jesus\u2019 behalf as must the disciples \u2014 Jn. 15: 26\u201327<\/p>\n

(p)\u00a0 He will remind the disciples of all that Jesus told them \u2014 Jn. 14: 26<\/p>\n

(q)\u00a0 He will speak only what he hears and nothing on his own \u2014 Jn. 16: 13<\/p>\n

Role in relation to world<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

(r)\u00a0\u00a0 The world cannot accept the Paraclete \u2014 Jn. 14: 17<\/p>\n

(s)\u00a0\u00a0 The world neither sees nor recognises the Paraclete \u2014 Jn. 14: 17<\/p>\n

(t)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He will bear witness to Jesus against the world\u2019s hatred for and persecution of the disciples \u2014 Jn. 15: 26 (cf. 15: 18\u201325)<\/p>\n

(u)\u00a0 He will prove the world wrong about sin, justice and judgement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TEXT \u2014 John 14: 15\u201316, 23\u201326 \u2014 The Holy Spirit will live with people for ever Loving Jesus means Keeping his Commandments [15] \u201cIf you love me, you will keep my commandments. As a result the Father will send a second Counsellor for ever [16] And I will pray the Father, and he will give<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3552,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5752"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5752\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8380,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5752\/revisions\/8380"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}