THE HOLY SPIRIT; PARACLETE OF CHRIST AND OF HUMANITY
HOMILY FOR THE 6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR C
There was a poor man who was convicted of a crime in a customary court. He was unable to afford the assistance of a lawyer. On reaching the court, the plaintiff with his lawyer presented their cases against the defendant who had no lawyer. No one was there to defend him; no one was there to speak for him. Suddenly, an observer in the court who was actually a Supreme Judge rose to the defendant’s rescue. Due to the higher authority that was involved, the case had another face. He became his lawyer, his counselor, and indeed his paraclete. Yes, in the legal context, we can regard that Supreme Judge as a Paraclete. This is how God acts and surprises us in difficult moments. This is the Spirit's work as the Paraclete. However, this is not the only meaning of Paraclete. The word has much more deeper meanings and implications.
The word Paraclete comes from the two Greek words παρα (preposition which can mean by, beside, in) and κλήτος (called, invited, summoned). The conjunction of both words as παρακλήτος renders the meaning as ‘one called (invited, summoned) in’, most probably for support. This support can be in the form of advice and advocacy, in the form of counselling and defence, in the form of consoling, and in the form of teaching. Hence, in everyday usage, we can become paracletes to one another. We can comfort, admonish, defend, guide and counsel others. Little wonder various Bible versions favour varied terms as translations of this Greek word. Some favoured Paraclete (a direct transliteration); some others comforter and some others Counselor. Indeed, all these terms portray same idea but having slight differences.
In the gospel of today (John 14: 23-29), precisely in the 26th verse, Jesus the Christ identifies the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete (But the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all I have taught you). All of us can be paracletes, but we have the only one who has the name in definitivity. The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete. Surely, this term suggests some form of identity and activity of the Holy Spirit. Hence, what is the work of the Paraclete? From the passage, the work of the Paraclete is two-fold:
Towards us, human beings (he will teach you all things)
Towards Jesus (and bring to your remembrance all that I have taught you)
We begin from the work of the Paraclete concerning Jesus.
THE HOLY SPIRIT AS JESUS’ PARACLETE
The Holy Spirit is ‘called in’ by God the Father in the name of Jesus to bring to their remembrance (the followers of Jesus) all that Jesus said to them. To Jesus, the Spirit would accomplish in the disciples all the more the work Jesus started in them. The Paraclete is in the continuing life of the apostolic faith (and the Church) what Jesus is in its foundation. Hence, the Paraclete shares his functions with Jesus, not outside of Him. The Paraclete’s teaching involves understanding what Jesus had taught and done. The Paraclete does not bring in any teaching independent of the revelation in Jesus. Therefore, there is a strongly christological concentration of the work of the Spirit. The Spirit becomes the power of growth of the Church (cf. Eph. 3:16). He is the vital principle of the body of the Church (cf. Eph. 4:4). He is the agent of holiness, of peace, of love, and of inspiration. Indeed, it was the Holy Spirit that inspired the biblical writers to write about Christ; for all scripture is inspired/God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16).
THE HOLY SPIRIT AS OUR PARACLETE
The Holy Spirit is ‘called in’ by Jesus to teach us (leading us to the fullness of the truth), to counsel us (advocating and defending us against every danger) and to comfort us (consoling us in all our sufferings). The Holy Spirit as the Paraclete involves these tripartite role.
1. TEACHING
The Holy Spirit is ‘called in’ by Jesus to teach us about the Truth (Christ) and to the full. Jesus tells us that he will teach us all things. The Paraclete teaches us to the full, not half knowledge. He is not a Spirit of mediocrity, but a Spirit of plenitude. He supports us in our mission which consists in proclaiming Christ. He gives us all the necessary knowledge we need about Christ and His kingdom. He teaches all things, not some things. He is not like the teachers of the world who teach what they want and may not even be to the full. Remember, Christ had told us that the Holy Spirit has the function to teach us what we shall say (cf. Luke 12:12). The Holy Spirit ignites in us a special kind of knowledge and proclamation incomprehensible to any man (cf. Elizabeth in Luke 1:41 and Zechariah in Luke 1:67). He is the spirit of wisdom (cf. Acts 6:3 in the choice of the deacons). It was this same Spirit that taught Peter to see all peoples as clean and worthy of the gospel (Acts 10ff). The Spirit searches and reveals to us the deep things of God (1 Cor 2:10). It is this same Spirit in the Second Reading that led the author of the book of Revelation to the heavenly throne and revealed to him the hidden knowledge about God (cf. Rev. 21:10-14. 22-23). The Spirit teaches us to teach. He teaches us to prophesy(cf. Ezek. 2:2, 3:12). The prophet/teacher is a man of the spirit (Hosea 9:7).
2. COUNSELLING/ADVOCACY
The Holy Spirit is ‘called in’ by Jesusto counsel us. The Holy Spirit is there to support by speaking on our behalf, speaking in our favour. A Counselor does two functions: He advices/guides, and he defends. In the legal context, the lawyer counsels and advices the accused on what to do and say, and thereupon defends him/her in front of all. The first function is one of guidance. In the first reading, we meet how the Holy Spirit led/directs the apostles to take appropriate decisions concerning the admission of Gentiles into the Church of Jesus Christ. They said:it has pleased the Holy Spirit and us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things...(Acts 15:28). This means that the Holy Spirit has the first place in their decision. To guide also implies being charismatic. Someone who guides must have the strength and knowledge to guide. In the whole of the Acts of the Apostles, the Spirit empowers the apostles to feats of courage and eloquence. He is a Spirit of encouragement (Acts 9:31). He led the Church to making important decisions (Acts 13:2; 20:28). The Counselor does not only guide and admonishes; He defends too. Advocacy implies guidance and defence. He defends us against every evil. He liberated Peter from prison (Acts 12ff), and Paul and Silas too (Acts 16ff). He supports us and leads us to avoid evil so as not to be accused by sin.
3. COMFORTING/CONSOLING
The Holy Spirit is ‘called in’ by Jesus to comfort us in our tribulations. He consoles us when we are suffering for the sake of Christ and His Church. He strengthensus (Acts 9:31) in our weakness. He is the Spirit of faith (cf. 2 Col. 4:13). The Spirit consoles us and tells us the manner to conquer all afflictions which is love. Actually, it is He who awakens love in the Christian (Col. 1:8). He is the principle of the mutual love of Christians (cf. Gal 5:13-36, Rom 15:30). The Comforter enables us to pray (Rom 8:15, Gal 4:6). The Spirit makes us to cry Abba father and he rests on all who suffer for Christ (1Pet 4:14).
THE CONTEMPORARY PARACLETES OF JESUS AND HUMANITY
As Christians, we are called to perform the function of the Paraclete, on the one side towards Jesus and on the other side, towards humanity. The Holy Spirit did, does and continues to do his function as the Paraclete to Jesus and His establishment of God’s kingdom on earth. How do we help ans support the work of Jesus? The Spirit never broke away from the work of Jesus but continues as the vivifier of the mission. Some Christians today tend to break away from the mission of Christ for our own self agrandisement and gain. We tend to preach ourselves, our businesses, our progress rather than Christ. Some ecclesiastical communities now place the pictures of their pastors on the bill board rather than the picture of Christ. In sum, some tend to start their own mission apart from the one of Christ. Remember that cut off from Christ, we can do nothing (John 15:5). The various divisions in Christianity was/is as a result of this tendency. We should focus on Christ and must preach Christ; nothing else. We must support to see that the work of God in Christ is continued daily, fastly and judiciously.
We are calle too to become paracletes to our fellow humans. We must console them in times of troubles; we must give to people the reason to hope further and to live. We must act ascounselors, advicing and defending people ( welcoming sinners and treating their wounds of sin). We must advice our fellow Christians on the right manner of Christian living, on the right manner of praying to God, on the right manner of worship and on the best way of relating with nature, humanity and our neighbours (avoiding evil and detaching from it, and doing good and attaching to goodness). Most importantly, we must teach others  Christ by word and deed. He should be the focus of our advocacy. Others must see and experience Christ in us. May we never loose hope that Christ is no longer with his Church. Christ is constantly with  his. Yes, Christ will ascend to his Father and our Father, but he remains with us in the person and work of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit. God bless you. Rev. Ezekoka Peter.