Hearing The Word

A weekly newsletter delivering context and insight into the Sunday Gospels.

THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH

~ Kelly Anderson, S.S.L., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biblical Studies for the Major Seminary, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary + Ambler, Pa.

This short Gospel is from the “Last Discourses” of Jesus (John 14-16) where Jesus prepares his disciples for his death, Resurrection, Ascension, and Pentecost.

The Gospel reading concentrates on the particular aspect of the Holy Spirit who gives testimony or witness to Jesus, thus bringing the disciples to truth.

Jesus initially tells his disciples that they cannot bear to hear anything else. Only after Jesus is victorious over death and the disciples receive the Holy Spirit will they be able to “bear” the truth: Jesus is the Son of God who is incarnate, he suffers in excruciating ways to atone for their sins, and he redeems the world through the shame of the cross.  

The verb “to bear/endure” means to lift something burdensome, such as stones, water jugs, and even the cross. But it can also mean “to be marked by,” or “to carry inwardly.” After receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, the wounds and cross of Jesus will be imprinted on their beings, and the “burden” of knowing Jesus will be transformed into courage, energy, joy, and peace (Acts 9:15; Gal 6:17).

The Holy Spirit will do this by “taking from what is mine,” that is, “taking” who Jesus is, and what he does, and communicating it. So, the Holy Spirit “takes” Jesus’ identity as God and Son, his victory over sin and death, and his intense love for humanity, and communicates all this to the disciples, marking them deep within their beings, ensuring that they have an authentic relationship with Jesus.

Jesus had declared himself to be the “way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:16), and so the Truth that the Holy Spirit communicates is not a set of facts, but a person: Jesus Christ. And this experience transformed these despairing, frightened, confused men into courageous giants who set the world ablaze! Come Holy Spirit!

Drawn Into the Mystery



~ Conor Donnelly

Saint Maron' s Parish + Philadelphia, Pa.

There are parts of my life where I sense God is gently nudging, but I hesitate to go further. Maybe it’s something I need to confront, forgive, or surrender ... but I resist, not because I don’t trust God, but because I’m not sure I’m ready. Still, He waits. I think about how often I pray for clarity but quietly hope the answer will be easy. Today I wonder if God is already speaking – just not in ways I expected. Maybe the deeper truth is not hidden, just unfolding slowly, and my role is to stay near and let it come in time.

This calls for space – space to notice, to reflect, to listen. It’s easy to fill my prayer with words, my days with noise, and my choices with my own assumptions. But what if I gave the Spirit more room to speak – through silence, through stillness, through the quiet weight of a question I don’t rush to answer? When I pause, I sometimes sense a prompting I didn’t create: a small conviction, a gentle call to act or to wait. The challenge is to trust that these moments aren’t random. They’re part of something larger, coming from a voice that invites more than it insists.

And as I begin to notice that voice, I remember that I don’t walk this path alone. Faith isn’t just something I carry; it’s a life I’m drawn into. The mystery of the Trinity isn’t a problem to solve, but a relationship that holds me. When I love, forgive, or simply sit with someone in their need, I catch a glimpse of that communion – the deep and quiet rhythm of giving and receiving. I may never understand it fully, but I don’t need to. I just need to enter into it, again and again. Maybe living in the Trinity just means letting myself be part of love.