May 28 Sun
Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete (cf. John 14:15-17), a word that comes from Greek, which means both consoler and advocate, also lawyer. This means that the Holy Spirit never leaves us alone, He is near to us, like an attorney who assists the accused person, standing by his side. And He suggests to us how to defend ourselves from the One who accuses us, the devil, who puts sin inside of you, the desire to sin, wickedness.
Let us reflect on these two aspects of the Holy Spirit: His closeness to us, and His assistance against the One who accuses us.

First, the Holy Spirit’s closeness. Jesus says: the Holy Spirit “dwells with you and will be in you” (cf. v. 17). He never abandons us. The Holy Spirit wants to stay with us: He is not a passing guest who comes to pay us a courtesy visit. He is a companion for life, a stable presence. He is Spirit, and desires to dwell in our soul, our spirit. He is patient and stays with us because He truly loves us. He does not pretend to love us, and then leave us alone when things get difficult. No. He is faithful, He is transparent, He is authentic.

In a moment of trial, the Holy Spirit consoles us, bringing us God’s pardon and strength. And when He places our errors before us and corrects us, He does so gently, with tenderness and warmth of love in His voice that speaks to the heart.
Certainly, the Spirit, the Paraclete, is demanding, because He is a true, faithful friend, who does not hide anything. He suggests what needs to be changed and where growth needs to take place. But when He corrects us, He never humiliates us, and never instils distrust. Rather, He conveys the certainty that, with God, we can always make it. This is His closeness. This is a beautiful certainty.

Second, the Holy Spirit is our advocate and He defends us from the One who accuses us, and also from ourselves, when we do not appreciate and forgive ourselves, when we go so far as saying to ourselves that we have failed, that we are good for nothing. He defends us from the world that discards those who do not fit into to its impositions and patterns.

Then, the Holy Spirit suggests to us how to respond. How? He reminds us of the words of the Gospel, and thus enables us to respond to the accusing devil, not with our own words, but with the Lord’s words. He reminds us that we are God’s children. This is the most important truth in life, that we are beloved children of God.

Let us ask ourselves today: Do I call on the Holy Spirit? Do I talk and pray to Him often? Do I listen to His voice, both when He encourages me and when He corrects me? Do I respond with Jesus’s words to the accusations from the Evil One, to the judgments of the worldly ones? Do I remember that I am a beloved child of God?
From an audience of Pope Francis.