May 24th, Homily of Pope John Paul II

Homily (20-05-2001)

Sunday, May 20, 2001

1. "The Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of everything I have told you" (Jn14, 26). This is the great promise Jesus made during the Last Supper. As the time of the cross approaches, he reassures the Apostles, telling them that they will not be alone: ​​the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, will be with them and support them in the great mission of bringing the Gospel to the whole world.

In the original Greek, the term Paraclete indicates one who accompanies, protects, and helps a person. Jesus returns to the Father, but continues the work of teaching and encouraging his disciples through the gift of the Spirit.

What is the mission of the promised Holy Spirit? As we have just heard in the text taken from the Gospel of St. John, it is Jesus himself who explains it: "He will teach you everything and remind you of everything I have told you" (Jn14, 26). Jesus has already communicated everything he wanted to say to the Apostles: with him, the incarnate Word, revelation is complete. The Spirit will bring to mind, that is, to fully understand and concretely live the teachings of Jesus. This is what happens even today in the Church. As the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council affirms, under the guidance and with the light and power of the Holy Spirit, "the Church journeys through the centuries toward the fullness of divine truth, until the words of God are fully fulfilled in her" (God's Word, 8).

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5. "The angel (...) showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, sent from God with glory" (Ap21:10). The vision of the heavenly Jerusalem, impressively described in the Apocalypse, shows us the goal toward which the Church and all humanity are striving. It is the goal of the full and definitive communion of humankind with God. With this in view, believers commit themselves to living the Gospel and at the same time contribute to the building of an earthly city according to God's heart.

May Mary, whom we venerate and implore with special devotion during this month of May as our heavenly Mother, always protect your community and the entire Diocese of Rome. May she, the first to welcome the divine Word into her virginal womb, help us to become ever more like her divine Son, ready to faithfully proclaim the word of the Gospel and bear witness to it with the consistency of our lives. Amen.