Daily Devotion for Tuesday 8th July 2025
St John 14: 15 – 31
Jesus said: “‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.
‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.
Reflection
Many of us, and I am one such, struggle to respond coherently when asked to imagine what we think the Holy Spirit is and how we experience its presence. It is easier just to refer blithely to the “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” without worrying too much about what we mean.
When I was a child, this third force was described as the Holy Ghost and it was tempting as a keen young reader to imagine a fairy-like figure fluttering around us like Tinker Bell, eager to hang out with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. But those days are long gone and now we turn to the Holy Spirit whom Jesus describes to his followers as an advocate sent by God, a supporter, invisible to us but somehow tangible.
It’s the “tangible” bit that poses the biggest challenge personally. These days, it is common to describe the Holy Spirit as a comforter. To my mind, however, we were not sent the Holy Spirit just to make us feel better about ourselves and our faith as if it were a favourite teddy bear.
Here is a suggestion. What if we think of the root of the word Spirit, the Latin word “spirare”, alongside other words that share the same root, like inspiration, aspiration, respiration, transpire, expire, conspire and so on? Spirare means to breathe, and breath goes both in and out.
On that basis, we breathe in. Jesus was telling his followers that remembering him, recalling and studying his teachings, turning to God in prayer would help us to firm up our faith.
Then we breathe out and it is our actions, our behaviour, our care for others that will offer a tangible message to the world that God is with us all and everyone is worthy of our and their care and attention.
Just a thought.
Prayer
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Amen
(Extracts from a prayer of St Augustine)