Dear Parishioners of Blessed Sacrament and Visitors,

In the next two weeks, we will be celebrating the Solemnity of Pentecost, a day when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus' disciples. In preparation for this solemnity, today's gospel presents Jesus speaking to His disciples-and to us -about the Holy Spirit and how we should prepare to receive Him. Jesus says, "And I will ask the Father, and Hе will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of Truth” (John 14:16).

First, we need to understand that this gospel verse comes from Jesus' farewell discourse, which He delivered to His disciples during the Last Supper, just before His arrest and crucifixion. In this discourse, the disciples realized that Jesus was about to leave them. They felt sad and wondered how they could continue to be with Him once He was gone. Jesus promised not to abandon them; He assured them that He would ask the Father to send His Spirit, an Advocate, who would always be with them for guidance and support.

The term "Advocate" is translated in various ways in the Bible, including as Comforter, Helper, or Paraclete, which comes from the Greek word "parakletos." A parakletos originally referred to someone who was summoned to provide testimony in a legal setting on behalf of another person. This individual could be an advocate defending someone facing serious charges, an expert called in to offer advice during challenging situations, or even someone who encourages and uplifts a group, such as soldiers who are feeling defeated. In short, a parakletos is always someone who is called upon to assist in times of trouble or need. Essentially, Jesus was saying, "I am setting you on a hard task, and I am sending you out on a very difficult engagement. But I am going to send you someone, the Parakletos, who will guide you in your mission and enable you to accomplish it."

We also need the Paraclete to provide clarity, wisdom, and discernment when facing confusion or a major decisionnot knowing what to do; we need the Paraclete to provide strength to resist and choose rightly in moments of temptation or moral struggle; we need the Paraclete for comfort and peace during moments of pain or grief; we need the Paraclete to intercede for us when praying but lacking words, as mentioned in Romans 8:26; we need the Paraclete to provide us peace, courage and reassurance in times of uncertainty.

The disciples received the Paraclete on Pentecost, and we receive the same Spirit at our Baptism, during Confirmation, on every Pentecost Sunday, and every time we invoke the Spirit with the proper dispositions. However, not everyone receives the Spirit. Jesus states in the gospel that by His request, the Spirit will be the Spirit of truth for those who love Him, keep His commandments, and love others. As described by John, this becomes the very personal moral force that drives and builds our lives as disciples. Jesus does not give the Spirit to the world because "the world cannot receive it" (John 14:17).

So, what does Jesus mean by "the world"? In this context, the world refers to the hearts of individuals who harbor feelings of hatred, revenge, hostility, envy, and impure thoughts, actions, and desires. The Spirit cannot enter those hearts. Since our hearts and bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20), when we defile them, the Holy Spirit leaves us because the two cannot coexist. We become "temples" of the world instead, unable to continue to receive the Spirit and failing to allow our lives to be directed by Him.

The world has its own spirit that urges us to do evil, seek revenge, and act selfishly. In contrast, the Spirit of God urges us to love, forgive, be generous, and serve others. Furthermore, the world is a society that lives as if there is no God and ignores His commandments. For this reason, the world cannot receive the Spirit unless it changes its heart. Each of us should examine ourselves to determine if we belong to the category of the world.

If, by accident, we find ourselves in the category of the world, the church offers us powerful means of cleansing our souls, allowing us to again invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts and bodies at Pentecost. In the coming days, we will provide some of these opportunities for spiritual renewal.

First, we will observe a nine-day novena leading up to Pentecost Sunday. Second, we will hold Confession Services on Tuesdays from 5:00 to 5:45 PM and Saturdays from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. I encourage us to take full advantage of these opportunities.

Sincerely yours in the Risen Lord,

Fr. Thomas Kagumisa

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