I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
First century Gnostics made much of Jesus’s statement, “I have much more to tell you,” as does Elaine Pagels in her 1979 book, The Gnostic Gospels. Periodically, people discover what Jesus “really meant to say,” or, “Did say but the apostles conspired to cover it up.” These are not revealed to ordinary folks, they belong to the elite, especially to members of Ms. Pagels’ privileged social-economic status.
In fact, Jesus's “more to tell you” appears in his crucifixion, and it is hard to bear. This is how much he loves us. This is how much the Father loves us, who did not spare his only begotten son. This is how we are to love one another. We cannot bear it without the Holy Spirit which makes all things possible.
I can’t help but be delighted by Jesus’s additional teaching about the Holy Spirit. Like the Father and the Son, the Spirit defers to the others. The Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth to the Son; the Son does nothing but what the Father shows him; and the Spirit will not speak on his own.
Emperors, kings, tyrants, and self-styled individuals have never been fond of this story about God. The emperor Constantine struggled mightily to persuade the bishops at Nicea to adopt the Arian model of God, with the Father as supreme over the demigods, Jesus and the Spirit. Risking their own lives, the bishops refused.
Christians today, living by the Spirit, prefer obedience to creativity and originality, even in a culture that pretends to despise conformity and lionizes the so-called individual.
This is why I spend significant time each day reciting prayers others have written. How could I better a prayer than the Lorica of Saint Patrick, the Anima Christi, the Little Office of Saint Francis, the Divine Office, or the Mass? Could I fashion a prayer superior in depth and wisdom to the Our Father? What kind of fool would think so?
Let my spirit, mind, thoughts, and words conform to the blessed pathways created through these several millennia. Let my hesitant spirit conform to the Holy Spirit of Jesus.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.