Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter

 Lectionary: 285

"I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name--
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you."

 A s I write this post, the cardinals have just begun their conclave. I don't suppose many in the Church are comfortable with these interim moments when we seem leaderless, like sheep without a shepherd. 

I have often heard Protestant ministers express admiration and envy for the Roman church's papacy; it solves so many problems. It even provides a lightning rod for unhappy people who need to disagree with authority, regardless of who they are or what they say!  Plus, the ephemeral hope that someday they'll get a Pope to their liking. 

During this time of transition the Church and its admirers pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the deliberations and final decisions of the Conclave. 

We find allusions to that Holy Spirit, and teachings about this mysterious Third Person of the Holy Trinity throughout the Old and New Testaments, but in the Gospel of John we are given a new word which is translated as paraclete or advocate. Advocate appears in the Johannine texts (the Gospel and three Letters), but only on five occasions: John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7, and 1 John: 2:1. 

The Council of Constantinople in 381 defined our belief in the Holy Trinity and the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity. The belief was solidly grounded in scripture, liturgy, and tradition; and contested only by splintered heretical groups. 

During these not-infrequent moments of conclave, the Spirit comes to us as comforter and advocate to guide the cardinals and to reassure the rest of us. More importantly, the Holy Spirit remains always with us to 
    "teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you."

Without the Holy Spirit, the Lord's insistent, "Do this in memory of me!" would fall on wooden ears. We do not have the authority over our wills, desires, or needs to maintain that necessary attention to truth and God's will. Despite our marvelous aspirations and pretensions we are sheep and need a divine shepherd. No human being, regardless of their charisma, wisdom, guile, or power can replace God; and no one should displace God in our minds or hearts. The Reason of the philosophers has been shown to have clay feet, and we now live in a post-modern age. 

When the Chair of Peter is vacant we join the Lord Jesus in asking for his promised Advocate to be with us. Far more useful than speculating about who should be pope or what kind of pope we want, we should spend these days begging the Holy Trinity to guide the thoughts, words, and votes of the cardinals in conclave. 

As it turned out, a Chicago native was being elected that day, even as I wrote this post.