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Reflection by Jacinta Johnston; Deputy Principal-Catholic Identity and Mission. Marist-Sion College, Warragul First Reading Proverbs 8:22-31;
Second Reading Romans 5:1-5;
Gospel John 16:12-15
When I read this Gospel, I am taken back to the final stages of my Dad’s life. Dad had prostate cancer and the end of his life saw him experience a great deal of suffering, but his faith was unwavering. During this time I made sure I asked him everything I could think of. We discussed, life, death, family, future, past – he was incredibly generous with his beliefs and very open to discussing his anticipation of being with God. By the time he went, I felt like there was really nothing more that I could ask – I had as many answers as I could think to take in. And then he had this awesome death. Dad didn’t just slip off into his afterlife, he cried out three times – not in pain, but in the way using a huge amount of energy can be heard – not a grunt, or a cry of pain – but a transfer of energy.
For all of the things we had discussed, in that moment I turned to my Mum and said “I’ve already got my first question. What just happened?”
I love that Jesus acknowledges that we can’t be told everything that is going to happen – we can’t carry all of the information and make it useful in our lives. We need to feel, in certain moments, the transfer of the Spirit and the wisdom that it brings with it. We need stirring, reminding, feeling the truth so it strengthens our response and informs our choices. There are moments that we need reminding of the truth.
I love this lesson in the Trinity. We have the transference of truth between the three-in-one. We have Jesus as the moderator who informs us that we are never alone. That we are loved enough that the Spirit will glorify him – to us, personally. It is such an expression of love, of the dignity that we all carry with us as children of God. We have the truth and we are trusted that we can handle the truth.
Dad’s death was a moment of truth for me. Jesus was right, I couldn’t have coped if he told me all that I was going to experience, and I would have asked not to. There was pain, sorrow, wondering – but I have never questioned where Dad’s energy transferred to. It was his ultimate moment of truth, and in his cries there was not pain or confusion, there was wonder and awe. There was the Spirit of truth.
