Seventh Sunday of Easter – Year B

The theme of this article is the promise of the Holy Spirit. In many religions, the Holy Spirit is an agent of God who communicates with men or acts upon them. In Judaism, the Ruah, the breath of God, already intervenes in the first chapter of Genesis, at the creation of the world. The Ruah continues to manifest itself throughout the Hebrew Bible. In the New Testament, written in Koiné Greek, the word used is neuma (πνεῦμα) which also means breath of God and corresponds to the Hebrew Ruah; but we also find, depending on the context, the word Paraclete. 

In Christianity, the Holy Spirit (Spiritus sanctus in Latin) is one of the three persons of the Trinity, as formulated in the 4th century Nicene-Constantinopolitan symbol. It is celebrated at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit also appears in pre-Islamic writings and in the Koran (Arabic: Ruh). 

In Christianity, although the Holy Spirit is mentioned by name on numerous occasions in the Bible, there is no definition of him in any Old or New Testament passage. This vagueness is at the origin of a series of theological controversies that can be divided into three main periods : the 4th century, which saw the development of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed ; the disputes between East and West that led to the great schism of the 11th century; and the doctrinal questions raised by the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. 

Among the Christians of the first centuries, Ignatius of Antioch (35-110) insisted on the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Churches he addressed. Justin of Nablus (†165) placed the Holy Spirit in third place, after the Father and the Son. Tatian (120-173) called the Holy Spirit ‘the servant of God who suffered’.

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John

At that time, raising his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed thus: « Holy Father, keep my disciples together in your name, the one you have given me, that they may be one, as we are one. When I was with them, I kept them united in your name, the name you gave me. I kept watch over them, and none of them was lost, except the one who goes to ruin, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. And now that I have come to you, I say this to the world, that they may have my joy in them and be filled with it. I have given them your word and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I do not pray that you remove them from the world, but that you keep them from the Evil One.

They do not belong to the world, as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, so have I sent them into the world. And I sanctify myself for them, that they also may be sanctified in the truth. (Jn 14, 18 ; 16, 22)

 The promise of the Spirit

 Those whom Jesus had tenderly called children, he loved too much to abandon them as orphans who would lose more than a father in him. The rich promise he made was a guarantee that this would not be so: « I will come to you, » he told them. It was with his Spirit that he came to them and not, as several exegetes have thought, with his resurrection or even his return on the last day. The context contradicts these explanations. « If you love me, keep my commandments and I will pray to the Father, who will make love and obedience abound in you ». What Jesus was asking God to do was to give the disciples his Holy Spirit, who became their life and the life of the Church.

According to Origen and Chrysostom, our reformers Luther and Calvin made the Comforter. « What Jesus will ask of the Father, on their behalf, is therefore another support, always at hand, always ready to come to their aid, at the first call, in their struggle with the world ». The following applications flow easily from this fundamental meaning: support in times of weakness advice in the difficulties of life; consolation in suffering. In this way, he will do for them what his beloved Master had done in the last years when he was leaving them. By saying: another, Jesus implicitly gives himself the title of Paraclete (Godet).

The remark with which John distinguishes him from Judas Iscariot, which is superfluous, betrays the horror that his namesake inspired in him. This disciple was still waiting for a Messiah who would be the earthly king of Israel, the judge of the nations; he did not understand that Jesus had to manifest himself only to the small number of those who loved him and not to everyone.

Deacon Michel Houyoux

Links to other Christian sites

 SMcgvl : click here to read the paper →Seventh Sunday of Easter – Ascension of the Lord

Liyola Press : click here to see the paper →Seventh Sunday of Easter, Cycle B

Video  Christian Fellow Schip : click here → https://youtu.be/RW31kzSRy9Y

jeudi de la sixième semaine du Temps Pascal – Année Paire

Évangile de Jésus Christ selon Marc

En ce temps-là, Jésus ressuscité se manifesta aux onze Apôtres et leur dit : « Allez dans le monde entier. Proclamez l’Évangile à toute la création. Celui qui croira et sera baptisé sera sauvé ; celui qui refusera de croire sera condamné. Voici les signes qui accompagneront ceux qui deviendront croyants : en mon nom, ils expulseront les démons ; ils parleront en langues nouvelles ; ils prendront des serpents dans leurs mains et, s’ils boivent un poison mortel, il ne leur fera pas de mal ; ils imposeront les mains aux malades, et les malades s’en trouveront bien. »

Le Seigneur Jésus, après leur avoir parlé, fut enlevé au ciel et s’assit à la droite de Dieu. Quant à eux, ils s’en allèrent proclamer partout l’Évangile. Le Seigneur travaillait avec eux et confirmait la Parole par les signes qui l’accompagnaient. (Mc 16, 15-20)

Celui qui croira et sera baptisé sera sauvé

La foi, condition du salut   l’incrédulité, cause de la condamnation, tel est le grand principe de tout l’Évangile dans son application à tous: «Celui qui croit au Fils a la vie éternelle; celui qui ne croit pas au Fils ne verra pas la vie, mais la colère de Dieu demeure sur lui.» (Jn 3, 36) Si Marc ajouta à la foi le baptême, c’est que cette parole remplace l’ordre de baptiser que rapporta Matthieu (Mt 28, 19). Ce symbole ne contribuera au salut que pour autant qu’il sera administré à celui qui croira.

La foi, condition du salut ; l’incrédulité, cause de la condamnation, tel est le grand principe de tout l’Évangile dans son application à chacun : «Celui qui croit au Fils a la vie éternelle; celui qui ne croit pas au Fils ne verra point la vie, mais la colère de Dieu demeure sur lui.» (Jn 3, 36) Si Marc ajouta à la foi le baptême, ce fut que cette parole remplaça l’ordre de baptiser que rapporta Matthieu (Mt 28, 9). Ce symbole ne contribuera cependant au salut que pour autant qu’il sera administré à celui qui croira.

Plusieurs de ces prodiges parurent étrangers à la sobriété qui distingue les évangiles. Rien ne le prouva mieux que la nécessité où se trouvèrent certains exégètes d’expliquer dans un sens spirituel ces dons qu’ils ne purent entendre à la lettre. Chasser les démons fut un pouvoir réellement exercé quelquefois par les apôtres ; Jésus le leur avait positivement conféré. Parler des langues nouvelles, c’est parler des langues non apprises d’une manière naturelle.

Il ne s’agit donc pas du don de parler en langues dans un état d’extase. Saisir des serpents fut une répétition de la promesse de Jésus, qui eut lieu pour Paul à Malte ; Jésus conféra aux siens le pouvoir de braver tous les dangers. Lé don de guérir des malades fut souvent exercé par les apôtres : «Et il se rencontra que le père de Publicis était au lit, malade de la fièvre et de la dysenterie. Paul entra chez lui ; et ayant prié, il lui imposa les mains, et le guérit.» (Ac 28, 8)

Diacre Michel Houyoux

Liens avec d’autres sites Web chrétiens

◊ Regnum Christi : cliquez ici pour lire l’article →Allez dans le monde entier, proclamez l’Évangile

◊ KT42 : cliquez ici pour lire l’article → Jésus a dit : Allez dans le monde entier proclamez l’Évangile

Vidéo  Église Universelle de Belgique : cliquez ici → https://youtu.be/_WWiCyZcDfQ