Paraclete
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May 17, 2024This weekend’s celebration of Pentecost brings the Easter season to its conclusion. In the next two weeks, there will be a feeling of an “extended Easter” because, although we resume Ordinary Time on Monday, the Church will celebrate two major solemnities: The Most Holy Trinity and The Body and Blood of Christ.
We keep in mind that Pentecost was, and still is, a Jewish feast. It has been celebrated since the Old Testament, being called the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks. But the Christian Pentecost is a celebration of what happened on the first Pentecost following the death and resurrection of the Lord. Today’s first reading tells the story:“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.”
Notice that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke uses the Greek word pneuma. To understand this, it is necessary that we go back to the story of creation in the Book of Genesis. “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty ruach sweeping over the waters…” (Gen. 1, 1-2) Notice that I have left ruach in its original language because this can be translated as wind, breath or spirit. In Greek, the equivalent of ruach is pneuma. So, we have here a story of a new creation. God’s Spirit fills the disciples in order to renew the face of the earth. The Spirit has transformed them and stirred them to life, having the boldness to go forth and proclaim the Gospel to all nations.
There are two options for Gospel Reading this weekend. One is the post-Resurrection event where Jesus “breathes” on the disciples and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (Cf. Jn. 20, 19-23) The other is from John 15 where Jesus describes the Spirit whom he shall send to his disciples: “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father… he will testify to me.” The word translated here as “Advocate” is Paraklētos in Greek. It is a word made up of “para” which means “close beside” and “kaleō” which means “to call.” So, etymologically, the noun means “one called alongside.” However, there is not a single English word that captures the full semantic range of Paraklētos.
New Testament scholar Raymond Brown offers this summary of the various uses of Paraklētos: “The Paraclete is a witness in defense of Jesus and a spokesman for him in the context of his trial by his enemies; the Paraclete is a consoler of the disciples for he takes Jesus’ place among them; the Paraclete is a teacher and guide of the disciples and thus their helper. New Testament scholar Brendan Byrne, on the other hand, offers us this: “A Paraclete is someone that you would want standing beside you when you are in a difficult situation - under accusation, at a loss for what to say, needing defense.” Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Amen.
