At a Confirmation talk that I attended, a priest said, “Imagine that you are one of the disciples in the upper room. You have just spent all this time with Jesus. Jesus! The Son of God! And yet after all that, you still are not ready to go out into the world and carry out his mission. Even though they had Jesus, the disciples still needed the Holy Spirit to help them in carrying out this important mission.”

In this way, we should not cut short the Holy Spirit’s place in our lives and how he can empower us. Even having Jesus literally in their lives for a few years, experiencing his crucifixion, and then his resurrection from the dead, was not enough to carry out their call. The disciples still needed that teacher and advocate before they could do what they were meant to do.

At college, the best courses rely not only on a textbook, but also on teachers, and even better courses have a team of professors. Obviously, we all need Jesus and the textbook of the Bible in our lives, but when he left the world, he sent the Holy Spirit for a reason, because he knew that we could not live as we should by our own power.

Before he left, Jesus said, But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you . . . 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 (Jn 6:7;12).

It is during this week around Pentecost that I am always reminded what an important part of the Trinity the Holy Spirit is and how we would all do well to allow him a bigger role in our lives. We must call upon him in our every need. That is why he came. 

Come, Holy Spirit, and help us all in our mission as mothers! We know that Christ has given you to us, so we ask that you be present with us as our teacher and advocate.