Introductory Story
In the Gospel of John, Jesus said that “when [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment” (Jn 16:8).
While one of our senior evangelists was assisting at a prayer meeting, a young man named Caleb approached him, asking for prayers for the healing of his eyes. Caleb’s eyes both had torn retinas. His vision was very bad, especially without his glasses, and he expected eventually to become blind.
Our evangelist proceeded to pray for him. He put his hands near Caleb’s eyes and prayed a short prayer in the Name of Jesus Christ, for a complete healing. After praying, he asked him to test it out: “Caleb, take off your glasses and try to read a page from this book.” Caleb took off his glasses and read the words from the book easily. The evangelist was astonished, and said, “Caleb, it looks like you might have been healed!”
Caleb was shocked and confused. He quickly put his glasses back on, looked around, and said, “No — I’m not healed, my vision is worse than before!” The evangelist told him, “Take off your glasses!” Caleb took off his glasses again and it finally dawned on him that he was completely healed.
In that moment of realization, Caleb understood deeper than before that God is real, and that Jesus is His divine Son. At this new insight, his face became distressed, and he began shaking his head back and forth saying, “Oh no … oh no … oh no …” The evangelist asked him, “What’s wrong?” “Oh, I’ve done really bad things. I’ve messed up … you don’t understand. You don’t know how bad are the things I’ve done.”
Somebody sitting nearby said to Caleb, “Do you need to go to confession?” At those words, the expression on Caleb’s face changed. He went from distressed and anxious to calm and serious. He said, “Yes.” And he got up and went directly to where confessions were being heard.
By the Name of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, Caleb’s eyes were healed that day. By the same Name and same power, Caleb was convicted of sin in his heart. And again, by that Name and power, Caleb was forgiven his many sins.
The Holy Spirit is the Fruit of the Paschal Mystery
“I tell you the truth,” says Jesus to His disciples, “it is to your advantage that I go away” (Jn 16:7). By His Cross, Resurrection, and Ascension (collectively known as the “Paschal Mystery”), Jesus would leave the side of His apostles. For three years, He had formed them by His teaching and example; He was the Messiah, their master and teacher, who lived with them, ate with them, and loved them. But now He predicts His return to God, and says, “It is to your advantage that I go away.”
How is it better for them that Jesus should go away? Isn’t Jesus the one whom Israel has awaited for centuries? Why is it now better for Him to go away? Why should He come to them, only to leave them again?
Jesus immediately answers the question: “If I do not go away,” He says, “the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”
What does this mean? It means that the Holy Spirit is the fruit of the Paschal Mystery.
The Paschal Mystery of Jesus—the Cross, Resurrection, and Ascension to Heaven—is the whole reason that He came into the world in the first place. By the Cross, He took upon His own shoulders the weight of sin and conquered it by the power of His sacrificial love. Then, having conquered sin, He won life and glory for Himself and the whole human race, as He was resurrected to life and exalted to the right hand of the Father. By “going away,” then, the Lord Jesus accomplished the work of the redemption. By “going away,” He is now in a position to pour the fruits of redemption out into the world. This He does by sending “the Counselor,” the Holy Spirit.
In the last lesson, we explained some major principles for the spiritual life of the evangelist. In the process, we did not totally neglect the role of the Holy Spirit. In this lesson, however, we’ll go further and discuss the immense importance of the Holy Spirit for the work of the evangelist. Beginning with Pentecost, at all times the Holy Spirit is the one who makes the Church holy, and moves her out of a self-focused mind, and into an other-directed mind. In other words, the Holy Spirit heals our hardened hearts and sends us on mission. He prepares us for eternal salvation, and equips us to be instruments of salvation for others. We are in dire need of a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit today. Come, Holy Spirit!