Today, John’s Gospel returns to the final discourse by Jesus with His disciples at the Last Supper. Jesus tells them He has lots more to say to them but they “cannot bear it now.” Why didn’t Jesus explain more? It’s because He knew they were not ready to hear it. They needed time and experience. Yet Jesus still gave them what they needed. He assured them the Holy Spirit would be sent by the Father to guide them to all truth. Jesus had promised His disciples, “I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.” (Jn 14:18) This same assurance applies to us. Like those disciples, we too have much more to learn. We don’t quite comprehend a lot of what Jesus teaches. Only with the Holy Spirit’s guidance can we understand how to live the Gospel in our daily lives. Today is the feast of the Holy Trinity. Every Sunday we proclaim our belief in one God in three divine persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is a mystery we can never fully comprehend. But through the Church, Holy Scripture, the Sacraments and Prayer, God unfolds these mysteries to us over our lifetime. Jesus knew His disciples needed time to learn about God’s love and how to share His love with others. Like those early disciples, we also need time. We too have been graciously given the gift of the Holy Spirit through our Baptism and sealed in our Confirmation. The Spirit gives us the graces we need to follow the example of Christ. Our faith formation is a lifelong obligation and journey. There are numerous resources to help us: Bible studies, podcasts, videos and articles, especially through Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire website and our parish participation in the Flocknote application. God always calls us to respond. He gives us the tools to grow and learn. It’s up to us to open our hearts and minds to the grace of the Holy Spirit. Reflection by parishioner, Dale Gerber