Pentecost Sunday
June 8
TO KNOW SPIRITUALLY
THE WORD MADE FLESH
From a homily by St Augustine 1
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A comforter, an advocate, (for both terms render the Greek Paraclete) was necessary for the disciples after Christ’s departure. He had not spoken of the Paraclete from the beginning, because his own presence in the midst of them had consoled them, but now, when he was on the point of leaving them, it was fitting that he should speak of this: the Holy Spirit would come to them, and filling their hearts with ardent love, give them power to preach the word of God boldly; the Spirit would bear witness to Christ within their souls, so that they themselves would also bear witness, without being scandalized when their enemies would forbid them the synagogue, and put them to death. But charity “endures to the last”, and it was to be poured out in their hearts by the Holy Spirit.
“I can say truly that it is better for you I should go away; he who is to befriend you will not come to you unless I do go, but if only I make my way there, I will send him to you.” That is to say: It is to your interest to be deprived of my presence under this form of a servant which I have taken; for though it is true that I live among you, the Word made flesh, I do not want you to love me with a natural affection; nor do I want you to be satisfied with this milk alone and wish you could remain as babes. It is to your interest that I go: otherwise the Paraclete will not come to you; if I do not wean you from this childish food that I have given you so far, you will have no appetite for solid food; if you keep a natural affection for me you cannot receive the Holy Spirit.
But why does he say: “He who is to befriend you will not come unless I go?” Was it not then possible for Christ, being here, to send him? Who would dare to say it? The Son of God had not left the place where that Holy Spirit was: come from the Father, he still dwelt in the Father. And then, how could it have been impossible for him to send the Holy Spirit on earth when he was on earth himself? Do we not know that at his baptism the Holy Spirit descended on him and remained with him? Do we not know in fact that they were inseparable? What the gospel means is that the disciples could not receive the Spirit while they continued to know Jesus Christ only according to the flesh.
And these words are an echo of those of St Paul, who himself had received the Holy Spirit: “Even if we used to think of Christ in a human fashion, we do so no longer”. For we know even the flesh itself of Christ otherwise than in a human fashion, when we know spiritually the Word made flesh. Christ had, then, to deprive his disciples of his human presence and then it would not be only the Holy Spirit, but the Father and the Son who would dwell in their souls.
1
Treatise 94 on Jn’s Gospel. Trans. Lectionary and Martyrology,ed. En Calcat Abbey, Dourgne-Tarn 1956, 245-246.