Scripture Scribbles: May 14, 2023
the Gospel
John 14:15-21
Jesus said to his disciples:
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows him.
But you know him, because he remains with you,
and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
and you are in me and I in you.
Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him."
the devotion
I held my littlest daughter as she squirmed with excitement and marshmallow sugar while the bigger kids played nearby. We were making s’mores with new friends. As the fire warmed the spring night air, one of our new friends shared his conversion story. In it, he described reading John’s gospel for the first time and how it spoke peace into his heart in a way he had never experienced before. I smiled and nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. “There was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:8, First Reading). The Holy Spirit heals us, purifies us, fills us with power and joy and draws us into the love that is the trinity, the love for which our hearts are made. The Holy Spirit is God with us. Always. This gift is impossible to fully comprehend so today I invite you to meditate upon Jesus’ words and the mystery of the trinity with me:
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows him.
But you know him, because he remains with you,
and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
Thank you, Lord. Thank you for sending the gift of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for coming to us. Thank you for being with us, always. Thank you for never leaving us. Help us see and proclaim your presence in every little detail of our lives and the lives of our families, friends and neighbors. Fill us with love and reverence for God and each other. Illuminate scripture for us. Conform our hearts and lives to your heart and life so that we may experience and share the perfect peace and joy for which you made us now and forever. Amen.
Today’s devotion was written by Lucia Parker DeMarco
