From: John 16:5-11:

The Action of the Holy Spirit (Continuation)

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [5] “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; yet
none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ [6] But because I have said these
things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. [7] Nevertheless I tell you the truth:
it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will
not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. [8] And when He comes, He
will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment: [9] of sin,
because they do not believe in Me; [10] of righteousness, because I go to the
Father, and you will see Me no more; [11] of judgment, because the ruler of this
world is judged.”

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Commentary:

6-7. The thought that He is going to leave them saddens the Apostles, and our
Lord consoles them with the promise of the Paraclete, the Consoler. Later (vv.
20ff), He assures them that their sadness will turn into joy which no one can
take away from them.

Jesus speaks about the Holy Spirit three times during the discourse of the Last
Supper. The first time (14:15ff), He says that another Paraclete (advocate, con-
soler) will come, sent by the Father, to be with them forever; secondly, He says
(14:26) that He Himself will send them, on behalf of the Father, the Spirit of truth
who will teach them everything; and now He unfolds for them the complete plan
of salvation and announces that the Holy Spirit will be sent once He ascends
into Heaven.

8-12. The word “world” here means all those who have not believed in Christ and
have rejected Him. These the Holy Spirit will accuse of sin because of their un-
belief. He will accuse them of unrighteousness because He will show that Jesus
was the Just One who was never guilty of sin (cf. John 8:46; Hebrews 4:15) and
therefore is in glory beside His Father. And, finally, He will indict them by demon-
strating that the devil, the prince of the world, has been overthrown through the
death of Christ, which rescues man from the power of the Evil One and gives him
grace to avoid the snares he lays.

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Readings at Mass

First reading	Acts 16:22-34 ©

The crowd joined in and showed their hostility to Paul and Silas, so the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be flogged. They were given many lashes and then thrown into prison, and the gaoler was told to keep a close watch on them. So, following his instructions, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Late that night Paul and Silas were praying and singing God’s praises, while the other prisoners listened. Suddenly there was an earthquake that shook the prison to its foundations. All the doors flew open and the chains fell from all the prisoners. When the gaoler woke and saw the doors wide open he drew his sword and was about to commit suicide, presuming that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted at the top of his voice, ‘Don’t do yourself any harm; we are all here.’ The gaoler called for lights, then rushed in, threw himself trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas, and escorted them out, saying, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They told him, ‘Become a believer in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, and your household too.’ Then they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all his family. Late as it was, he took them to wash their wounds, and was baptised then and there with all his household. Afterwards he took them home and gave them a meal, and the whole family celebrated their conversion to belief in God.

Psalm	Psalm 137:1-3,7-8 ©

You stretch out your hand and save me, O Lord.

Alleluia!

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:

you have heard the words of my mouth.

In the presence of the angels I will bless you.

I will adore before your holy temple.

You stretch out your hand and save me, O Lord.

Alleluia!

I thank you for your faithfulness and love,

which excel all we ever knew of you.

On the day I called, you answered;

you increased the strength of my soul.

You stretch out your hand and save me, O Lord.

Alleluia!

You stretch out your hand and save me,

your hand will do all things for me.

Your love, O Lord, is eternal,

discard not the work of your hands.

You stretch out your hand and save me, O Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

Christ has risen and shone upon us

whom he redeemed with his blood.

Alleluia!

Or	cf.Jn16:7,13

Alleluia, alleluia!

I will send you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord;

he will lead you to the complete truth.

Alleluia!

Gospel	John 16:5-11 ©

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘Now I am going to the one who sent me.

Not one of you has asked, “Where are you going?”

Yet you are sad at heart because I have told you this.

Still, I must tell you the truth:

it is for your own good that I am going

because unless I go,

the Advocate will not come to you;

but if I do go,

I will send him to you.

And when he comes,

he will show the world how wrong it was,

about sin,

and about who was in the right,

and about judgement:

about sin: proved by their refusal to believe in me;

about who was in the right: proved by my going to the Father and your seeing me no more;

about judgement: proved by the prince of this world being already condemned.’