St. Philo of Alexandria wrote:  “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.”  From the moment that we enter into this world, we are engaged in a great battle for our hearts, minds and souls.  This world, broken by sin, is a battleground.  Jesus warned his disciples about the struggles that they would face in living and preaching the gospel of God.  Jesus shares his concern for his disciples:  “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.  Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’  If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (Jn 15,18ff)  In the world we will have our share of troubles:  “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.  In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” (Jn 16,33)  We must make a decision about whether we will give in to the world or remain in the will of the Father:  “Do not love the world or the things of the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world.  Yet the world and its enticement are passing away.  But whoever does the will of God remains forever.” (1Jn 2,15ff)  What is at stake in our battle with the world is life.  We are doing battle for eternal life so that we might remain always in the love of the Father.  Our eternal life is on the line in this battle.  Our enemy is ancient, insidious, crafty and strong and so we do not want to do battle with him alone.  We are not alone in our struggles against sin and death.  Jesus has promised to send us the Holy Spirit who is our Advocate, Witness and Guide.

    The Holy Spirit is our Advocate who is for us, who loves us and who strengthens us from within.  The Spirit of the Lord is a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and of courage, a spirit of knowledge and of reverence.  Jesus promises his disciples that the Spirit will be with them always:  “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it.  But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you.” (Jn 14,16f)  This gift of the Spirit is a gift of love and grace from the Father:  “On that day you will ask in my name, and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you.  For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God.” (Jn 16,26f)  The Spirit is our Advocate who will speak for us and teach us what to say:  “For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” (Lk 12,12)

   The Holy Spirit is our Witness to the truth:  “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me.  And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.” (Jn 15,26f)  The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

    The Holy Spirit is our Guide to lead us to the good and to freedom.  On this journey of life we need a good guide who will tell us the truth and guide us on right paths.  The Holy Spirit is that guide.  Jesus shares with his disciples:  “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.  But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.  He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming.” (Jn 16,12f)  St. Paul reveals to the Corinthians:  “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2Cor 3,17)  We must freely invite the Spirit into our lives and our lives will bear the fruit of the Spirit.  He will help us to break the yoke of slavery to sin:  “I say, then:  live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.  For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.  But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  Now the works of the flesh are obvious:  immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.  I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.” (Gal 5,16-25)  Stay with your Guide and do not wander from the path of the holy way and you will know a peace that surpasses all understanding, a peace that only the Spirit can bring.