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Intention

To stand strong in proclaiming the truth of the Christian faith, empowered by the Spirit of truth.

Scripture

“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.”

– John 16:12–13

Reflection

Postmodernism and its view that truth is simply subjective has taken a vice-like grip on the minds of so many in our society. Christians, on the contrary, believe that objective and verifiable truth is accessible to the human mind.

In John 16, the promised Holy Spirit is described by the Lord as the Spirit of truth. The Lord came as Rabbi, teacher. He came as the definitive revelation of the nature of God. He came to reveal the path for human life.

Truth, then, was an essential element of Jesus’ mission and purpose. When the time of His physical presence was coming to an end, the Lord promised that there would be a way by which truth would be accessed and preserved. The Spirit will lead His disciples into complete truth.

Christians must keep proclaiming these fundamental beliefs. First, truth is accessible to everyone. Second, the fullness of truth is found in the Christian faith. In particular, Christianity not only offers the truth about the nature of God. It also reveals the nature of the human person and the meaning and purpose of every human life.

In the face of the nihilism of our age, we must continually proclaim our belief that there is truth, and the truth, as Jesus said, will set us free (John 8:32). We need to declare clearly and boldly that Christianity offers a path for the real enlightenment of the mind.

We are living in an age of ideology. Ideology closes the mind to truth and reality. We are witnessing the extraordinary denial of evident fact in the promotion of gender fluidity which is doing so much harm, especially to young women.

Our task, among so many, is to wean people away from ideology to a life of faith. To do this we must first call people to a living faith – a conviction under the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The most essential truth that the Christian Church proclaims to the world, is that the God of love has come to the aid of fallen humanity and sent His Son. We have been saved by the death of Christ. We are also called to live a new life in the risen Christ. This is the essential truth about human existence. We can never tire of declaring it to the world. This is the truth that can set each person free.

Jesus said, “I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now” (John 16:12). He promised to provide an ongoing means by which we believers would be able to receive enlightenment and be guided to the fullness of truth. We have been promised that the Holy Spirit would accompany the Church as the Spirit of Truth.

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Prayer

Lord, You promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to Your Church. This Spirit would be the “Spirit of truth”.

We desire to know the truth, and to be led to the fullness of truth. Lord, grant each of us the gift of the Spirit as the Spirit of truth.

Author Bio

Archbishop Julian Charles Porteous, DD, B. Theol., is the Catholic Archbishop of Hobart. His family has strong links to Tasmania, with his forebears arriving in Tasmania from England in 1853. His great-grandfather and great-grandmother were both born in Hobart, within one kilometre of St Mary’s Cathedral. His grandfather was named Manful Charles Hobart Granger.

Prayer Points and Purpose for GO Month 2024

1. To worship Jesus and give extravagant praise to God. 1 Chron 16:23–31.
2. To pray for revival, repentance and deliverance for Australia and for millions to find Christ. Acts 2:1–41.
3. To pray for five people by name to find Christ and share the gospel with those five in May. Matt 28:18–20.

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