Perhaps we have that person in our life, perhaps in a difficult moment when we truly felt alone and isolated and there was someone there to be there for us.

Maybe it was a family member or a friend or even a stranger. They reminded us that someone is there with us. Keeping vigil, keeping watch with us through difficult times.

There may have been times when we were that person who kind of was there for somebody else. Helped them in a challenging moment in their life.

I think of that today in the gospel because Jesus is encouraging his disciples in this, kind of what’s called the ‘farewell discourse.’ to remind them that they are to love him and to keep God’s commandments and to know that when they do this they will experience that presence, that gift of peace, and that guidance of the advocate. That spirit, the Holy Spirit. The spirit of truth.

In this sixth Sunday of Easter, right before we’re going to celebrate the ascension of the Lord this is an important message for us.

It’s words for encouragement for us in this time.

The advocate, the spirit of truth -the Holy Spirit- helps us in a similar way, it helps the apostles and the disciples. He doesn’t leave us alone, but Jesus helps us when we face our problems or our questions that we might have in our life. We know that God is with us there as he has promised. Consoling us in our time of need. And teaching us how in the presence of the advocate, when we love Jesus, keep his commandments we allow him to remain in us and we in him.

If we have this confidence knowing the spirit of truth, the advocate is with us on our journey of faith when we can a face many different challenges and adversities. In times of struggle, loving Jesus, and being obedient allowing him to guide us to something more.

The risen Lord will never abandon us, he promised the Holy Spirit to the apostles and to all of us. The struggles in our hearts, the struggles we face in our relationships whether we might be in our own lives- in our personal life, in our health situations, or family, or workplace, or school-our place before the loving Jesus, the presence of the spirit. To remind us that we have the promise of the presence of God the holy spirit, the advocate, spirit of truth to be with us.

Then we find encouragement during this Easter season to know that God does not leave us orphan that he is with us, that we have the opportunity each and every day to renew our baptismal promises that call of relationship with Christ. Living out our faith through challenges with courage and the great presence of the gift of the spirit.