WE DO NOT DO IT ALONE
God can call us in any way He chooses, but usually He does so in a very human way... The needs of our fellow human beings contain the call of Christ Jesus to all of us, leading us to reach out with a helping hand and a loving heart.
St. Paul and his companions made a journey to Macedonia, not on a whim, but because Paul had seen a vision of a man from Macedonia who pleaded with him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." Paul responded because he was committed to following the direction of Jesus in today's Gospel: "When the Advocate comes Whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth...He will testify to Me. And you also testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning" (Jn 15:26 - 27). The result of his journey was a great success, for he founded a community of faith in Philippi - a leading city in the district of Macedonia. The Church flourished there and the Philippians became favorites among Paul's converts. Just like the woman that was baptized and said, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home" (Acts 16:15)!
We may wonder just what the nature of Paul's vision was. Who was the man who asked for help? Was it perhaps Jesus Himself in the guise of a Macedonian? We have no way of answering these questions, but something does stand out clearly for us. God can call us in any way He chooses, but usually He does so in a very human way. Actually, there was no need for Jesus to take up the guise of a Macedonian since He acts in and through other human beings.
What this means for us is that in responding to the needs of others, we are responding to Christ Jesus Himself. The poor and hungry person is Jesus seeking something to eat. The lonely person who needs someone to listen to him, is Jesus seeking companionship. The person who is ill and suffering is Jesus in His passion. The needs of our fellow human beings contain the call of Christ Jesus to all of us, leading us to reach out with a helping hand and a loving heart.
Yes! We help out by reaching out, but we do not do it alone, we have a Helper! In John's Gospel, the Holy Spirit is often referred to as the Advocate; other biblical translations call the Spirit the Paraclete, Counselor, Helper, Comforter or Intercessor. When we are sick, the Comforter comes to heal us. In the sacrament of Penance, we are forgiven through the working of the Counselor. The Spirit of Truth is a gift from our Father, enabling us to speak honestly even in time of persecution.
So, as we struggle with our problems we are not alone, the Helper assists us. And why do we get all this help? The answer is in today's Responsorial Psalm: "The Lord takes delight in His people" (Ps 149: 4a). God will never let us go!