The Holy Spirit Pushes You Forward

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In today’s Gospel, Jesus He tells His disciples that they will be hated, rejected, even persecuted because of Him. And honestly, that doesn’t sound very encouraging. Imagine being there. You left everything to follow Jesus, and now He says, “People are going to come after you.”

But right in the middle of that warning, Jesus gives them a promise: “I will send you the Advocate… the Spirit of truth.” That changes everything. Because Jesus is telling them, and us, that we were never meant to live the Christian life by our own strength. One of the biggest lies we believe is that: “If only I were stronger, holier, smarter, less broken… then I could really follow Jesus.” But Christianity has never been about self-sufficiency. The saints were not people who had it all together. They were people who learned how to rely on the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes standing for Christ makes you look foolish. Sometimes choosing purity, forgiveness, honesty, or faithfulness makes you feel alone. But Jesus says, “I have told you this so that you may not fall away.” That line matters. He does not warn them to scare them. He warns them so they stay faithful when things get difficult.

Every one of us will eventually face moments where following Jesus costs something. Maybe your reputation. Maybe a relationship. Maybe comfort. Maybe approval. The question is not if discipleship will become costly. The question is: what will keep us faithful when it does? The answer is not willpower. It is the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is God alive within you. The Advocate. The One who reminds you who you are when the world tells you otherwise. The One who gives courage when fear takes over. The One who speaks truth when confusion gets loud. And maybe that is the invitation today: stop trying to live Christianity alone.

Because some of us are exhausted trying to carry battles we were never meant to carry by ourselves. We keep asking, “Why is this so hard?” while forgetting that Jesus already told us we would need help and then promised to give it. The saints changed the world not because they were fearless, but because they trusted the Spirit more than they trusted their fear.

And maybe holiness begins there too. Not by pretending we are strong, but by finally letting God be strong within us.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, when I am afraid to stand for truth, give me courage. When I feel weak, remind me that You are with me. When the world pulls me away from Jesus, draw me back to Him. Teach me to trust You more than my fears, and help me live with the quiet strength that comes from knowing I am never alone. Amen.

– Homily by Rev Fr Patrick Agbeko