No matter whether you are rich or poor, popular or unknown, successful or unsuccessful, everyone needs an advocate throughout their life and in their relationships.  Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit is our Advocate.  He says the Holy Spirit is our counselor or legal assistant who speaks up for us when we are accused, judged, or wrongly condemned.  The Holy Spirit is our advocate, the "Spirit of truth", Jesus says.  God always knows the truth about us, despite what people think of us. 

The world is prone to gossip, prone to accusation and scandal.  Gossip is always ugly, vicious, cruel, and counterproductive to the unity to which Jesus, our advocate, calls us.  It is vital that we remember that it's only his opinion of us in the end that really matters.  His opinion of us is always better than we think it is.  We judge ourselves harshly which is why we worry so much about what others say about us and how they might judge us.

If we honestly examine ourselves, confess our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and if we genuinely desire to improve, then we will hear Jesus say to us, "I do not condemn you; go and sin no more."  Jesus said that he will not leave us orphans; he will always be with us in the Holy Spirit to defend and encourage us. 

If we genuinely desire to love as Jesus loves and to be faithful to his teachings and his commandments but fail to do so and go to him in the Confession, our Advocate, the Spirit of Truth says to the God the Father: "This child is precious and really does want to be holy."   To us, the Holy Spirit says, "Let me teach you how to grow in holiness and avoid this sin."  To others, the Holy Spirit says: "If you love me, love this precious friend of mine.”  Jesus loves each of us so much that he calls us friend.  Everyone needs a friend.

 With faith, hope and love,
Father Steven C. Rogers