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Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Thursday, March 2, 2017
The Guide
John 12-15 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said.
She told us what we would see once we entered the Chapel.
She told us where to look and what to look for. She explained the significance
of things that, if I’d heard or read them before, I’d forgotten. Once the doors
opened, people rushed past things she’d told us to study… to drink in. Our time
in the Chapel, amidst the famous paintings and frescoes was richer and fuller
with her instruction than it ever would have been without it.
Several years ago now, my brother-in-law sent my sisters and
me on a dream vacation to Italy.
The announcement came as a Christmas gift to my middle
sister, the giftor’s wife. In the weeks between the transfer of the tickets
until our departure, my sister, the central recipient of this generous gift,
did much study.
To say that she is a voracious reader would be an
understatement. A librarian by training, at any given time she will pouring
through a half dozen books at once. That’s
precisely how she approached plans for our Italian adventure. Fodor’s.
Shakespeare. Travel blogs. She was all over the thing.
The other two of us ultimately received a booklet with
itinerary, links to informational sites, checklists she’d prepared for us. We
called ourselves trip ready.
Little did we know the history, intricate details and layers
of information in Rome alone… in the Vatican in particular was more than we
could possibly absorb.
The highlight of our visit to the Vatican museums was, of
course, the Sistine Chapel. “The site of the Papal
conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected, the
fame of the Sistine Chapel lies mainly in the frescos that
decorate the interior, and most particularly the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment by Michelangelo,” the guidebooks told us.
But our guide had insider
information that made all the difference in our tour. The Guides for our
trip were hand selected for their experience, familiarity with venues and with
the English language.
We met this one outside the entrance to the Museums de
Vatican in a courtyard. There she explained what entrance we would take, when
and why. (Best views. Shortest lines. Most opportune time.) She knew way more
than we were able to glean for all our readings, even that of my studied middle
sister.
She told us what we would see once we entered the Chapel.
She told us where to look and what to look for. She explained the significance
of things that, if I’d heard or read them before, I’d forgotten. Once the doors
opened, people rushed past things she’d told us to study… to drink in. Our time
in the Chapel, amidst the famous paintings and frescoes was richer and fuller
with her instruction than it ever would have been without it.
The guide carried a long, thin rod, with a patterned flag
affixed at the very top. This banner of hers was different from that of any
other guide in the Sistine Chapel or all the museums surrounding it. She had us
study its pattern immediately so that if we became separated from our group, we
could find our way back by looking up and locating her distinctly patterned
flag.
It was during the Lenten
season. Huge crowds had converged upon Vatican City. The weather was nice. Crews
were setting up for the television broadcast of the Pope’s Palm Sunday message
to Catholics all over the world and the world at large.
Our guide knew how to maneuver around the crush of people
and equipment. If we followed her closely enough, we could hear her instruction
and explanation. We obtained the best vantage points at her direction.
Last week, as I was studying John 15, I was reminded of this
trip and the experience with our guide. John, in his gospel, quotes Jesus,
during the Olivet Discourse, referring
to the Holy Spirit as “Guide.” It is a name for Him I’m not sure I’ve ever
considered before.
John 16:13
says “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he
will guide you into all the truth. He will
not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you
what is yet to come.”
As I think of these words, I am reminded of how
much richer and fuller the trip on our journey toward our home in heaven is
because of the Truth the Holy Spirit guides us (in)to. Because He tells us what
is to come, we can walk unafraid and with conviction.
There is understanding and discernment to be had
from His words and comfort to be had by His nearness to us and ours to Him. He
knows more than any other and is willing to share this knowledge with those who
follow Him through Christ.
We need only look up to find Him waiting to guide
us on our way; to help us stay our course, keeping to the path that is best and
safest for us.
How amazing that our Lord
will give to us freely this instruction and protection.
Earlier in John’s epistle,
he recorded Jesus’ words to the disciples are He neared the time when He would
be taken from them and from this world, “ But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
The Advocate is another
name for the Holy Spirit, I love. And the name of another blog post I intend to
write very soon.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
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