Take some time at dinner one night this week to read this fun fact and then discuss some of the questions.
Did you know...
…that the term 'Advocate,' a name Jesus uses for the Holy Spirit in this week's gospel, was actually a legal term in the time of Jesus? It meant "one being called beside," like a lawyer that would stand by someone's side and represent them. But this word in other parts of the bible is also translated into English as words like "to comfort," "to pray," "to beseech/implore," and "to exhort." This shows us that the Holy Spirit has a lot of different jobs!
In Jesus' view, it seems like the Holy Spirit is something we can "call beside" us when we need to make decisions, when we are sad, or when we are learning something new. And it is also the Holy Spirit that helps us see when people aren't being treated fairly, when we need to tell people in charge that they aren't being nice (exhortation), and helps us take action in the world to help people in need. What an amazing Advocate we have!
Questions for Discussion:
1) When was a time that you needed help and someone came to comfort you or help you learn something new?
2) When was a time that someone was being treated unfairly and other people spoke out for them?
3) When have you comforted people or said something when someone was being treated unfairly?