Have you ever been sitting in Mass and hear a scripture read, perhaps one you have heard many times, and some word or phrase jumps out from the scripture and jolts you! You heard it and Suddenly You Really Heard It! The Holy Spirit revealed, taught this Truth in the Gospel reading for the Sixth Sunday of Eastertide, May 10, 2026—the truth the Advocate promised by Jesus to His disciples.

The Gospel of John, chapter 14 reads: “I have told you this while I am with you.26The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you.”

Did you see it—The Advocate.

I’m pretty sure all of us at one time or another have needed an advocate—a person to support us, to speak up for us or to defend us.

Here are examples where a advocate may be needed:

In a Legal Context: a professional who represents clients in court.

In Every Day: a person who advocates for someone who cannot speak for themselves.

In short, an advocate is one who stands up for or argues in favor of others or a cause.”

I know from experience there have been times when I have needed an advocate. One time in my life that figures so demonstrably is the following.

I share it with you not for sympathy, but for the power of the Truth I encountered. Yes, I encountered the Truth. It was not of my own making. It was a gift from God.

It was 1983, October 5th, to be exact. My son, Jared DePriest Spurlock, at age 5 months, had died as a result of SIDS.

The depth of grief and pain—so unbearable. Day after day I struggled, sometimes to the point that I thought I was becoming mentally ill. If I could have screamed, there is no telling how loud the decibels would have been—loud enough to cause glass to shatter? I know. I became so desperate that I was like a child opening my Bible at random to see something, anything that might help me. My eyes landed on Romans 8:25-27: “

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.”

I read it over and over and over again! The pearl of great, price-scripture, jumped out!! The Holy Spirit was my Advocate. The Holy Spirit was taking my deep groanings and sighs too deep for words, to the Father. My Father fully understood what I was experiencing. It’s so powerful and meaningful when you understand someone truly understands all that gets bottled up inside you and they listen and hear and are present. Then the pressure, the junk, the groanings get released (maybe not fully, maybe not even understandably, because an Advocate had come to sit down beside you to to listen, to cry hot tears with you.

Over the years I have read and reread, have vocally said over and over and shared it many times with others who couldn’t get the words or sighs or groaning out, but needed to so desperately. Perhaps you are there today. in your life now.

This past Sunday, May 10, Second Sunday in Easter, I heard a scripture read which I have heard before, but this Sunday the person of the Holy Spirit glaringly opened my eyes to to see, hear about the Advocate again. Jesus said, “I have told you this while I am with you.26The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you.”

The TRUTH taught here is we are never without the ADVOCATE, the Holy Spirit. Never ever. Not only on May, 1983 but every day and experience of my life!

My prayer for you is for you to experience the power and Truth of the Advocate. I know I need this Truth in my life always!

May you find Peace and Comfort and Presence! May your awareness of the Advocate be ever close to you and in you!