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The Helper is God the Holy Ghost. He is also called Holy Spirit, Paraclete, and Counselor. He is God the 3rd Person of the Blessed Trinity. He is the great "stand-besider." The Holy Ghost is God, not a part of God, not 1/3 God, but God and Lord, equal to the Father and Equal to the Son, but not making 3 separate Gods, only the incomprehensible mystery we call the Godhead: three in one, one in three. The Holy Ghost has always been. He is Alpha and Omega as well. He was with the Father and the Word from before eternity. He was hovering over the formless, faceless, void of the deep in Genesis One when the Father spoke the Word. He proceeds from the Father and the Son. He is called both the finger of God as well as the breath of God. He has allowed His true presence to be seen in the form of a dove, and in the likeness of tongues of living fire dancing upon the heads of the apostles. He is good. He is love. He is your closest friend and companion.

St. John quotes Jesus calling the Holy Ghost the Helper. The great task of the Spirit is to be the "testifier." When one testifies one speaks the truth. One gives evidence of that which was and is. Testifying is declaring reality to those who were not necessarily there to see and hear the actual events unfold in the spatial-time continuum. The Holy Ghost knows Jesus better than a Father or Mother knows their child. He knows the Christ better than a spouse knows it's beloved. He even knows the Son better than a person knows himself. There is no sin, deception or clouded subjective judgment in His knowledge. There is only the perfect God knowing the internal and external workings of the Trinity.

The Holy Ghost is the "silent partner" the Godhead. That's the way the Lord wishes it to be. The Father is spirit, likewise the Holy Ghost, only the Son is Incarnate: Immanuel. The Spirit can of course show Himself when and where He chooses, as He has revealed Himself in Scripture on occasion. But His joy is in "alighting" upon Jesus as He once did in the Jordan River. He does this Gospel revealing today, upon you, when He does it with Jesus in the Word and in the Holy Sacraments.

When you go to see your favorite musical group or performer give a live concert; or when you go to see a play performed, you have an illustration of the Holy Ghost's work and function. The houselights go down, it's black, and then "boom" the spotlight in the back of the auditorium snaps on and a beam of light focuses upon the performer in the middle of the stage as the crowd's eyes are transfixed...............on what? Do you swivel your head 180 degrees around to the back and muse: "wow what an incredible spot light that is. I wonder what kind. Maybe General Electric or Westinghouse. I wonder what the candlelight power of the bulb is. Is it halogen or mercury vapor hmm?" Of course not. You don't even think about the spotlight. Your attention is riveted to the object in the middle of its beam. That's the way the Helper gives you the Son. That's the way the invisible Holy Spirit lights up Jesus the God/Man in your life. He Who is still Incarnate for you.

When the Scriptures are being read by you, or to you, the Holy Ghost is right there next to (standing beside) your brain, your conscience, your soul giving you Jesus--the full content and context of the whole Bible. When you remember your Holy Washing + the Holy Ghost is there reminding you that you were buried with Jesus into His death and are now raised with Him in His resurrected eternal life. When you kneel at rail, the Holy Ghost is there allowing you to receive the Savior's precious Body and Holy Blood in faith and discernment.

Because of sinful human nature, nothing of what I have just said is what we want. We want the Holy Spirit to give us the power to "speak in tongues." We want the Spirit to be our big jolt of spiritual caffeine... energizing us into fits of activity, accomplishments and the tingling emotional buzz of a Jesus "feel-good."

Thank God that the Lord loves you too much for such juvenile and inane self-gratification. Thank God that He has given you in His Church such men as Saint Paul who let the Holy Ghost keep the main thing the main thing . "I resolve to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and Him Crucified."

The Apostles were told by their dear Master, that the time was coming when they would be "put out of the synagogues," ie: when they would be excommunicated from their Jewish roots, families, communities and old friends. In their coming times of persecution the Holy Ghost was with them. Not always rescuing them like a super hero, but rather making them true, strong and faithful to the end. The end is heaven. That's where you want to end up.

The Holy Ghost gives you Jesus, in Whom all the Godhead dwells in bodily form. This gives you forgiveness of your sins now. This gives you strength to carry on in your life under the cross in the days and months and years ahead. This Spirit-delivered Jesus gives you the guarantee of eternal salvation when the Lord returns in glory to take His own to the heavenly mansions.

You may not think about your loving friend and counselor, the Holy Ghost very much. That'okay, that's the way He wants it. He delights when you look to your Savior Jesus Christ. Not to the distant past of Calvary, which is no longer there, but to where the Spirit is now active in your lives. He touches you, shapes you, molds you, energizes you in Christ Crucified:
the Scriptures,
the ongoing Adoption of Sons and Daughters,
the Feast of the Lamb
Thank you Holy Spirit