"In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live." John 14:19

The recent visit of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has called our attention to the Bishop of Rome and the titles given to the pope. One of these is Vicar of Christ on earth, "vicar" comes from a Latin word meaning "to take the place of." A vicar is a proxy or substitute. To someone outside the Catholic Church this might sound a little odd. How can Christ have someone standing in for Him? I think Jesus helps to answer that question in the Gospel today.

We must note that Jesus addresses the words of the Gospel today to his disciples. Jesus is not speaking to everyone. He is speaking to that select group that He has chosen to carry on His work. He knows that He must ascend, and Jesus prepares the disciples for this departure. Jesus wants them to know that they will not be alone. "I will ask the Father," Jesus says, "and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth..." (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit then is the Advocate sent to insure that Jesus will remain with His disciples. As a matter of fact, that Spirit will confirm that Jesus remains with His disciples. This is no idle promise. It is a dynamic reminder that He is always with His Church, because His Church is the sign of His abiding presence in the world.

"In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you" (John 14:19-20). Those words spoken by Jesus tell us that Jesus identifies with His Church. To that Church, to those early disciples and their successors and to us, Jesus promises the Spirit of God that will confirm everything He said. It is a powerful Spirit, this Spirit of truth. Jesus says, "...the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will instruct you in everything, and remind you of all that I told you" (John 14:26). For this reason the Church took that precious gift of Jesus' teaching and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit canonized the Sacred Scripture and continued teaching its immortal values. At the end of the Gospel of St. John, the Evangelist writes these words, "There are still many other things that Jesus did, yet if they were written about in detail, I doubt there would be room enough in the entire world to hold the books to record them" (John 21:25). St. John is saying that all that needs to be taught is not just written down. The Holy Spirit is carrying on the work of Christ.

In this context we can understand the work of the vicar. When Jesus says to St. Peter, "You are 'Rock', and on this rock I will build my church, and the jaws of death shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18), Jesus is identifying with St. Peter. You might say that Jesus is the rock, as well as St. Peter. As Vicar of Christ, St. Peter will carry on the work of strengthening the brothers. Jesus says to Peter in this verse, "I have prayed for you that your faith may never fail. You in turn must strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:32). St. Peter becomes another Christ but in a special and unique way.

Being a vicar, taking on the office of first teacher, is possible in the Church because what the Father has given Christ, Christ has given His Church. Praying to His Father, Jesus says, "I have given them the glory you gave me that they may be one, as we are one" (John 17:22). This is why unity within the Church and unity with the vicar is most important. It is not unity for the sake of uniformity. It is unity for the sake of credibility. Jesus continues in prayer, "I pray that they may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me" (John 17:21). The very credibility of Jesus depends upon the unity of those who believe in Him.

The world, as Jesus says, will never understand this. The world may challenge certain beliefs. A true vicar, however, will answer what I have heard so many Vicars of Christ say. He must be obedient to the truth. These beliefs are not a matter of opinion. They are not subject to the latest poll. They are part of a rich deposit of faith given to us by Christ. To remain faithful to them is to remain faithful to the truth. None of this fidelity ever excludes charity or compassion or understanding. Let us not forget, however, that ultimately there is no compassion without truth. Without truth compassion becomes merely a fleeting emotion, a transitory sentiment.

That Spirit of truth lives on in the Church. It lives on in us who are members of that Body of Christ. The work of every true vicar is to insure that the Spirit of truth works through him for the good of the body. "You will see me, because I live and you will live" (John 14:19).