God's Comfort

For the Orthodox Christian, God's comfort, far from being a simple figure of speech, is a spiritual reality. Like all spiritual realities, this one has a mysterious character. It is an event that is not trumpeted, but that is secretly enjoyed in humility and silence. On this spiritual comfort brought by the grace of God within us is based the knowledge of God in the concrete circumstances of life. Because of our sins and the hardening of our hearts, many of us have either become insensitive to this reality or, in the case of trials that involve illness and suffering, we feel it as a true "slap" received from Him. However, God is with us both in times of trouble and in times of joy, for our salvation. God the Savior, out of love for man who has fallen prey to sin and suffering, but who calls on Him for help, also reveals Himself to him as "God the Comforter."

God the Father, the Comforter
Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition clearly reveal to us this teaching about each Person of the Holy Trinity in the "comforter" manifestation over us. The word "comforter" or "paraclete" comes from the Greek "ὁ παράκλητος" (paraklitos) meaning "the one you call for help". The verb "paraklein" means "to call someone" but has various meanings such as: "to defend", "to intercede", "to console", "to comfort".

The Holy Apostle Paul makes known to us in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians the attribute of "comforter" of God, calling Him "the God of comfort": "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us" (II Corinthians 1, 3-4).

The Savior Christ, the Comforter
The title "Comforter" also belongs to the divine-human Person of Christ. 

In the first Ecumenical Epistle of the Holy Apostle John, the Savior Jesus Christ is called the Paraclete or Comforter: "My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1)

The meaning of the word is clear in this case. The Savior Jesus is our advocate before the Heavenly Father. If Christians commit a sin, they should not despair. They have Christ who, through His death and resurrection, can cleanse them from sin, bringing them before the Father as a clean, well-accepted sacrifice.

Moreover, the Savior Himself testifies about Himself as the Comforter, indirectly, when He tells His Apostles in the speech delivered at the Last Supper: "And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter , that he may be with you forever" (John 14:16).

The Holy Spirit, the Comforter
Based on  Holy Scripture , the Tradition of the Church has preserved in its monuments one of the most widespread appellations of the Holy Spirit, "Paraclete" or "Comforter".

This name given to the Holy Spirit was revealed by the Savior Himself to His disciples and shows the gracious work of the Third Person of the Holy Trinity (as mediator, teacher, comforter and defender), both on them and on Christians, in the Church, starting with Pentecost, in a world that will always be hostile to them. The word "paraclete" appears only five times in Holy Scripture and only in the writings of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John: 1 John 2:1; John 14:26; 26; John 15:26; John 16:7.

In His discourse at the Last Supper, the Savior announces His bodily departure from the earth, but He is also the One who tells the disciples about the exceptional event that is to take place shortly after His departure: "And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may be with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I am coming to you. A little while longer, and the world will see Me no more; but you will see Me, because I live and you will live." (John 14:16-19).

This mysterious but real presence of Christ is shown in terms of the presence of the Holy Spirit, who will be sent by the Father after the glorification of the Son. In the Holy Spirit, Christ remains eternally present with the Apostles and with all who believe in Him.

Theologian  Paul Evdokimov  reminds us in this regard: “During Christ’s earthly ministry, the relationship between people and the Holy Spirit was carried out only through and in Christ. On the contrary, after Pentecost, the relationship with Christ is carried out only through and in  the Holy Spirit .”

Saint Cyril of Alexandria does not understand a presence of Christ through a representative, but considers the Holy Spirit as the One through Whom Christ works in believers and in the Church, and the work of God common to the three Persons also ends in the Spirit, just as the hand is the last organ through which the power of the entire human body is finalized and materialized in an act. The Holy Trinity accomplishes any work together, but the work is materialized in a result through the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is called the "Comforter" because He comforts the souls of Christians when they are on earth. He comforts mothers who give birth and raise children, He comforts orphans, the poor, widows, the elderly and all the sick. The Holy Spirit comforts the martyrs who endure torments and give their lives for Christ, the monks and servants of the Church, during the temptations that come upon them from evil people. He comforts, enlightens, inspires, teaches, animates, strengthens and sanctifies all believers. He is Holy and sanctifies our lives through the seven Holy Mysteries. He is all-wise and good and guides our lives through His Seven Gifts, which are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, piety and the fear of God (Isaiah 11:1).

Therefore, in the Orthodox liturgical and spiritual tradition, every prayer, mystery, praise or service, begins with the invocation of the Holy Spirit, which is not a simple ritual work, but refers to the very nature and purpose of Christian worship. Moreover, for the Fathers of the Eastern Church, the vocation and mission of the Church are identified with its very prayer for the continuous renewal of the sending of the Holy Spirit: "Lord, who at the third hour sent your Most Holy Spirit to your Apostles, do not take him from us, O Good One, but renew him for us who pray to you." Epiclesis, the invocation of the Holy Spirit, is the Christian prayer par excellence, because Christians live with the certainty that there is no time and space without the living presence and permanent coming of the risen Christ in the Holy Spirit.
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In conclusion, we recall that each of us, both in moments of spiritual joy, but especially in those in which we are surrounded by troubles, trials and temptations, is obliged to call upon the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Trinity, through this short prayer that we have from the Holy Fathers:

"Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere and fills all things, Treasury of goodness and Giver of life, come and dwell in us and cleanse us from all defilement and save, Good One, our souls." Amen