Gospel of John

When a " helper" is mentioned in 14:6, 15:26-27 and 16:12-14 is Jesus speaking of the Holy Spirit or is He talking about some other person that has yet to come?

[Brother]

Yes, the Holy Spirit.

I particularly have also thought about the Virgin Mary apparitions regarding those verses since she is filled with the Holy Spirit.

The Virgin Mary has been appearing even to the native Americans before Columbus came to this continent.

Originally Posted by Brother

Yes, the Holy Spirit.

I particularly have also thought about the Virgin Mary apparitions regarding those verses since she is filled with the Holy Spirit.

The Virgin Mary has been appearing even to the native Americans before Columbus came to this continent.

Really?

[Brother]

Well that's what I thought (my opinion) after I saw a documentary on the Virgin of Coromoto, Venezuela. There is no way to probe it sice the native Indians do not talk those apparitions as “The Virgin Mary”, but just as a “Lady” appearing to them and perhaps it never happened before Columbus came to America.

However, the oldest official apparition of our Lady to a native Indian I know is the Virgin of Guadalupe to Juan Diego, which is after the Europeans came to America but there were still many native Americans (North and South) into their own cults.

I also find interesting the story of Our Lady of Coromoto, Venezuela to an Indian tribe which was only into their native traditions and they didn’t know about the significance of the Catholic Church nor were interested to practice it.

See links:

http://www.angelfire.com/pop2/capelucci/History.htm

http://members.chello.nl/~l.de.bondt/LadyCoromoto.htm

Extracts from the above link:

Our Lady has adapted herself to the different ages and to the various needs of humanity.

This is clearly evidenced when she has appeared as Our Lady of: Guadalupe, of Miracles,
of Lourdes and of Fatima, but all in this one of Coromoto as we shall see:

One day, when the Cacique (the Indian Chieftatn) and his wife were crossing a
stream of water, they saw a Lady of extraordinary beauty that said to them
in their native tongue: "Go to the house of the white men and ask, them to pour water
on your heads (Baptism) so as to be able to enter Heaven"... What a difficult situation....

……..The Indian Chieftaín, moved by the souvenir of the Beautiful Lady,
as they called Her since then, was promptly ready and when Juan Sánchez returned,
they departed with him, who led them to an angle between the rivers Guanaguanare
and Tucupido (so called by the indians).

…..on the night of Saturday, the 8th. of September of 1652, She appeared
lo him in his hut, in the presence of his wife, his sister -in-law Isabel, and her littleindian nephew.
(This is the only time that the Blessed Virgin Mother has appeared to a family)

When the Cacique sees Her, he grabs an arrow and aims to kill Her; but Our Lady,
as the loving mother that never is afraid of a son, gets near to him. Then he throws the
arrow and tries to push Her, but She dissapears, leaving in his hand,
in a small paper of parchment, Her blessed image. He hides it, to burn it later.
But, he would have done so, expect for the presence there of a boy (often,
God avails Himself of children and of souls full of candor for great deeds). The little Indian
advised Juan Sanchez, who then went together with two of his companions,
Bartolome Sanchez and Juan Sibrián to the site of the apparation and collected the precious relic.
They notified the civil and ecclesiastic authorities; but, these, did not believe them.

... what happened with the Cacique?.he fled to the jungle and when the Blessed
Virgin saw that She had not obtained anything For him, She permitted a poisonous
snake to bite him. Then his heart retumed to God and he started to ask for Baptism.
A man from Barinas state, that happened to pass by thosemoments imparted it to him.
After his baptism he became an apostle, and asked the Indians not to be separated from the
missionary man he was, and to be baptized.

Thus encouraged by the advice of the Cacique, the Cospe indians formed a community of very
fervent faithful.

[Ron Conte]

Originally Posted by AI2001

When a " helper" is mentioned in 14:6, 15:26-27 and 16:12-14 is Jesus speaking of the Holy Spirit or is He talking about some other person that has yet to come?

Which translation are you using?

{14:16} And I will ask the Father, and he will give another Advocate to you, so that he may abide with you for eternity:

{15:26} But when the Advocate has arrived, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will offer testimony about me.
{15:27} And you shall offer testimony, because you are with me from the beginning.”

{16:12} I still have many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them now.
{16:13} But when the Spirit of truth has arrived, he will teach the whole truth to you. For he will not be speaking from himself. Instead, whatever he will hear, he will speak. And he will announce to you the things that are to come.
{16:14} He shall glorify me. For he will receive from what is mine, and he will announce it to you.

These verse refer to the Holy Spirit.