Both in the Bible and in certain prayers and litanies of the Church, the Greek word "Paraclete" is used and left untranslated. To the modern ear this can be confusing, as it is not a word that we are familiar with or use on a regular basis.
The word appears in the Gospel of John and is spoken by Jesus when he is promising the Holy Spirit:
And I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you for ever. (John 14:15)
What does that word mean?
Multiple meanings
Most bibles translate Paraclete as "Counselor," "Advocate," or "Helper." These are all appropriate translations and drive home the idea that the Holy Spirit has been sent to be with us.
The Catholic Encyclopedia explains this concept and how St. John sees the Holy Spirit:
According to St. John the mission of the Paraclete is to abide with the disciples after Jesus has withdrawn His visible presence from them; to inwardly bring home to them the teaching externally given by Christ and thus to stand as a witness to the doctrine and work of the Savior.
Digging deeper, the original Greek word, "paraklétos," has a few more associations that shed additional light on the mission of the Holy Spirit.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon provides the following definitions of the Greek word and its original meaning in the ancient world:
properly, summoned, called to one's side, especially called to one's aid; hence,
"one who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant; an advocate."
It was a legal term and brings to mind a courtroom with two lawyers, one who is the "Advocate," the one who defends the individual, as well as another lawyer who would be the "Accuser," bringing condemnation upon the individual.
The Holy Spirit is that "Advocate," while Satan is traditionally believed to be the "Accuser," the one who is constantly bringing up our sins and trying to dissuade us and darken our hearts.
In this way the Holy Spirit could be linked closely to the idea of God's Divine Mercy and how the Holy Spirit is always at our side, encouraging us, giving us the grace we need to lead a better life. He is constantly beckoning us to turn away from sin and to embrace a life in the Spirit.
The good news is that we were not left orphans, but were given the Holy Spirit as our Advocate.
