May 13, 2024 - Mon. of 7th Week of Easter
As we approach the feast of Pentecost, may you continue to be aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life and pray for the further outpouring of the Spirit’s gifts and fruits of the Spirit’s harvest, for yourself and for the whole community of believers.
This week before Pentecost, the focus is upon preparing ourselves to celebrate the great solemnity of the Holy Spirit. We, just like the early believers, have been promised a further empowerment by the Holy Spirit and a greater understanding of our relationship with the GOD Who is Abba-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let us open ourselves to all that the Spirit brings us, and let us continue to pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.”
As we approach the feast of Pentecost, may you continue to be aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life and pray for the further outpouring of the Spirit’s gifts and fruits of the Spirit’s harvest, for yourself and for the whole community of believers.
This week before Pentecost, the focus is upon preparing ourselves to celebrate the great solemnity of the Holy Spirit. We, just like the early believers, have been promised a further empowerment by the Holy Spirit and a greater understanding of our relationship with the GOD Who is Abba-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let us open ourselves to all that the Spirit brings us, and let us continue to pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.”
Readings can be obtained from: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051324.cfm
Our Lady of Fatima: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/our-lady-of-fatima
Readings: Acts 19: 1-8; Psalm 68: 2-3ab, 4-5acd, 6-7ab; John 16: 29-33
The life of a Christian is not always easy. Sometimes we think we have these faith ideas down pat, but then we are challenged. The challenge may be when we think we have it all together, but we still fail to be aware of what it really means to be a believer because we have not let the Holy Spirit fully come upon us (as some of the people in today’s First Reading). At other times, we may be tempted to turn our back on Jesus and other believers and run away by
ourselves (as Jesus predicted would happen to His disciples in today’s Gospel). No matter what, GOD is always willing to be there for us.
In the passage from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul speaks to some of the people of Ephesus. They thought they were believers, but they had only been baptized with the baptism of John the Baptist and had not received the Holy Spirit by being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and the Trinity. After receiving the Trinitarian baptism and having Paul lay his hands on them, they received the gifts that flow from the Holy Spirit’s indwelling (or presence) in them. Paul then remained with them for three months, continuing to teach them and trying to bring more people to the faith.
In the Gospel’s continuation of the Last Supper Discourse, Jesus deals with His disciples who think they have a handle on the whole issue of faith. They think they know it all. Jesus questions them, “Do you really believe?” He predicts that due to His upcoming arrest, trial, and execution, they will all run away and be scattered. Jesus, however, does not fear because He knows He is one with His Abba-Father. Jesus also reassures His disciples that even though they will eventually have to be martyrs (“witnesses” to the point of death), Jesus has ultimately won the victory for them.
The readings today challenge me to look more closely at my own faith. I realize that I have not always allowed the Holy Spirit to fully work in my life. I have often thought, “Now I have it. Now I know what it all means.” It is then that something comes my way that shows that I don’t have it all together. It may be someone challenging me about an aspect of my faith. It may be when something does not go the way I expect. I start to doubt. I wonder about my relationship with GOD. I question the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life.
Jesus never promised that being His disciple would be easy. There are movements in the world that make it difficult to be a believer. Sometimes we question or doubt. We are tempted to presume we have a firm grasp of what it means to believe, and therefore think we do not need any further guidance from the Holy Spirit. Or we may be tempted to say, “This is too much for me; I give up.” I have received emails during the worst days of the worldwide sickness, the change in climate and weather conditions from drought and massive storms, the upheaval and war in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the increased costs in almost everything we buy, and people scared of being victims of random killers. The people questioned how a loving and merciful GOD could allow such things to attack the world.
What I should do is once again come to the Master-Teacher and sit at His feet. I need to listen to His every word, anxiously straining to take in everything He says. I need to pray for the continued outpouring of the Holy Spirit. My prayer, not just in this week before Pentecost but every day, must be: “Come, Holy Spirit.” [I am reminded that when I went to Catholic boarding high school, we used to pray before every class, “Veni, Sancte Spiritus” - “Come, Holy Spirit.”] It is only when I am moved by the Holy Spirit that I start to put things back in perspective. It is only when I actively use the gifts and harvest that flow from the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, discernment, patience, love, joy, peace, awe, reverence, kindness, gentleness, self-control, endurance in the face of suffering, etc.), that I start to have the courage to face whatever comes my way, for I will experience that Jesus has overcome everything that the world throws at me.
No, it is not always easy to be a faithful disciple. We are challenged
throughout our journey. We lack the full understanding of the ways of GOD. Jesus knew that it would happen. He predicted it. Yet, He also knew what/Who would get us through – the Holy Spirit (the Paraclete, the Advocate). Let us continue to turn to our Abba Who happens to be GOD and to our Master-Teacher and ask for the continued gift of the Holy Spirit, today, tomorrow, on Pentecost, and throughout our life.
Blessed are You, LORD GOD, all wise and all knowing. Through Your GOoDness, You desire that we come to a further understanding of You and Your relationship with us, in and through Your Son, Jesus, by the working of the Holy Spirit. It is with the confidence that Jesus gave (and continues to give) us, that we can pray: “Send us Your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of right judgment and courage, the Spirit of knowledge and reverence, the Spirit of wonder and awe in your presence” (Isaiah 11:2). We ask that we may be given from the harvest that flows from the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, GOoDness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control [Galatians 5: 22-23]). We ask that as our Master-Teacher has taught us, and as He has promised us the presence of the Paraclete – the Holy Spirit, we may take what we have learned and live it, share it, and teach it to others, so that we may all be inspired and enthusiastic as we seek to follow the Lord Jesus on our journey back to You, our Abba-Father, Who happens to be GOD. We make this prayer in the name of the same Lord Jesus, Your Son, our Master-Teacher, our Savior, Who is living and reigning with You and the Holy Spirit, our one and only GOD, for ever and ever. Amen. Alleluia!
Song of the Day: Come, Holy Spirit: by City Harvest Church:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R8fJO1hlg8
Come, Holy Spirit by G. Gaither and R. Buchanan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQPcrH0y1P0
Fruit of the Spirit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFumjSll68s
The Fruit of the Holy Spirit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn7xlodeCvw
Video of the Day: Our Lady of Fatima: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4IbOzuNlmE
© rjk, 12-10-22
Our Lady of Fatima: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/our-lady-of-fatima
Readings: Acts 19: 1-8; Psalm 68: 2-3ab, 4-5acd, 6-7ab; John 16: 29-33
The life of a Christian is not always easy. Sometimes we think we have these faith ideas down pat, but then we are challenged. The challenge may be when we think we have it all together, but we still fail to be aware of what it really means to be a believer because we have not let the Holy Spirit fully come upon us (as some of the people in today’s First Reading). At other times, we may be tempted to turn our back on Jesus and other believers and run away by
ourselves (as Jesus predicted would happen to His disciples in today’s Gospel). No matter what, GOD is always willing to be there for us.
In the passage from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul speaks to some of the people of Ephesus. They thought they were believers, but they had only been baptized with the baptism of John the Baptist and had not received the Holy Spirit by being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and the Trinity. After receiving the Trinitarian baptism and having Paul lay his hands on them, they received the gifts that flow from the Holy Spirit’s indwelling (or presence) in them. Paul then remained with them for three months, continuing to teach them and trying to bring more people to the faith.
In the Gospel’s continuation of the Last Supper Discourse, Jesus deals with His disciples who think they have a handle on the whole issue of faith. They think they know it all. Jesus questions them, “Do you really believe?” He predicts that due to His upcoming arrest, trial, and execution, they will all run away and be scattered. Jesus, however, does not fear because He knows He is one with His Abba-Father. Jesus also reassures His disciples that even though they will eventually have to be martyrs (“witnesses” to the point of death), Jesus has ultimately won the victory for them.
The readings today challenge me to look more closely at my own faith. I realize that I have not always allowed the Holy Spirit to fully work in my life. I have often thought, “Now I have it. Now I know what it all means.” It is then that something comes my way that shows that I don’t have it all together. It may be someone challenging me about an aspect of my faith. It may be when something does not go the way I expect. I start to doubt. I wonder about my relationship with GOD. I question the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life.
Jesus never promised that being His disciple would be easy. There are movements in the world that make it difficult to be a believer. Sometimes we question or doubt. We are tempted to presume we have a firm grasp of what it means to believe, and therefore think we do not need any further guidance from the Holy Spirit. Or we may be tempted to say, “This is too much for me; I give up.” I have received emails during the worst days of the worldwide sickness, the change in climate and weather conditions from drought and massive storms, the upheaval and war in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the increased costs in almost everything we buy, and people scared of being victims of random killers. The people questioned how a loving and merciful GOD could allow such things to attack the world.
What I should do is once again come to the Master-Teacher and sit at His feet. I need to listen to His every word, anxiously straining to take in everything He says. I need to pray for the continued outpouring of the Holy Spirit. My prayer, not just in this week before Pentecost but every day, must be: “Come, Holy Spirit.” [I am reminded that when I went to Catholic boarding high school, we used to pray before every class, “Veni, Sancte Spiritus” - “Come, Holy Spirit.”] It is only when I am moved by the Holy Spirit that I start to put things back in perspective. It is only when I actively use the gifts and harvest that flow from the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, discernment, patience, love, joy, peace, awe, reverence, kindness, gentleness, self-control, endurance in the face of suffering, etc.), that I start to have the courage to face whatever comes my way, for I will experience that Jesus has overcome everything that the world throws at me.
No, it is not always easy to be a faithful disciple. We are challenged
throughout our journey. We lack the full understanding of the ways of GOD. Jesus knew that it would happen. He predicted it. Yet, He also knew what/Who would get us through – the Holy Spirit (the Paraclete, the Advocate). Let us continue to turn to our Abba Who happens to be GOD and to our Master-Teacher and ask for the continued gift of the Holy Spirit, today, tomorrow, on Pentecost, and throughout our life.
- The personal question/action for today: How often do I consciously turn to the Holy Spirit and seek the rich harvest and gifts that flow from the Spirit’s presence in my life? Which gift or fruit of the Holy Spirit do I need the most at this time in my life (wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, reverence, wonder and awe, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, GOoDness, faithfulness, gentleness, humility, or self-control)? How can I manifest and give witness today that I have received the Holy Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit is active in my life? What can I do to help bolster the faith of others and reassure them of Holy Spirit’s action in their lives?
Blessed are You, LORD GOD, all wise and all knowing. Through Your GOoDness, You desire that we come to a further understanding of You and Your relationship with us, in and through Your Son, Jesus, by the working of the Holy Spirit. It is with the confidence that Jesus gave (and continues to give) us, that we can pray: “Send us Your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of right judgment and courage, the Spirit of knowledge and reverence, the Spirit of wonder and awe in your presence” (Isaiah 11:2). We ask that we may be given from the harvest that flows from the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, GOoDness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control [Galatians 5: 22-23]). We ask that as our Master-Teacher has taught us, and as He has promised us the presence of the Paraclete – the Holy Spirit, we may take what we have learned and live it, share it, and teach it to others, so that we may all be inspired and enthusiastic as we seek to follow the Lord Jesus on our journey back to You, our Abba-Father, Who happens to be GOD. We make this prayer in the name of the same Lord Jesus, Your Son, our Master-Teacher, our Savior, Who is living and reigning with You and the Holy Spirit, our one and only GOD, for ever and ever. Amen. Alleluia!
Song of the Day: Come, Holy Spirit: by City Harvest Church:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R8fJO1hlg8
Come, Holy Spirit by G. Gaither and R. Buchanan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQPcrH0y1P0
Fruit of the Spirit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFumjSll68s
The Fruit of the Holy Spirit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn7xlodeCvw
Video of the Day: Our Lady of Fatima: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4IbOzuNlmE
© rjk, 12-10-22