The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord
A spiritual gift is an ability granted by God, which helps the person to grow in holiness and effectively serve the people of God.
We need to pray constantly to receive these gifts of the Holy Spirit… WISDOM: It is the perfection of faith. Through wisdom, one comes to value those things properly, which we believe through faith
Wisdom detaches us from the world and makes us relish and love the things of heaven!
UNDERSTANDING: Understanding is the ability to grasp and understand, in a limited way, the essence of Divine Truths.
While Wisdom is the ‘desire’ to contemplate heavenly things, Understanding helps us to penetrate to the core of revealed truths (of course, in a limited way!)
COUNSEL: Counsel is the gift of supernatural prudence.
Counsel allows us to understand the promptings of the Holy Spirit and to judge rightly, what we should do in a particular circumstance.
FORTITUDE: Fortitude gives us the strength and the courage to be strong in the face of difficulties
Fortitude is the virtue that makes us to overcome fear and to remain firm in our will, even in the midst of obstacles
KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge enables us to ascertain God’s purpose in our lives and His reason for placing us in our particular circumstances.
Knowledge is the gift to discern effectively between the impulses of temptation and the inspirations of grace.
PIETY: It is the virtue by which a person is disposed to render worship and service to God, in the way He deserves.
Piety is an instinctive affection for God that makes us desire to honour and worship Him
FEAR OF THE LORD: This is virtue that desires not to offend God, even in the slightest of ways possible
Fear of the Lord comes, not because of the Lord’s punishment, but arises from an immense love for Him – wanting to respect the Lord and live a life pleasing to the Lord always
EXAMINE: Can I pray to the Holy Spirit to bless me with His Gifts…? … to help me to grow in holiness of life and live a Christ-like life … to help me to use these gifts to lead others to sanctity in Christ
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, the Giver of Gifts, fill me with your seven-fold gifts.
May Your Gifts…
help me to understand the Divine mysteries and live them faithfully in my life cause me to trust in Your Providence, and to bring many more to the Love of God
Fill me with your gifts… enable me to walk with You… inspire me to lead others to You, Amen!
Come Holy Spirit…Come into our hearts… and renew us, in your mighty love and fire!
“Opening our hearts to receive the Holy Spirit and to become aware of the greatness of our vocation as Christians!”
(Based on the Solemnity of the Pentecost)
An old beggar-man lay on his deathbed.
As he was departing from this world, his last words to his only son who had been a constant companion during his begging trips were:
“Dear son,” he said, “I have nothing to give you except a cotton bag and a dirty bronze bowl which I got in my younger days from the junkyard of a rich lady.”
After the death of his father, the boy continued begging, using the bowl his father had given him.
One day, a gold merchant dropped a coin in this boy’s bowl.
The merchant was, however, surprised to hear a familiar clinking sound.
“Let me check your bowl,” the merchant said.
To his great surprise, he found that the beggar boy’s bowl was made of pure gold.
“My dear young man,” he said, “why do you waste your time begging? That bowl of yours is made of gold!
It is worth a huge amount of money!
Realize that you are a rich man.
Be aware of the worth of the treasure that is with you, and live a life worthy of it!”
How often is our Christian life also lived in such ignorance of the treasure that we possess!
We fail to realize that as Christians, we have been blessed with immense spiritual riches.
Today, on this Great Day of Pentecost, we are invited to open our hearts to receive the power of the Holy Spirit and to become aware of the greatness of our vocation as Christians.
Pentecost, El Greco, 1600, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid
On the day of Pentecost, in the Upper Room, as the disciples were gathered in prayer, along with Blessed Mother Mary, “the Holy Spirit filled the entire house in which they were” (Acts 2:2)
It is to be noted that the word used to describe the coming of the Holy Spirit is the Greek word “aphno” which means “suddenly” “And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind…” (Acts 2: 2)
The coming of the Holy Spirit was “sudden”.
This energetic entry of the Holy Spirit is a glimpse to one important characteristic of the person of the Holy Spirit: Vitality!
The Holy Spirit is a spirit of life … of energy … of vivacity … of animation … of dynamism!
Where the Holy Spirit is, there is the great movement of the will, the mind and the heart!
It was this “sudden” coming of the Holy Spirit, that transformed the small group of Jesus’ disciples into mighty warriors of the Kingdom of God.
Fear was transformed into power…
Timidity was changed into boldness…
Uncertainty was converted into conviction…
Our own lives need an encounter of this “life-transforming” experience.
Is my Christian life, dull and slow – merely laced with routine actions of prayers and sacraments? Is my life of faith, lethargic and tepid – simply being pulled on, without any particular awareness or lived without any enthusiasm? … then, we need the mighty movement of the Holy Spirit to impress life and vitality to our life and our faith!
The Holy Spirit – the shy Person of the Blessed Trinity – is often neglected in our prayers or devotion
The study and awareness of the Holy Spirit is certainly, in general, given lesser priority and importance in comparison to the other Persons of the Trinity The Feast of the Pentecost is very often not accorded the “solemn” tone in comparison to other feasts like Christmas or Easter
But let us realize, that in the Holy Spirit and in the celebration of this Feast, we have a great treasure to cherish and enjoy.
Each Christian ought to build an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. Each Christian must become more aware of the role of the Holy Spirit in daily living
Let us inculcate a few practical resolutions to grow in our intimacy and union with this Powerful and Dynamic Personality of the Blessed Trinity: a. Begin the day by offering our lives to the Holy Spirit
b. Praying, “Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and minds” as we begin a particular activity or work
c. Making a short examination of conscience at the end of the day… … introspecting our lives with respect to sin … being grateful for His guidance through the day … seeking for help to do better the following day
d. Asking for enlightenment in moments of taking decisions and offering to the Holy Spirit – even simply and ordinary ones
e. Purposely creating a few seconds of silence in the schedule of our works or through the course of the day, and talking to the Holy Spirit, as a friend, in the cave of our heart
f. Listening to the still, gentle voice of the Holy Spirit in the depths of our being … asking Him to help us to be more active to read God’s Word in the Bible … and to partake of the Sacraments more frequently especially Confession and Holy Eucharist.
The Lord has blessed our lives with the gift of the Holy Spirit.
He longs to empower our lives…
He earnestly wants to be in total control of our lives…
But for this, He needs our permission… A permission in the form of… … longing for Him … making sincere efforts to live away sin
Let us realize that by the Grace and Power of the Holy Spirit, we are all rich!
May we be aware of the worth of the treasure that is with us, and live a life worthy of it!
On this last day of the month of May, we seek the special intercession of Mother Mary – Our Lady of the Rosary – and pray for the deeper infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Wish you a very Happy Feast of the Holy Spirit – the Pentecost!
Happy Birthday to our Mother Church!
May we receive the sweetness of the Holy Eucharist more worthily and enthusiastically!
God Bless! Live Jesus!
Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “May it please the Divine Majesty to grant us…
The gift of Fear: to we may serve Him filially
The gift of Piety: to revere Him as our most loving Father
The gift of Knowledge: to know the good we ought to do and the evil we ought to avoid
The gift of Fortitude: to overcome courageously all difficulties in the practice of virtue
The gift of Counsel: to discern and to choose the true way of perfection
The gift of Understanding: to realize the beauty and benefit of the mysteries of faith and of the truths of the Gospel
The gift of Wisdom: to taste how good God is, to savour and experience the sweetness of His incomprehensible benignity.
Oh! How happy shall we be, if we receive these priceless gifts, for doubtless, they will lead us to the summit of this mystical ladder…
… where we shall be received by our Divine Savior who awaits us there with open arms, to make us participants of His glory and felicity!”
REFLECT One of the great tragedies that we encounter in our modern world is that of “division”
Communities “split”…
Societies get “divided”…
Hearts get “separated”… … on the basis of caste, colour, creed, language etc
The evil spirit of “divisiveness” is rampant everywhere!
It is the Holy Spirit Who alone can unite us and help us to cast away this negative force.
St Paul speaks of “strive to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3)
How does the Holy Spirit unite us?
He unites us to Christ and to be persons oriented to do the Will of God ( Eph 4:1ff) He unites us to one another by helping to know each other as “members of the One Body” ( 1 Cor 12:13)
EXAMINE: Can I seek the assistance of “Holy Spirit – The Unifier”…? … to help me to be more united to the Will and Ways of the Lord … to help me to accept other persons as “members of Christ’s body” and to go beyond peripheral dimensions of life, to live in peace and unity
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, the One Who unites us to Christ and to all people, cast away the forces of evil that cause division in our lives.
Unite us…
with the Will of the Father, so that, like Jesus, we too may always work for the growth of the Kingdom and the glory of God to see beyond aspects of “division” and instead to build relationships on commonalities and thus move from being “advocates of division” to be “agents of unity”
Unite us in Your love… bring us together to enjoy peace and harmony… join our hearts in loving fellowship, Amen!
Come Holy Spirit…Come into our hearts… and renew us, in your mighty love and fire!
“Being animated by the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit, so that we too may be Christ’s faithful and dynamic witnesses… and like St Peter and St John – and St Paul – become “special students” of our Great Teacher, Jesus!”
(Based on Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 and Jn 21:20-25)
The experience of teachers in a school with the students is pretty interesting.
Each student is unique in their character and nature.
The relationship with each student is also unique
Undoubtedly… … some students tend to be more in the limelight… due to their high vibrancy and level of enthusiasm … some students remain in the shadows… due to their soft and timid nature
But the teacher shares a unique relationship with all.. … with some more close, with some just normal, with some just casual
Sometimes the most naughty one, or the mischievous one gets special attention Sometimes, the most silent one gets a special favour of affection and care
The Greatest Teacher, Jesus also had his class of students… his chosen twelve.. the Apostles.
He shared a unique relationship with all of them, undoubtedly.
Yet, among the twelve, there were some with whom Jesus had a special bonding
One among them was very vocal, emotional and actively in the limelight…
The other was more silent, affectionate and passively in the backgrounds…
The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus, the teacher in conversation with these two of His students, with whom He had a special bonding – Peter and John.
Peter was the one, very vocal, emotional and being active in the limelight… John was the more silent, affectionate and remained passively in the backgrounds…
We are the end of the Gospel of St John.
Jesus had engaged Peter in a one-to-one conversation reviving His commitment to Him and the Kingdom by asking him, three times, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was also entrusted to be the Shepherd of His Church on the earth
However, Peter was also curious what would be the future of the other disciple.
His curiosity is a common human trait: a keen desire to know the future and the prospects of other people.
Sometimes this trait can also degenerate into jealousy… Sometimes this trait can also be reduced to envy…
In the parable of the workers in the vineyard… those who came at the end received the same one denarii as the first.
The complaint of those who toiled the whole day was not just that they received a less pay; but more so, that why did the last ones… … get a higher pay!
The generosity towards the others, made them to feel envious
In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the prodigal son was given a grand reception on his arrival back.
The complaint of the elder son was not just that he never had enjoyed a luxurious time with his friends; but more so, that the younger sin who had committed many sins… … was given a special welcome.
The generosity towards the younger son, made him to feel jealous.
Realizing the possibility of this common human trait, Jesus chides Peter who was over-curious to know of the future of John; instead He re-focusses Peter’s attention on what is most important: Following Him.
Therefore Jesus tells to Peter: “What concern is it of yours? You follow me” (Jn 21: 22)
The same advice is rendered to us also…
We sometimes tend to be too anxious about the life of the other… … but fail to have a proper control in our personal lives! We sometimes tend to be over-curious about the future of others… … but fail to live our lives worthily!
The Lord advises us the same too, “You follow me!”
The two special students of Jesus, the teacher – Peter and John – is also a reminder of two ways or levels of Christian holiness…
The Life of Peter… lived in witness to Christ by a life of martyrdom The Life of John… lived in witness to Christ by a life of loving sacrifices in life
Each one of us are to… … live in holiness, filled with love, like St John … live in commitment, willing to give up even our lives, like St Peter
The first reading of the Liturgy also points us to the Life of St Paul… … a zealous and valiant missionary, who offered his life in total commitment to the Kingdom
St Paul dwells in Rome – considered from St Luke’s perspective as the end of the earth (signifying that the Gospel has moved from Jerusalem, the centre to Rome, the end of the earth!) “And Paul lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ quite openly and unhindered!”
On the eve of the Great Feast of the Pentecost, let us prepare our hearts to receive the fire of the Holy Spirit.
We seek the special intercession of our Blessed Mother – the Queen of the Apostles – on her Feast Day… … that She Who interceded with the Apostles, may intercede for us also, for the Mighty Gift of the Holy Spirit!
May we be animated and constantly live in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, so that we too may be Christ’s faithful and dynamic witnesses… … and like St Peter and St John – and St Paul – become “special students” of our Great Teacher, Jesus!
Happy Feast of Mary, Queen of the Apostles!
God Bless! Live Jesus!
Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Be what you are…
REFLECT: Life is very often a roller-coaster – of emotions, of circumstances, in relationships
There are days when things seem to be so good and fine But there are also many days when life seems so bitter, harsh and even unfair
Life is also a long journey… … with many twists and turns … many deserts and storms encountered.
There are many moments… … when we feel fearful and afraid to move on ahead in life … when we feel drained off all energy and collapsing with spiritual exhaustion
This is more so, when one tries to live an honest and a genuine Christian Life – following the teachings and commands of the Lord.
Therefore the Lord promised to send “Holy Spirit, the Comforter” (Jn 16:7) to strengthen us and keep us reassured and consoled.
We need a Booster… an Energizer…
It is the Holy Spirit Who is the Mighty Spirit “to empower us”!
The word “Comforter” would mean… … the One Who runs to our side and picks us up … in legal terms, the One Who would aid or counsel for the defense
The Holy Spirit is our sure assurance of Comfort… … strengthening us in our moments of crisis, confusions, calamities and uncertainties … lifting our dropping spirits, raising our falling hearts and energizing our tiring minds
In Acts 1:8, Jesus says, “You will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes on you”
The Holy Spirit is POWER – DUNAMIS … like the dynamite, can cause a a mighty upheaval to make one to listen and do God’s Will … like the dynamite, can cause a blast of our sinful ways and make us walk in His paths
EXAMINE: Can I truly invite The Holy Spirit to “be the Comforter of my life”…? … banking on His power in my weaknesses, failures and helplessness … drawing courage when everything seems lost and I experience a lot of pain in life
Can I draw power and strength from “The Holy Spirit – the One Who empowers us”…? … allowing Him to work mightily in our weakness and areas of fear and anxiety … trusting in Him to supply with energy and vigour to keep us vibrant followers of Christ
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, the Mighty Comforter and the One Who Empowers, help me to depend on You, in my moments of struggle and sadness. May your powerful anointing fill my life
Comfort me …
with new vigour and hope – when it gets difficult to continue with the tasks entrusted to me, with with enthusiasm and energy – when I fail to be understood by people and when situations turn hostile to me
Empower me …
with courage, when things around me fall apart and infill me with the dynamism of Your vitality with hope, when traces of meaninglessness and worthlessness creeps into my mind
Console me with Your gentleness… empower me with Your peace… cheer me up with Your love!
Endow me with Your strength… saturate me with Your holiness… imbue me with endurance, Amen!
Come Holy Spirit…Come into our hearts… and renew us, in your mighty love and fire!
“Acknowledging our sinfulness and failures and realizing our weaknesses and shortcomings, let us, tell the Lord, ‘Yes, Lord, I love you!’”
(Based on Acts 25: 13-21 and Jn 21:15-19)
A little boy one day approached his father who he knew, was well versed with the terms used in the Bible, with a doubt.
“Daddy,” asked the boy, “what is the meaning of Cherubim and Seraphim. We hear it so often in the Bible.”
The father, appreciating the Biblical curiosity of his child, after some thoughtful moments answered: “Cherubim is a word which means “knowledge”
The word Seraphim stands for “flame”
It is commonly understood that Cherubims are angels that excel in knowledge of God… … and the Seraphims are those who excel in Love for God.
“Ah,” answered the boy, “In that case, I wish and hope, that when I die, I will be a Seraphim!
I would prefer more to love God, than to know everything!”
Of course, Cherubims and the Seraphims have their own importance in the order of Angels.
But what the child innocently expressed was his desire to love the Lord more!
How about us? Do we also desire to Love God…? … more?
The Gospel of the Day is the encounter of Jesus with His chosen Disciple Peter… … who “knew Jesus” a lot … but was yet to “love Jesus completely!”
The incident presents St Peter grappling with his weaknesses in expressing his love for his Master… … and Jesus, knowing very well the frailties of his chosen one, entrusting great responsibilities on him.
Jesus in His post-resurrection appearances to the Apostles, engages in a special one-to-one conversation with the Peter, the leader of the chosen ones…
It’s interesting to see the choice of the Lord for Peter as the leader of His chosen ones.
Peter was a fisherman by profession…
Like the waves, his faith and trust in the Lord would also often waver… Like the winds blowing heavily, his zeal for the Lord would also often vacillate…
Yet, the Lord chooses him to be a “fisher of man” for His Kingdom…. expecting him… … to be like the fish – finding life and vibrancy only by being in the waters of grace and mercy … to be like the net – gathering up the children of God and keeping them together … to be like the boat – not being stuck on the shores, but ready to launch into the deep waters of evangelization
Peter had undoubtedly a lot of interest and zeal in the Lord… and in His Mission.
Yet by nature, he tended to be more emotional… indecisive…fluttering
And this caused him to deny the Lord three times, during the passion of the Lord..
But the Lord, in His infinite mercy, restores the brokenness in the relationship, with His healing love.
Our lives too, so often, resembles that of Peter.
We fluctuate in our commitments to the Lord… We easily break many of the resolutions made to the Lord… We very often go astray, despite having experienced much love from the Lord…
Yet, Jesus does not abandon us.
Like the Shepherd, who comes after His lost sheep… Like a Potter, who re-moulds His work when dis-shaped… Like a Physician, who attends with patience for His ailing patient…
The Lord comes to us…
And with much hope puts forward the same question, that He asked Peter: “Do You love Me?”
The Lord awaits an answer…
It will be easy to jump in and say “Yes, Lord, I do love you”. But…
Let our answer, not just be triggered by emotional feelings… Let our answer, not be simply impelled by a ritualistic custom…
Rather, from the depth of our inner-being… … acknowledging our sinfulness and failures… … realizing our weaknesses and shortcomings…
And yet…. … trusting in the goodness of the Lord… … hopeful in the mercy of the Lord…
Let us, tell the Lord… … “Yes, Lord, I love you!!”
Let the courageous example of St Paul also be an inspiration
His life of bold witness to Jesus and His Resurrection, made him to become a point of discussion even among the high Roman ruling circle (Acts 25:13-21)
God Bless! Live Jesus!
Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “The measure of love is to love without measure!”
St Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans, “the Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness, for we do not know we how to pray as we ought to ” (Rom 8:26)
There are many moments when we find it difficult to pray… … there is often dryness or a sense of emptiness … there is often an urge to not pray or just “not feel” like praying … there is sometimes a lot of distraction, dissatisfaction or disillusionment in prayer
But the Holy Spirit comes to our aid… … praying for us … interceding for us
It is the Holy Spirit who “helps us to pray and intercedes for us”… … He strengthens our prayer-moments when we find it hard to pray ( Lk 22:43) … He helps us to pray according to the Will of God (Rom 8:29)
EXAMINE: Can I allow The Holy Spirit to “help me to pray” …? … Allow Him to intercede and pray for me, even if I am going through dryness in prayer … Allow Him to teach me the different ways of praying and being in His presence
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, the One Who helps me to pray and intercedes for me, strengthen me to grow in my love for the Lord
Help me …
to know that prayer is “being in the Presence of the Lord” and goes beyond words and feelings to let go of my pride, prejudices and sinful tendencies, to grow deeper in my prayer life
Mould me in Your presence… inspire me to grow in love for the Lord… purify me in love, Amen!
Come Holy Spirit…Come into our hearts… and renew us, in your mighty love and fire!
“Growing in our conviction of the deep love that the Father has towards us and thus to orient our lives in a way that is worthy of our call as witnesses of the Kingdom!”
(Based on Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 and Jn 17:20-26)
A cute story of a little boy, who loved fruits.
This little fellow was once, tempted to pluck some cherries from a tree, which his father had strictly forbidden him to touch.
“You need not be afraid,” said his notorious companion, “for if your father should find out that you have taken them, he is too kind to hurt you.”
“Ah,” said the brave little fellow, “that is the very reason why I would not touch them; For I know that my father would not hurt me. So I should not hurt him by my disobedience!”
The little boy knew the love of his Father towards him … and so he dared not hurt his Father.
He was not afraid of the punishment of the Father. He was instead afraid of the hurt that would cause pain to the Father.
True love causes a holy and pious concern of not wanting to cause any offence to the one who is loved.
True Love casts away all fear!
True Love drives away every anxiety!
It is this True Love of the Father that was made known by Jesus to all of us.
The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus shedding greater light on His intimate relation with the Father and revealing deeper, the love of the Father for each one of us.
Jesus prays, “… so that they may be one, as we are one. I in them and You in Me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.” (Jn 17: 22b, 23)
The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus in the Seventeenth Chapter of St John, is another insight into the intimate relation that Jesus had with His Father.
All His life, He sought to do only the Father’s Will
All His life, He sought to reveal the love of the Father to the world.
This was driven by the fact that Jesus was in intimate union with the Father.
To His disciples, Jesus wishes to leave this same legacy – the legacy of loving the Father intimately.
Jesus wishes to tell us that we have a Father who is deeply interested and caring for us.
Jesus wishes to convince us that our lives are secure in the Providential care of the Father.
However, our lives sometimes fail to display this trust and confidence in the providential care of the Father
Some of us may have a wrong notion of God being interested only in finding my wrongdoings and punishing me for the same…
Some of us may have the wrong notion of God being too holy and majestic that makes Him unapproachable, unavailable and inaccessible!
But Jesus seeks to drive away all such false impressions.
He tells us that the Father… … is surely the keeper of justice, and may take us through a time of trials and difficulties.
But those are not to be seen as cruel punishments, but loving acts for improvements towards a holier life!
He tells us that the Father… …. is surely the Lord and Master of the Universe, and is totally aware of even the calamities or hardships that befall our lives!
In all those hard moments, the loving Father keeps us safely in the palm of His hand, not allowing us, His beloved children to get hurt or harmed!
We have the beautiful assurance of the Lord to St Paul, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles: “The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also at Rome!” (Acts 23:11)
The Lord “always stands by us”… … and this should be our motivation and strength to “always stand for the Lord!”
When we are convinced of the deep love that the Father has towards us, we would be able to orient our lives in a way that is worthy of our call as witnesses of the Kingdom.
Jesus by His unity with the Father, enjoyed perfect freedom.
He invites us to also deepen our union with the Father and enjoy greater freedom of happiness and joy.
God Bless! Live Jesus!
Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Do everything by love…
REFLECT: The Gospel of St John 16: 13 says, “When the Spirit of God comes, He will GUIDE you into all truth”
It is our ordinary human need to have a friend or a guide or a person who can inspire us, challenge us, correct us and be with us.
This is much more in the spiritual realm
Jesus assures that the Holy Spirit is to be the “greatest Guide” for a Christian.
The Bible is a mighty testament to the many instances of the Spirit of God “guiding” people…
Moses and the people of Israelites were led through the wilderness (Is 63: 11-14) The Spirit of God came upon David, when he was anointed (1 Sam 16:13) Jesus, after His Baptism was led by the Holy Spirit ( Lk 4:1) The Apostles were constantly led by the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2)
It is the Holy Spirit who “guides us”… … He helps to take decisions in moments of crisis, uncertainties, and doubts (Acts 15) … He inspires in times of feeling low, feeling rejected and feeling lost (Acts 13: 52) … He inspires in giving witness to the Lord and His Gospel (Acts 8:29)
Jesus, also prayed: “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, and revealed them to mere babes” (Mt 11: 25)
The mysteries of God are too lofty to be grasped and understood
But the Lord assures that the Holy Spirit, in the right moments, will reveal to us the mysteries of the Divine – as much needed for us to know.
There are innumerable occasions when we don’t understand the ways of God… … times when the promises of God seem to be far from being fulfilled … times when blessings of God seem to be evading us, even though we seem to be doing all right … times when the Scripture goes beyond our grasp
But the Holy Spirit blesses us with understanding… … revealing the meanings of the mysteries of life and of Divinity … opening our eyes to understand God’s Word in the Holy Bible
EXAMINE: Do I accept The Holy Spirit as “The Guide” of my life…? … Accepting His guidance to be a witness to the Lord in my day-to-day activities … Accepting His inspirations and listening to His voice to take decisions
Do I pray to The Holy Spirit to “understand Divine Mysteries ” …? … to get greater insights of the Word of God and live It faithfully in my life … to understand the Divine mysteries and to live my Christian life with greater conviction
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, the mighty Guide and the One Who blesses with the understanding into the Divine mysteries… I pray that you help me realise the need to depend on You, in this hard journey of life.
Guide and Help me … … to constantly listen to Your voice speaking me, through the Word of God, the various situations of my life and through many people … to have a greater desire to understand deeper, the mysteries of God and to live them with certainty in my life … to grow in my love for the Word of God and to believe and practise it, with sincerity and passion
Constantly guide me… fill me with your understanding… help me to know You better… make me Love and Live in You more… Amen!
Come Holy Spirit…Come into our hearts… and renew us, in your mighty love and fire!
Fill us with your life… make us anew… permeate us with Your power, Amen!
“Seeking to be pure and unsullied – in holiness and sanctity – and thus, reflecting the Light of Christ!”
(Based on Acts 20:28-38 and Jn 17:11-19)
The Question-Answer column of a particular youth magazine, once had a query as follows: “I’m puzzled about life, and I wonder if you could help me? Am I different from everyone else of my age?
Or do they wear false masks as I do?
I go to parties and dances and act as if I were enjoying myself like everyone else I know.
But I am not enjoying myself at all!
I always feel that there is something missing, and I don’t know what it is. . . Behind the laughing and the fun, I think I look at life just a bit more seriously than most I know.
I see more in life than just having a good time.
Do you think this is wrong at the age of twenty?
In a few years will I see things differently?
Or should I take off the false face now, and act the way I feel?”
The expressions of this young man, faced with a dilemma in life, resonates with the thoughts of many people in the world… … including perhaps, ours…
We get a feel that there is certainly “more” to life… … than just the peripherals that I daily engross myself in…
We get an impression that there certainly is something “higher” in life… … than just being limited to the external comforts of life…
An answer to this vital dilemma of our life is given expression by the Lord in today’s Gospel: We live in the world, but we do not belong to the world!
Jesus prays to the Father: “I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them safe from the evil one.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (Jn 17: 16)
The call of a Christian is to live as a people “set apart” for Christ.
The Lord wishes, desires, wants and makes it a must that the one who follows Him, must seek to follow Him fully, wholeheartedly and unreservedly.
But the Lord was also very much aware that this His desire for a people “totally set apart” would face a lot of challenges and crisis from the Evil One. He knew that His followers would struggle much in living a pure life in the midst of many impurity, uncleanness and contamination. He knew that His followers would find it hard to preserve holiness in the hub of wicked temptations, ensnaring enticements and luring persuasions
St Paul warns the Church at Ephesus to be aware of the many dangers that may allure them in the world… … and to remain focussed and alert
“Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you guardians, to feed the church of the Lord which He obtained with His own Blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore, be alert…” (Acts 20:28-31)
We often find ourselves lost in this strange maze of the world….
We immerse ourselves too much in worldly activities and works…. … But, somehow at the end of the day, when lying down on our beds, we, perhaps, feel ourselves lost and not having a true sense of satisfaction!
We plunge ourselves to enjoy a lot of worldly pleasures, comforts and luxuries… … But, somehow, after having been sort of saturated with those externals, we, perhaps, find ourselves still unhappy or experiencing a void!
We engage ourselves in an excess use of the social media, networking sites, chatting applications and remain attached constantly to modern communication gadgets… … But, somehow, though we are in contact with many people, we, perhaps, realize that there is a grave presence of loneliness and not having genuine relationships of love and true care!
And therefore, Jesus, the ever-practical, sensible and realistic Master… … Firstly, prays for His followers for strength and courage: “I pray for them…. Holy Father, keep them in Your name… “(Jn 17: 9a, 11b) … Secondly, reminds His followers on the need to set their hearts on Him because they belong not to the world: “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (Jn 17: 16)
This then ought to be our strength and hope, as we seek to live a Holy Christian Life in this world, often corrupted by sin and transgressions.
Knowing that Jesus has prayed for us….
In His prayer, we can find hope and blessings In His prayer, we can find encouragement and support
Setting our heart entirely on the Lord and not being totally attached to the aspects of the world
In His Love, we find meaning in our relationships In His Presence, we ought to engage all our activities
Light passes through pollution, but doesn’t get contaminated!
Every Christian, a reflection of the Light of Christ, ought to be such… … focused on the Lord, seeking to be pure and unsullied, in holiness and sanctity.
God Bless! Live Jesus!
Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “God indeed loves those souls who are tossed about by the storms and waves of the world… … provided they receive their travails from His Hand
And, like mighty warriors, endeavour to remain faithful amid the fray!”
Reflection Capsules 