GROWING IN THE SPIRIT. (Homily for August 31, 2016. Wednesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time.)

Bible Study: 1st Corinthians 3, 1 to 9 and Luke 4, 38 to 44.


Being in the spirit is the ability to know the mind of God and penetrate deep realities that are beyond the reach of ordinary human reasoning. This is something that takes careful practice and growth. And the way to grow in the Spirit is through an awareness of the presence of God in our everyday life. It is a conscious and deliberate effort on our part to see the hand of God around us, within us and inside other people who we meet on a daily basis. To grow in the spirit is to develop a sense of God. It is having a living fear of God rising out of the realization of his actual presence right here right now.

The difference between the natural man and the spiritual man is that while the natural man finds it difficult to see the hand of God at work in his daily life, the spiritual man is always conscious of God’s presence. For the natural man, things happen out of mere coincidence but for the spiritual man, God is always working things out. For the natural man, God is far away in heaven and does not care about what is happening here, but for the Spiritual man, God is everywhere around us right here right now.

For the natural man, people are stars because they have talents and abilities but for the spiritual man, people are what they are because God is working through them. This was the problem of the Corinthian Church, there was envy and rivalry in their midst because they were very much in the natural. There was division in their midst, some said “I am for Paul” others were saying “I am for Apollos”. They were blind to see that both Paul and Apollos were simply men empowered by the Spirit – simply God’s co-workers.

One way to know if you are very much in the natural is when you examine your conscience and notice the presence of envy. Envy is a feeling of hatred for others because they are able to do things which you cannot do or have talents which you do not have. The cure for envy is a realization that all human beings are essentially the same; that all human beings are essentially equal; that all human beings are essentially made of flesh and blood; that, it is the Spirit that makes the difference. The cure for envy is an awareness that you are capable of also doing things which other people cannot do if only you are open to be used by the Spirit of God. The cure for envy is never to look at other people like gods but to see the hand of God at work in them and give God glory rather than give worship to ordinary human beings.

Jesus having left the synagogue went to the house of Simon where he cured his mother-in-law of fever and when news of his arrival reached the town, they brought so many sick people to him and even those possessed by demons and he cured them all. As soon as it was dark, he went to a quiet place all by himself to pray, an acknowledgement that it was by the power of the Spirit he was able to work great miracles. Jesus would always go to a quiet place to pray as a sign of humility to refuel from the Spirit.

So long as we are open to the Spirit of God and allow ourselves grow in holy things, we would begin to do those things we admire in others. The life of the Apostles should serve as an inspiration to us. In Matthew 17, a man brought his son to the Apostles to cure him of a demonic possession but the evil spirit disgraced them. Jesus was not with them, he had gone up to the mountain with Peter, James and John where he was transfigured. When he came back, he as ashamed of the Apostle who could not cure the boy and said to them: “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Matthew 17, 17 to 18. However, when the read the Acts of the Apostles, you immediately notice that these same Apostles were now miracle workers. What happened? They grew in the Spirit.

Our level of achievement in the spiritual realm depends on our growth. A child learning A, B, C cannot solve a quadratic equation. So the question is: “Am I growing in my spiritual life?”

Let Us Pray:
Lord Jesus, save me from spiritual stagnation. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you.


Fr. Abu

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