Monday 27th
May, 2019. Read Acts 16:11-15,
Psalm 149 and John 15:26-16:4
_“When the
Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth
who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf.” (John 15:26)*_
In a few
days from now, we shall be celebrating the feast of Pentecost, the anniversary
of the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles gathered in the upper
room. Already in yesterday’s Gospel passage (6th Sunday of Easter,
Year C), we heard Jesus describe the Holy Spirit as the counsellor who will
teach us all things and help us to remember all that He has said.
Today,
Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth whose role is that of witnessing.
The Holy Spirit helps to make clear
things which may not be known by our natural senses, he brings to light what
was rather shrouded in mystery, he enlightens, he inspires, he is there to
provide a guide; he is our 6th sense if you like. The Holy Spirit
witnesses on behalf of Jesus and inspires us as we witness for Jesus.
In truth,
the task of witnessing for Jesus in today’s world is one of the most difficult
tasks anyone can embark upon. People will hate you simply for being a light in
the midst of darkness. You get all kinds of attacks just for speaking the
truth. Jesus says: “the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is
offering service to God.” This is a prophetic statement of Jesus that has
proven to be true over and over again.
This is
why we need the Holy Spirit. If we must witness at all for Christ, then we must
ask for the Holy Spirit to be with us, to teach us, to remind us of God’s word
and above all, to speak on our behalf. Missionary work is easy when we have the
Holy Spirit working with us and in us.
Converting
souls for God is not a factor of our own intelligence or eloquence neither is
it a factor of what we do or refuse to do. It is entirely a work of the Holy
Spirit who is often described as the Principal Agent of Evangelization. As Paul
and his companions travelled, they were successful not because of their
eloquence or knowledge, but because the Holy Spirit touched the hearts of their
listeners.
One woman
who was so touched by the message of Paul and was Lydia. To quote from the
scriptures directly we are told: “The Lord (the Holy Spirit) opened her heart
to give heed to what was said by Paul…” And this woman insisted that Paul and
his companions must stay at her house meaning her very home become a church for
the Christian converts in that city.
As we can
see, missionary work has two sides; the painful aspect of persecution and
suffering and the sweet aspect of meeting people who are ready to support the
work with all their resources. While the Holy Spirit helps us in the sad
moments, the Holy Spirit also helps us to connect with persons like this
generous woman of faith. The summary is that we just cannot do God’s work
without the Holy Spirit.
Let us
pray: Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and enkindle in us your Sacred Fire.
Amen.
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of the
6th week of Easter. Bible Study: Acts 16:11-15, Psalm 149 and John 15:26-16:4).
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