Tuesday 19th
May 2020.
Read Acts 16:22-34, Psalm 138 and John 16:5-11.
“And when
he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and
judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness,
because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer.” (John
16:8-10)
In today’s
Gospel passage, Jesus continues his teaching on the Holy Spirit. When the Holy
Spirit comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness. In
other words, the Holy Spirit ministers to our hearts making us aware of our sinfulness
as well as our unrighteousness.
If you
have ever sincerely felt bad about something you did or didn’t do when you
ought, then you have heard from the Holy Spirit. Strive to obey this voice
constantly pushing you to do right and to repent when you do wrong.
The less
you follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, the less you hear from Him. It
can get so bad that you not only stop hearing from the Holy Spirit, you become
even hostile to the presence of the Holy Spirit; simply put, you become
possessed by another kind of spirit. This was the case of the demoniac who
could not stand Jesus in the synagogue. (Cf. Mark 1:23-27, Luke 4:33-36)
Constantly
practice the art of listening to the Holy Spirit. Learn to call on the Holy
Spirit at all times and avoid whatever would be unpleasant to the Holy Spirit. Remember
that as a Christian, “you are a fellow citizen with the saints and members of
the household of God … in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place
of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22)
Even in
moments of trouble, call on the Holy Spirit for help. (Cf. Psalm 46:1). In our
first reading, Paul and Silas found themselves in prison for doing the work of
God. Rather than fall into despair, they burst into singing and praying. At
midnight, there was a great manifestation of the Spirit. All the prison doors
were opened and the chains of all the prisoners there were unfastened.
Today,
some Christians believe wrongly that prayers are only effective at midnight.
While it is not wrong to pray at night, let us bear in mind that this was
purely the work of the Holy Spirit whose power is not limited to the midnight
hour. The Holy Spirit comes to our help and He can manifest at any time He so
chooses.
Child of
God, avoid the use of loudspeakers at night. Speakers are meant to amplify your
voice so that the people within the church can hear you not because God has any
hearing problem. You have a right to pray but the people living in the
neighbourhood have a right to sleep. Even Jesus told us to pray in secret. It is
faith, not volume that counts. In the end, even the jailer and his entire
household were baptised into the faith.
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. (Tuesday of the
6th week of Easter. Bible Study: Acts 16:22-34, Psalm 138 and John 16:5-11).
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