Give the Spirit

May 25 The 6th Sunday of Easter: 

A thought for those who want to reveal the risen Jesus in their lifestyle.

Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always.” John 14:16

After the laity brought Samaritans into the Church and baptized them, the Apostles Peter and John went down, “laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”

Christian life is not complete without the “Gift of the Holy Spirit.” This gift empowers us to live a lifestyle that raises questions, that can only be explained by faith giving us obvious hope in the promises of Jesus. Peter wrote: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.” If nobody asks us, we have to wonder whether we’re witnesses.

A prophetic lifestyle raises eyebrows, is not “normal” by society’s norms. Prophets don’t “fit in” with their peer group. They reveal new ways of thinking and acting that are news—the Good News for those who recognize truth and goodness. When we find ourselves doing this, we experience the gift—the empowerment—of the Holy Spirit.

When someone dislikes us because we are good, that is not bad. It can shock us both into getting better.

Jesus said the “world” cannot accept the Spirit of truth, “because it neither sees nor knows him.” But if people see the Spirit in us, it can make a world of difference.

PRAY: “Lord, show your Spirit in my flesh. Renew the face of the earth.”

PRACTICE: Ask questions whose answers raise questions.