Use the Gift

May 11 4^th Sunday of Easter: 

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

Acts 2:14,36-41; Psalm 23:1-3-4,5,6; 1 Peter 2:20-25; John 10:1-10

“Be baptized… and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38

Baptism gives the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit empowers us to share in the mission of Christ. Jesus “calls his own sheep by name” as he called by name the twelve apostles whom he “sent out” to proclaim the Good News (Matthew 10:1-7). And the sheep respond, “because they recognize his voice.”

We were not baptized to stand around safe in the sheepfold. Pope Francis wrote in The Joy of the Gospel, “the missionary outreach [salida] is the model for all the Church’s activity. We cannot passively and calmly wait in our church buildings; we need to move from a ministry of mere conservation to a decidedly missionary pastoral ministry.” This calls for a major change of attitude in pastors and individual members of every parish.

We were all consecrated as prophets at Baptism and empowered by the Gift of the Holy Spirit to bear witness to the Good News. But nothing is really part of us until we make it our own by choices. To become a prophet in action means to begin looking systematically into every element and expression of our lifestyle, asking about each one: "How does this—or how could this—bear witness to the teaching of Jesus Christ?” To do this is to answer Christ’s call.

PRAY: “Lord, make me a witness to your truth.”

PRACTICE: Change one thing in your lifestyle to reflect Christ’s values.