THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Monday of the Second Week of Easter

Acts 4:23-31

Ps 93

John 3:1-8

Allow the Spirit to use you

In today’s first reading (Acts 4:23-31), the early church prays to God for the strength it needs to preach the gospel in the face of the threats of its enemies, even though it had already received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In response to their prayer, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to proclaim the word of God boldly. The coming of the Holy Spirit at the first Pentecost wasn’t sufficient for the early church. The first disciples constantly needed fresh outpourings of the Holy Spirit, if they were to fulfill the mission the risen Lord was giving them. It is the same for the church today and for all of us who are the Lord’s disciples today. We received the gift of the Holy Spirit at our baptism and our confirmation, but we need fresh outpourings of the Holy Spirit as we go through life. We need to keep praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit afresh upon us if we are to live our faith to the full in today’s world.

In the gospel reading (Jn 3:1-8), Jesus communicates to Nicodemus just how important the Holy Spirit is if he is to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus says to him that he needs to be born from above, to be born of the Spirit, if he is to see and enter the kingdom of God. We were born of the Spirit at the time of our baptism. Each day we need to open ourselves afresh to the movement of the Holy Spirit within us. Like the wind, the Spirit blows where it pleases; it blows where the Lord pleases. We need to keep trying to go where the Spirit is leading us.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, renew in us the gift of faith to accept and obey your life-giving words and to cooperate with the transforming power of your Holy Spirit who changes us into your likeness. Amen

+Remain blessed!