Prayer Prompt before reading JN 20:19-23: Come, Holy Spirit, teach me how to pray, interpret the Scriptures for me so that I may know the Truth about who God the Father is and God the Son so that I may know who I am.
“AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, SO I SEND YOU.” AND WHEN HE HAD SAID THIS, HE BREATHED ON THEM AND SAID TO THEM,“RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT.” JN 20:19-23
Humbly submit your will to God (Thy Will be done) and consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Mary and Joseph.
As Catholic Christians, we often fail to recognize the Holy Spirit in our lives or make the Holy Spirit a reality. At Pentecost, Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, but each one of us receive the same Holy Spirit at out baptism. We are baptized in the same waters and given the same Spirit. On Pentecost and at our baptism, “God’s Spirit joined our spirit and would now direct our lives”. -Richard J. Hauser, S.J. book, “In His Spirit”
Sometimes we lose our identity as a Catholic. We don’t realize the power God has given us by marrying the human and divine through Jesus. We have been given a great gift, the third person of the Trinity. It is the first installment of our salvation from our Creator! Most importantly, it is optional by free will, but there are consequences of not living out the freedom God has given us.
Our salvation hinges on this freedom for the sake of love and whether we are open to these great gifts to: 1. be baptized, 2. receive the Eucharist “You must eat my flesh and drink my blood to have eternal life”, 3. believe or have faith-confess with our mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and 4. do the Will of the Father (proclaimed or revealed by Jesus if a soul wants to enter eternal life).
The Spirit of God is alive in every one of us and directs us, but love requires a response with the free will God has given each of us. We have a task to accomplish by responding to the Holy Spirit that moves us to love God and others. The Holy Spirit draws us into a deeper relationship with Jesus so that we may be more like Him. Then, our actions will show love. God is love and we are made in His image and likeness. Others should see love or Jesus in us.
Richard J. Hauser, S.J. also says, “The presence of the Spirit does not take away our inclinations towards evil or the flesh (St. Paul talks about this to a great extent in his epistles), but it does give us the power not to be controlled by them; grace is stronger than sin. Christ, our redeemer, frees us from the power of sin. THIS IS THE WHOLE KEY! We are called to open ourselves to God’s Spirit and recognize all we have and do throughout the day stems from the Spirit, the Holy Spirit.
If we recognize all we do is by our own power (Pope Francis said there is no self made man or woman in the Catholic Church), we fail to recognize the One who gave us this power and we fail to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. This means failing at drawing closer to Christ which will in turn influence our actions to fail at loving God and others. OUR BIGGEST FAILURE IS WHEN WE FAIL TO RECOGNIZE OUR IDENTITY WHICH IS ROOTED IN OUR CREATOR, GOD.
Jesus said, “”But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” JN 16:7 Why? Jesus is inside of us in the Spirit instead of outside of us. This is the Good News! We must tell the world. We have God’s power and energy in us.
The Holy Spirit is often symbolized by fire; fire is energy, strength, confidence! We are animated by the Spirit that lives in us. It is what moves us to love in our actions and if needed, with words (St. Francis)! Listen to the words of the Come, Holy Spirit prayer in the daily challenge below. Fulfill your mission, recognize your identity, allow the Holy Spirit to work in you, be Christ for others, and allow God to transform the world through you!
Today’s challenge: Say the Come, Holy Spirit prayer every day for the rest of your life!
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send
forth your Spirit and they shall be created and
you shall renew the face of the earth.
Make your password on your phone be, “Come Holy Spirit” to remind you of your identity, mission, and the power of God that lives on in you, become a saint!
Be a servant, allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, and be a saint today!
#Christian YODO (You Only Die Once; we will live again!)
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