Reflection
Acts 16: 11-15
Psalm 149
John 15:26 – 16:4
There is incredible strength and power in the words of Jesus in today’s gospel…and some downright scary words too. The discussion Jesus is having with the Apostles is at the Last Supper as He prepares them for His suffering and eventual ascension. Jesus makes them, and us, a powerful promise that is the Holy Spirit will come to them at the direction of the Father and the Father will send the Holy Spirit at the request of Jesus.
And then the scary stuff…Jesus tells them they will suffer, be kicked out of communities, and be killed by the people they are supposed to be serving in the name of Jesus. Some of those people who will kill the disciples of Jesus will think they are doing it to protect the Mosaic Law and therefore protect God. The beautiful thing for us, is that those who heard the words of Jesus and received the Holy Spirit went out to share the words of Jesus with others – eventually landing in our laps today.
Many times we can look at ourselves and think we are just not worthy. Maybe we get terribly concerned that we will mess up and say the wrong thing. Do not be afraid. We received the exact same Spirit the Apostles received. Jesus has made us a promise – the Holy Spirit will give us the ability to seek the Truth and the strength to share that Truth with others. That is the story of the Book of Acts written by St. Luke. I really enjoy the Book of Acts because it is incredibly special. It shows us how great our God is. It shows the strength and courage derived from leading a life that depends entirely on God.
Trouble coming your way? No worries! We have a pretty big God who will take great care of you. Trust Him! Trust Him! Trust Him!
Go smile at God today!