Reflections
for Sunday, May 19, 2013
Holy Spirit! May that Holy Spirit be on us today! As we listen to the
readings today, we can sense the work of the Holy Spirit: Peace,
Forgiveness and Love. This is the only way to live in community. Jesus
wants us to live in community with one another. Why? Because without
community, we will not love one another. When we are in community, we know
the needs of one another and can serve one another.
Jesus also knows that when we live in community we must learn to forgive.
None of us is perfect! We make mistakes. We offend one another. We do
things against one another. The only way of reconciliation is forgiveness
of one another.
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles tells us today that the Holy
Spirit allows us to understand one another, no matter what language we
speak. In the time of the early followers of Jesus, these women and men
had the gift of tongues, of understand foreign languages. Even today some
people are given this gift. Saint Paul tells us that the more important
gift is to love one another. If we love one another, we will understand
one another.
The reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians tells us today that we
can only call Jesus Lord because of the Holy Spirit. That Holy Spirit also
is not a Spirit of division and confusion. The Holy Spirit is a gift that
unites us in service of one another. The Holy Spirit is given to build up
the Christian community, not for the sake of an individual.
The Gospel of John today is a teaching on the Spirit as well. When Jesus
is with us, he tell us to have peace. Jesus sends His Spirit among us for
the forgiveness of sins.
Thus in our Christian communities we must seek to listen to one another
with hearts of love so that we can understand one another in love. This
Spirit is given to us to build up our Christian communities, not to focus
on the greatness of one Christian or another. We are all given the gifts
of the Holy Spirit in order to know, love and serve Jesus Christ. We are
given the gifts of the Holy Spirit in order to know, love and serve one
another in Jesus Christ.
Holy Spirit, come to us! Fill our hearts with your love so that we may
love Jesus Christ and love one another. Give us your gift of wisdom so
that we can truly see what is right and good in every situation. Help us
forgive one another any offense that may happen so that we may leave in
peace and harmony and give witness to the beauty and love of Jesus Christ.
Amen. Alleluia!
Readings of the day:
First Reading: Acts 2.1-11
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12.3b-7, 12-13
Gospel: John 20.19-23
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