Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter
I often comment, “I wish I knew what God wanted me to do!” There seems to be so many possible options of chores that need to be done, or good works that could be accomplished, or ways that I could enjoy my day. All of these possibilities are good options, but what is the next best thing I should do? Part of the issue with this dilemma is the fact that I sometimes feel completely alone and unsupported in my decision making. In today’s gospel, Jesus reminds us that we are not alone. Jesus and the Father will dwell with us, and the Holy Spirit will teach us everything we need to know to live our lives with purpose and joy.
In today’s gospel, Jesus is reminding the disciples that love is the foundation for our relationship with God. Jesus shows us the love of God through His life, death and resurrection. When we follow Him and His commandments then we express our love for Him (and therefore our love for the Father.) Jesus recognizes that living this life of love is difficult. He tells the disciples that the Father will send the Holy Spirit- the Advocate- “who will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” It is God’s own Spirit that gives us life, wisdom, courage and most importantly love to follow Jesus’ directives of discipleship. We cannot live a full Christ-like life without the Spirit, and without the Spirit we cannot live in communion with the Father and the Son. The Spirit is the glue that binds all together in love.
In the first reading, Paul cures a crippled man in Lystra. Paul saw that the man “had the faith to be healed” and he called to him to stand up. Although the people see Paul and Barnabas as “gods that have come down from us,” Paul and Barnabas remind them that they are only human. It is the “living God” that has provided this healing. Paul was empowered by the Spirit- he recognized a situation of possible healing through the wisdom of God, and then through God’s grace he was a vehicle where God brought wholeness to the crippled man. Paul did the next best thing because the Spirit provided him all he needed to carry out God’s work of healing, love, and mercy.
So how do we allow the Spirit to teach us everything and work boldly through our lives? I believe that we must begin with openness and humility. We must realize that God created us in love and calls us to live out this calling in fullness. God offers us His great love through the gift of Jesus and His life. Jesus shows us the way, but without the Spirit we cannot follow Him in fullness. For the Spirit to live boldly in our lives we must be open to His teaching and His gifts. In every situation the Spirit can give counsel and wisdom- we have to ask for these gifts and be receptive to His guidance. Spending time in prayer allows a greater openness to the Spirit’s voice- in a way, we help fix our antenna so we get better reception. All that the Spirit teaches is lived out in the life of Christ, so study of the scriptures also aids our understanding of God’s wisdom for our lives. But God is bigger than that- in every time, place and experience God is there trying to reveal Himself to us and calls to us to follow Him. The Spirit teaches us how to listen, trust and believe in these everyday experiences, so we can answer with a “yes” to all that God desires for us.
Trying to discern the will of God for our lives will not be without challenges and frustrations. There may be times when we listen, pray and wait wondering how best to proceed. This is where the Spirit teaches us the gifts of patience and trust. Jesus shows us how to place our lives in the Hands of God when the future is unknown and frightening. This complete surrender of self illustrates the greatest expression of love. This love is only possible with the power of God’s Spirit. Again it is the Holy Spirit that reminds us of all the Jesus has done for us, and it is through the Spirit’s love and power that we are able to follow Him. God has a plan for us, and it is good. We need to step forward in faith empowered with the Spirit to go forth and be who He calls us to be.
Father of love, Your Son Jesus shows us how to live our lives by giving ourselves to serve and love others. Through the grace of Your Spirit give us all that we need to be able to live our lives in fullness, so through our living we may share Your love with the world and give you glory. We pray this through Christ, our LORD. Amen.
- Marylynn Herchline