Come Holy Spirit, we need You!
The story is told of a boy who was admiring a very expensive car. “It is a gift from my brother,” the owner of the car said. “Don’t you wish you had an expensive car like this?” The boy answered: “I wish I had a brother like yours.”
—————-
Pentecost reminds us of the generosity and love of our Brother and Lord Jesus Christ, who gifted us with the Father, the Holy Spirit. In today’s Gospel (John 20:19-23), He tells us “Receive the Holy Spirit.” What a loving, generous, and merciful God we have!
—————-
We need a new Pentecost in our present day and time. We need the Holy Spirit in our lives to guide, to heal, to comfort, and to counsel us. May we be liberated from our fears, ignorance, pride, and hunger for worldly riches and power. We all need transformation and renewal. “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth thy spirit and they shall be created, and you will renew the face of the earth.”
—————-
There is a story that on May 13, 1883 (Pentecost Day), 10-year-old Therese of Lisieux, then suffering from a critical illness, received healing in her room through the statue of La Vierge du Sourire (Our Lady of the Smile). This should remind all of us of the most powerful intercession of Mother Mary, and also the power of a smile!
—————-
Whenever you are stressed, distressed, laden with burdens, or covered by darkness, pray sincerely and continuously the powerful prayer: “Come, Holy Spirit!” Another powerful, liberating prayer that drives away worries, fears, and sadness is: “Jesus, I trust in You. Mama Mary, I love you!” Try it. Try it right now, and experience Pentecost.
—————-
As we look back on our journey in life, we realize that when we disregarded God’s presence in our lives, we encountered fear, sadness, vanity, emptiness, and hardness of heart. Let us continue to acknowledge and invite the Lord, and make Pentecost happen again in our present day and time.
—————-
Take note that the Lord’s greeting of peace is followed by His message of forgiveness: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:23) In other words, there can be no true peace without forgiveness. It is the road of reconciliation that leads us to true peace. If you are not experiencing peace right now, it could be that you are not at peace with God, with other people, or with your own self. Peace be with you!
—————-
Check today if you are living in the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 reminds us that if we live in the Holy Spirit, we should have the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives, namely: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
—————-
Sharing with you the “symptoms of inner peace”: Frequent attacks of smiling; frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation; loss of interest in judging other people; loss of ability to worry; tendency to act based on hope, rather than on fear; ability to enjoy each moment; ability to give and receive love in spite of life’s problems; sharing whatever little you have with people having less in life. (If these symptoms persist, it means the Holy Spirit dwells in you!)
—————-
I remember many times in my conversations with Mama, whenever I said something that touched her, or made an insight that moved her, she would tell me: “That’s the Holy Spirit, Jerry.” She was always in tune with the Holy Spirit, and very sensitive to the stirrings of the Divine. She always told me to pray first to the Holy Spirit before I speak or write. Thank you, dear loving and Spirit-filled Mama!
—————-
All of us should become agents of the Holy Spirit. Let us not become agents of the evil spirit who sow hatred, sadness, discord, greed, persecution, lies, and falsehood.
—————-
Think about this: “I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.” (Mother Teresa of Calcutta) … Let the Holy Spirit write through you! Because when God writes through you … miracles happen. Lives change. And the world reads His love, through your life. It’s not about how great the pencil is. It’s about how amazing the hand that holds it.
—————-
It’s June! Half of the year is gone. Don’t worry about June … breakthrough is coming soon.
—————-
A moment with the Lord:
Come Holy Spirit, we need You. Amen.
