Fourth Monday of Easter

"As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as it had upon us at the beginning, and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, 'John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'  If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?" When they heard this, they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying, "God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too."

We are all baptized with the Holy Spirit and through that baptism, we are given my gifts. We are given the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. We are given the virtues of faith, hope, love, prudence, temperance, justice, and courage. We are given the love, mercy, and grace of God to see us through every moment of our lives. When we realize the treasures God has given us, we should have only one response... asking God what we are being called to do and then doing it to the best of our abilities. Even if we don’t understand why God is leading us in one direction or another, we have to trust in Him and let him lead us to where we need to be as Christians. We have to stop objecting, glorify God, and accept His Divine Will.

Do we give thanks for God for all the gifts He has given us through baptism? How can we lead Spirit-filled lives, embodying the Good News in all we think, say, and do? How can we be an aid to God’s Divine Plan and not a hindrance to it?

O Lord, fill us with your Holy Spirit.

Amen.