Daily Reflection – 4/11/2024
Sacred Scripture
The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven [is above all]. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.” (John 3:31-36)
Reflection
Today’s scripture reminds us that there is no rationing of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that are available to us. God doesn’t reserve his Spirit only for special people. He doesn’t hoard the Spirit in case supplies get low. He is always ready—even eager—to give us more.
He wants to make spiritual truths come alive in our hearts. He wants to convince us that Jesus is our Lord. and Savior. He wants to show us our sin so that we will repent and be set free. He wants to assure us that he has triumphed over evil, and that Satan has been condemned. And he wants to give us the power to share the gospel with the people around us. He wants us to fulfill the mission given to us at our baptism – to be His light in a darkened world.
The problem is that we often “ration” His grace. We take what we need at the moment and walk away from the fullness of His love. The idea of letting go and letting God seems as if it’s a childlike wish. But time and again, scripture reminds us that is not a fantasy but the real wish of God. He does not want that we suffer or hurt. He tells us that He stands ready to release His almighty power in our lives.
In these days especially, we should be turning more to Him and asking Him to unleash His gifts in our lives. We need to hope. We need to dream. We need to be reminded that earthly things pass but His love does not. We need to be reminded that in Him lies eternal life for us.
This is a time when we have all learned painfully that there are events which are truly beyond our control. This is a time when we are being reminded each day how transient our lives are. This is a time when there is a multitude of people who seek to control our thinking not for our benefits but for them. The only one that truly has that call on our lives is Jesus Christ. This is a time when the only one that controls our speech, and actions is Jesus Christ. This is a time we need to be filled with His Spirit because our world seems populated by anger, distrust, and deprecation of others. We forget that all of us are children of God. Loving one another is His command.
Jesus promises us life and joy in its fullness, and he is serious about what he says. We must believe him. If we want joy, we need to trust him. If we want life, we need to let him take what is dead in our lives and prune it away.
Our eternal life is predicated on whether we allow Christ and His words to be the center of our lives. How could any of us walk away from that gift?
Prayer of The Day
“Lord Jesus Christ, let your Holy Spirit fill me and transform my heart and mind that I may choose life — abundant life in you and with you. And give me the courage and strength to always discern good from evil and to reject everything that is false and contrary to your holy will.”
Daily Note
The Holy Spirit is a witness just as much as the apostles were to Jesus’ risen life and when we are reborn from him, we give witness together with him. We don’t ration the Holy Spirit’s work, and he helps us, as St. Paul described to the Galatians and the Romans, to “live by the Spirit,” which allows us to be “concerned with the things of the Spirit.” And for that reason, Jesus says, such a person living by the Spirit is already living eternally because he is in union with Christ’s risen life.
