Daily Meditation - Saturday 26th. Jan 2008 - THE ALL POWERFUL SPIRIT WITHIN

[BarbaraTherese]

DAILY MASS READINGS
usccb.org/nab/012608.shtml

Meditation
[wau.org/meditations/meditations.asp?month=01&day=26&year=2008&x=14&y=1 0](http://www.wau.org/meditations/meditations.asp?month=01&day=26&year=2008&x=14&y=1 0)

The HolySpirit is probably the most important gift we will ever receive.

After all, he’s the only one who can empower us to live a full Christian life. He’s the one who makes our faith come alive as he teaches us about truth, convicts us of sin, and pours the love and power of God into our hearts. He intercedes for us, strengthens us in the face of persecution, and gives us gifts to sanctify us and charisms to help us serve the body of Christ.

The Spirit is often compared to fire, a symbol of his transforming energy. But in order for him to transform us, we need to “stir into flame the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6). It’s not as if we are starting from scratch, however. We have already received the gift of the Spirit through our Baptism and Confirmation.

We have the Spirit as a sort of “pilot light,” and with him we have everything we need to become saints.

But though the Spirit is within us, his power is limited until we turn to him and add the fuel of our own faith and obedience to that pilot light.
We might assume praying harder and reading more Scripture are the only ways we can fan the flame of the Spirit. While those are important, we also need to put our faith into action by giving the Spirit more room to work.

When we get out of ourselves and serve other people

, we can draw on the Spirit’s grace and power. We can ask the Spirit to release his gifts in us so that we can minister his love to people and not just our good intentions.

What good deed is the Spirit inspiring you to do? Perhaps to visit the sick, elderly, or imprisoned. Maybe he asking you to open your own home in hospitality.

He may be leading you to volunteer at your parish, or at a nearby soup kitchen. Or perhaps you know someone who is depressed and lonely, and would deeply appreciate someone to talk to. If you’re not sure how to serve, just pray about it—the Spirit will surely lead you to those who need just what you have to give!

“Holy Spirit, fill me anew with your presence. Stir into flame your power within me, that I may be transformed by the fire of your love!”

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Further reflection from the Lectio for today:
ocarm.org/lectio/annoA_eng/048eng.html

1. Reflection
   *• *In Luke’s Gospel, the context of the discussion as to whom was the greatest among them is that of the Last Supper. Jesus has just finished celebrating the Eucharist, the greatest sign of the gift of self to his brothers and sisters (Lk 22, 14-20). He had just finished showing them that the greatest proof of love is to give one’s life for the brothers (cf. Jn 15, 13).

The more Jesus tries to descend in order to be able to serve, the more the disciples try to ascend in order to command. They discuss among themselves as to who is the greatest.

All the Gospels recall the attitude of the disciples who want to be the greatest, and recall also the response of Jesus (Lk 9, 46-48; Mk 10, 41-45; Mt6 20, 24-28; Jn 13, 12-16) . All this indicates that they do not understand what is happening. Suffering was not in accordance with the idea that they had of the Messiah . The disciples, did not only not understand, but they continued to hold on to their personal ambitions. They did not understand the proposal of Jesus.

They were concerned about their own interest. This reflects the clashes and the tensions which existed in the communities, in the time of Mark and which continue to exist even now in our communities.

*• The response of Jesus: let it not be like that among you. *Jesus reacts firmly and speaks about the exercise of power. At that time, those who held the power did not have any consideration for the people. They acted according to the way in which they thought they should (cf. Mk 6, 17-29). The Roman Empire controlled the world and had it submitted with the force of the arms and like this, through tributes, taxes and duties, succeeded in concentrating the wealth of the people in Rome. in the hands of a few. The society was characterized by the repressive and abusive exercise of power, but, in spite of that the great succeeded in making people call them benefactors. Jesus had another proposal. He says: “For you it will not be like that: but he who is the greatest among you should become like the smallest and the one who governs like the one who serves!”

He teaches not to use the privileges, he is against rivalry. He inverts the system and insists on the service as a remedy against personal ambition.

• The summary of the life *of Jesus. *Jesus defines his mission and his life: “I have not come to be served but to serve!” He has come to give his own life for the salvation of many. He is the Messiah, the Servant, the announced by the Prophet Isaiah (cf. Is 42, 1-9; 49, 1-6; 50, 4-9; 52, 13-53, 12). He learnt from his Mother who says. “Behold the handmaid of the Lord!” (Lk 1, 38). A completely new proposal for the society of his time.\

• You are those who have persevered with me in my trials. To follow Jesus means three things:

(a) *To imitate the example of the Master: *

Jesus was the model to be recreated in the life of the disciple – man or woman (Jn 13, 13-15). Living together every day permitted a constant confrontation. In this “School of Jesus” only one subject was taught: The Kingdom! And this Kingdom was recognized in the life and in the practice of Jesus.

(b) *To participate or share in the destiny of the Master. *

Those who followed Jesus had to commit themselves with him “to persevere with him in the trials” (Lk 22, 28), also in persecution (Jn 15, 20; Mt 10, 24-25). They should be ready to take up their cross and to die with him (Mk 8, 34-35; Jn 11, 16).

(c) *To have the life of Jesus within ourselves. *

After the Passover, a third dimension: identification with Jesus, alive, living in the community. The first Christians sought to follow the path of Jesus who had died in defence of life and had risen by the power of God (Ph 3, 10-11).

It is a question of the mystical dimension in the following of Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit: “I live, but it is no longer I who lives, but it is Christ who lives in me”

(Gal 2, 20).