We testify, so does the Holy Spirit

Acts 5:27-33, Jn 3:31-36. To follow Jesus and speak in His name, we must be radical and willing to walk the way of the Cross with Him. The kind of courage and uncompromising obedience that Peter and companions display according to today's first reading, is a cardinal trait that should define the Church. “We testify and so does the Holy Spirit,” said Peter. Peter stood his ground to say that they must bear witness to the truth of God and they do it through the power of the Holy Spirit. Not only have they returned to the Temple to continue to announce the goodnews of Jesus, but also proudly proclaim the 'Name of Jesus', the 'Name' the religious leaders forbade. Nothing will silence them, since they have been sent by God to speak His word. To obey the commandments of God is more important to them than obeying the orders of mortals: "Obedience to God comes before obedience to men." One who lives in the spirit places obedience to God as priority. Today's Gospel throws light into two categories of existence: the life from above and the life from below.

'Above and below' do not indicate two places but two perspectives of life. To belong to the 'above' is to live by higher aspirations, greater values and larger perspectives to life. While to belong to the 'below' is to limit ourselves to the satisfaction of immediate desires and wants with the least desire to transcend the natural tendencies. Jesus belongs to the 'above' category because in Him is found higher aspirations of saving the human race; greater values of love, compassion, justice and equality; larger perspectives of saving everyone. Jesus was aware that He came from 'above' and that the Father has entrusted everything to Him. None of those things applied to John the Baptist, for he recognised the uniqueness of Jesus, which is why he could say, “he must increase, but I must decrease.” The closer we come to Jesus, the more we know the need to grow. As His presence and influence increases in us, so will the influence of the 'self', led by our ego decreases in us. The more the Spirit of God grows in us, the more we fulfil our potential and become all that God wants us to be.

May the Lord help us to be more conscious of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, so that we may be led to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus with courage! Amen!! Good morning and have a pleasant day!!!