We testify and so does the Holy Spirit

Acts 5:27-33, Jn 3:31-36. Today’s first reading offers an instance of radically following Jesus: “We testify and so does the Holy Spirit,” said Peter. It suggests that we need the Holy Spirit’s guidance through personal prayer before we can really bear witness to Christ. In conflict situations we can also check out our ideas with an honest mentor. It is good to have someone who will tell us the plain truth and help us distinguish between courage and mere obstinacy.

Prayer and spiritual guidance help to free us from our obsessions and our comfort zones. Another way of testing our ideas is seen in Peter’s reference to God of our ancestors. This means that we need guidance from tradition and the Holy Spirit for our words, like those of the early Christians to bear authentic witness to bring others to a fuller faith. In today’s Gospel, Jesus is aware that He “comes down from above”, and that the Father has entrusted everything to Him. Not only does Jesus witnessed to the love that God has for us but that the Holy Spirit also witness to the eternal life that is the gift for all those who believe. None of those things applied to John the Baptist. He recognised the uniqueness of Jesus, which is why He could say, “he must increase, but I must decrease.” Like the Baptist, we cannot fully appreciate the mystery of Jesus. The closer we come to Him, the more we know how much we need to grow. As His presence increases in us and our ego welcomes Him, we do not cease to be ourselves. The more He grows in us, the more we fulfil our potential and become all that God wants us to be.

May the Lord strengthen us as we boldly proclaim the Gospel, so that we may be more conscious of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in our life! Amen!! Have a wonderful day!!!