Our dependence on the Holy Spirit helps us to appreciate God

Acts 18:23-28, Jn 16:23-28. Today’s first reading describes the early Christians supporting and helping each other in the faith. Paul is shown strengthening the local communities and we learn about Apollos, a very gifted man, being helped to a fuller faith in Jesus. As today’s Gospel implies our total dependence on the Holy Spirit, the first reading encourages us that our faith also needs guidance and encouragement from others. A married couple, Priscilla and Aquila, became close to him and gave him further instruction in the faith, sharing their deeper understanding with him.

Apollos was certainly on the way toward Christian discipleship and showed great goodwill, but he needed the help of others. This gifted Jewish intellectual was led to Jesus through the ministry of Priscilla and Aquila. Jesus exemplified this process of transformation. He must leave this world in order to send the Holy Spirit. This compares with the risks of leaving behind the tried and true, as experienced by Apollos. To belong to Jesus we need to fully surrender to the Father. On making such a gift of oneself we will realise where Jesus is leading us: “I have come from the Father, into the world. Now I am leaving the world to go to the Father.”

May the Lord empower us in our journey to do God’s will and do what is right and just in all things! Amen!! Have a wonderful weekend!!!