It is 29th April 2019. We celebrate the memorial of St Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church, Patroness of Europe. The readings are from Acts 4:23-31 and the Gospel from John 3:1-8. The immersion into water of Baptism takes us to emergenc from the water as a new person. Being born again means to live a life in the Spirit. “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” (1 Pet.1:23). “Walking by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Gal.5:16). We all need to be born again because we are the new creation through the waters of Baptism. We cannot permeate the spirit without prayer. Our prayers need to reach God and there must be a proof for our praying. Some proofs are visible and perceivable while others are tangible. In the first reading, the apostles were praying for the courage to evangelise, to fight any evil with the power of the Holy Spirit. “As they prayed, the house where they were assembled rocked, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim the Word of God boldly.” (Acts. 4:31). Only our fervent and fear-free prayer increasing the power of the Spirit in our lives. The courage we obtain through the help of the Holy Spirit enables us to bear witness to Jesus through our life, word, work and worship. The responsorial praises, “Blessed are they who put their trust in God.” (Ps.2:13). We have the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus on the mystery of new life in God. We are saved by God’s mercy and our willingness to submerge into the power of the Spirit of God and exposing ourselves to the plan of God. Being born in the flesh is not enough to meet God. We all need to be born in the spirit. As no relationship can satisfy the flesh, but the relationship with God’s spirit is enough for the soul. Purification of body is not sufficient to mingle with God. We all need spiritual purification that happens through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which we need to open ourselves through our faith and then grace takes its course to lead us and unite us with God. May we all be born again in the Holy Spirit. May you have a good day. God bless you.