Good morning good people,
May the Lord give you peace and blessings. It is 24th May 2025. We reflect on Acts 16:1–10 and John 15:18–21.
St. Catherine of Siena reminds us, “If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!”
The guidance of the Holy Spirit is crucial for making the right move at the right time. In the crossroads of life, when the roads are many and the signs are few, it is the Holy Spirit who becomes our compass, gently whispering the will of God into our hearts. To discern God’s path, we must quiet ourselves and let the Spirit speak. Sometimes, that same Spirit tells us where not to go — a divine “No” that is as sacred as a “Yes.”
In today’s first reading, we witness the Spirit’s hand in the second missionary journey of St. Paul:
“They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.” (Acts 16:6)
Even in Paul’s zeal to reach the Gentiles, he began by preaching to the Jews, and so, in wisdom and cultural sensitivity, he circumcised Timothy — his new, young companion, likely in his early twenties. All this, guided by the Spirit. The question remains for us:
Are we allowing the Spirit of God to guide our lives? Do we pause to listen to His voice before we act?
The Psalm today exhorts us with joy: “Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.” (Psalm 99:1)
Yet this joy is not cheap. In the Gospel, Jesus solemnly prepares us for the cost of discipleship. To walk with Christ is to walk a path that may provoke rejection and scorn. He says:
“Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world — therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:19)
Why does the world hate those who love Christ? Because the life of a true believer disrupts the patterns of the world — a world driven by pleasure, pride, and self. The peace and joy in the Holy Spirit are offensive to a culture obsessed with material gain and fleeting highs. Christ’s followers shine with a light that exposes the world’s darkness.
To follow Jesus is to embrace suffering with sacred purpose. Without enduring trials, insults, or loss for the sake of the Gospel, we cannot truly say we are His disciples. As St. Paul was guided, so too must we allow the Holy Spirit to reprimand, redirect, and renew us — not once, but time and time again.
Let us then be a people who are set apart, chosen not for comfort, but for mission — a life that proclaims the goodness of God through simplicity, sacrifice, and Spirit-led joy.
May the fire of the Holy Spirit lead you this day.
Have a day full of blessings, peace, and holy purpose.