Good morning, good people! May the Risen Lord give you peace and blessings. It is 28th April 2025. We reflect on Acts 4:23-31 and John 3:1-8.
Will I let the Holy Spirit set my heart on fire?
Pope Francis reminds us, “Let yourselves be transformed. Let yourselves be renewed by the Spirit, so that this can happen: a Church that moves forward, a Church that goes out into the world.”
The Holy Spirit gives us a new birth, calling us to dive deep into the heart of God and to set the world ablaze with the Gospel. Without being born of the Spirit, we have no access to the Kingdom of God. As Jesus declares, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” (John 3:5)
To be born anew in the Spirit, we must be saturated, soaked, and saturated again with the breath of God. The first reading reveals the impact of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, especially Peter and John.
Courage and conviction are gifts poured out by the Spirit of God. All who trust in the Lord are anointed, gifted, and entrusted with this Holy Spirit.
When misunderstanding, misconception, fear, and lack of faith creep into our lives, they signal the absence of the Spirit’s fire within us. The early Church, though persecuted, was fiercely protected and deeply propelled by the Spirit.
If we want to communicate with the Spirit, we must commit ourselves to prayer — not casual prayer, but deep, personal, soul-wrenching prayer. Without this kind of prayer, the presence of God becomes a stranger to us. Being affiliated with an institution or knowing the right people does not guarantee the Holy Spirit’s indwelling. Only intimacy with God brings the Spirit alive within us.
The responsorial Psalm proclaims with joy: “Happy are all who put their trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 2:12)
Not all who question or challenge us are our enemies. Nicodemus was one such soul — a Pharisee, yet one who sought the truth in Jesus.
Every human interaction, even with those who differ from us, can sharpen and deepen our love, our admiration, and our understanding. If we fail to ask, to seek, to clarify, we risk living on assumptions rather than truth.
Proclaiming the Good News is not a side hustle; it’s our sacred duty — sealed by the waters of baptism and ignited by faith in the risen Christ. Easter is our season to invite the Holy Spirit anew into our lives, to revisit, to renew, and to rekindle our commitment to the Lord.
May your heart be a blazing lamp, and your words a melody of truth and spirit. Proclaim the Good News — the world is aching for it. Have a good and grace-filled day. God bless you!