Live Greater The Holy Spirit is Coming...

May 5, 2008

Welcome to finals week! (For me anyway) I pray that the Lord and His abundant peace may be with you!

 

When my friends ask my how I am, I often answer, “I am great, just trying to live the life.” As of late, I have challenged myself to truly come to understand what it means to “live the life.” As I grow in the spiritual life and in a relationship with the Lord, it is amazing how connections are made and how the Lord calls us to live His life. In fact, I propose for all us to take a look at how we can live the life of the Lord. The beautiful part about being Catholic is that we have the Church that has organized a liturgical year for us to do truly that, live in the life of the Lord! Think about it, the Church year begins with Advent (the birth of our Lord) and then continues on to his Ascension into heaven. Do you see the beauty of it all? If we pay attention to the Church year, we will live in and become intimately a part of the life of Jesus! Truly, I am not making this stuff up… J

 

As a Church, we are in the shadow of the Ascension and are quickly anticipating the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  For the sake of having nothing else to do, studying for example, let’s dive into the life of the Church at this moment…

 

Imagine this….

 

The disciples have just experienced the Lord ascending into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. When we put ourselves there with them - we, like them, feel somewhat sad and withdrawn from our Lord. It seems that he has left us. But then remember the words he gave us and the promise he made to us, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem. You are witness to these things. And behold I am sending the promise of my Father up you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with the power from on high” (Luke 24:46-49).

 

As the disciples are preparing for the power from on high to come upon them at Pentecost, so to is the Church preparing to receive the Holy Sprit in an ever new way as we celebrate Pentecost this Sunday. What are you doing to prepare for the Holy Spirit?

 

The Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father, the promise of Jesus to be with His disciples, is a gift that gives us purpose, hope, and life in the Church. The Holy Spirit animates our very being, allows us to strive for the truth and goodness in our lives and lead us to truly live supernatural lives. What great news!

 

This message of the Holy Spirit and how He wants to work in our lives is refreshing and reassuring. Consider the culture in which we live. As you look around, you can see lack of purpose and hope that leads people to live their lives in silent desperation. In addition you can see a natural world that intentionally leaves out and criticizes the supernatural.  We live in a culture that is yearning and aching for true life! When is enough enough?

 

With great joy, as we live in the life of the Church and experience everything in life of Jesus, our lives have every opportunity to experience what it means to truly be alive. At this moment, the Holy Spirit is coming and will give us all we need to be faithful and holy sons and daughters oft the Father. Be excited! Be hopeful! Be Ready!

 

The Holy Spirit is coming…Let Him into your life, and it will never be the same!

God Bless You,

 

Rusty

 

Question of the week: Reflect on your desire to have the Holy Spirit be alive in your life…

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