The Word, joy and the Holy Spirit

WORD 2day: Saturday, 4th week in Easter time

May 9, 2020: Acts 13: 44-52; John 14: 7-14

The event narrated in the first reading can be analogically compared to a concept that most of us are familiar with, working on a Word document in a computer... whatever has been selected can be deselected; what has been done can be undone; whatever has been undone can be redone; whatever has been keyed in can be edited, deleted, copied, pasted... all this is possible until that moment of saving the document! Once the 'save' command is given, there is apparently no way of going back (though with technicalities there are other possibilities). But the analogy ends there, let us not probe too deep into it. The point is: let us not think the good we do, the grace we received, the blessed choices we once make would remain forever! Just yesterday, we heard the Lord telling us: "you are my child; I have begotten you." This would not remain forever true; if it has to, then we have to make a definitive, life long choice of belonging to the Lord. And this has to be seen in our lives. Analogical to saving a document, it is allowing ourselves to be saved by the Lord!

The first reading identifies that jealousy, opposition, contradiction, calumny, derision, persecution and vices of the sort abounded against the believers as they embraced their new found faith in the Lord. But amidst all these, the Word says, the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. That was the reason the Word spread all through the region. The Word spreads with true inner joy, with true interior choice for God and God's purposes. Jesus already spoke of this connection between the Word and joy: I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete (Jn 15:11).

We would be missing the whole point if we do not get more and more in touch with God everyday of our life. Jesus would ask us too the same question: 'Have I been so long with you and you still have not got really in touch with me, my father, my life style, my passions, my values and so on?' Once we get truly in touch with Jesus, and thus with God our Father and Mother, with the Spirit who enlightens us each day, we will emanate a joy that is irresistible. Let us remain united to Christ, who is united to the Father and thus give the world the joy that it longs for.