Supplying the Spirit

WORD 2day: Thursday, 27th week in Ordinary time

October 6, 2022: Galatians 3: 1-5; Luke 11: 5-13

One who supplies the Spirit to you: that is an identity that the Word reveals of God, in both the readings today (Gal 3:5; Lk 11:13). 'To supply the Spirit'...what would that mean? It would mean that we are given the assurance of the continued presence of the Lord perennially. 'The Spirit is the mark of God's ownership on us' (cf Eph 1:13), St. Paul would declare elsewhere. It is God's definition of our identity, our call and the meaning of our life. We are called to be sons and daughters of the Spirit and the Spirit does not leave us even a moment. We are accompanied all through.

But when doubts assail us, when we fall into temptations, when we lax into lower standards of human living, give into the vile pressures of the evil one and the vices of the distraught world, we are shunning the Spirit of the Lord. Asking, knocking, seeking are acts of faith, they are not acts of some desperate effort to get something by all means. They are acts of faith by which we live our convictions that, even before asking the Lord knows my needs; to knock is to surrender oneself totally, come what may; and to seek is not a call to seek in vain or in all-emptiness but to seek the person who lives within us, who dwell within us, who makes us the dwelling places of God (cf 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19).Once we possess the Spirit, we would need nothing: Seek ye first the Reign of God, and everything will be given unto you.

To be Reign persons

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 27th week in Ordinary time

October 5, 2022: Galatians 2: 1-2, 7-14; Luke 11:1-4

We continue to hear from Paul, the beginnings of his ministry in the Church. Both his narration today and the teaching that Jesus offers in the Gospel today, speak to us of a set of qualities that can be called the Reign mentality. 

Let's highlight just three of them:

Personal integrity that gives Paul an extraordinary power when he presents his case to the people or to the other apostles. Unless I am an integral person, I cannot speak of the Reign with authority.

Fearlessness that comes from the absolute dedication that a person has. Nothing matters more than the Reign and hence there is nothing that can stop me from holding on to it, not even a threat to my life.

Forgiving Confrontations which help one to avoid self-righteousness and compromise at the same time. At times our very idea of standing for truth and siding with the right, though an absolute reign-requirement, can drive people far from us. I need mercy not sacrifice, says the Lord.

Our call is not to be just some one in our context, but to be Reign persons, and that is what will make us truly disciples and apostles of Christ.