The Spirit Multiplies

WORD 2day: Friday, 2nd week after Easter

April 21, 2023: Acts 5:34-42; John 6:1-15

Gamaliel proved a true God-fearing man and his words become a miracle. Notice the beautiful connection made in the Liturgy of the Word today: there is a multiplication of the loaves reported in the Gospel but we see that unfolding in reality in the Acts, in the form of the Multiplication of the believers - because, the Spirit multiplies! From a mere handful, the people of the Way begin to grow in leaps and bounds, filled with the Spirit.

The miracle happened because of the following three reasons:

- the Apostles and the band of new believers kept God and God's Word above everything else, even above their own lives;

- the Apostles and the people considered it God's mission and not their own enterprise; they gave the entire credit to God;

- the Apostles especially, had no other hidden agenda, for instance their own glory, making a living, or creating a following for themselves. 

The Spirit empowered them to place everything in the perspective of God! This is what Gamaliel infact prophesied... that if they were living their lives from the perspective of God, no one would be able to stop them! They surrendered themselves totally to the Lord and they were multiplied... the Spirit multiplied! 

Today if we are becoming weaker and weaker as a community, we need to raise a fundamental question: are we living from the perspective of God? If we decide to do so, it would be a sign that we are guided by the Spirit and the Spirit shall make us fruitful as believers!