WORD 2day: Wednesday, 6th week in Easter time
May 28, 2025: Acts 17:15, 22 - 18:1; John 16: 12-15"When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked...", we read in the first reading today.
Some experiences are beyond our grasp at an initial instant; some experiences may be totally confusing while others may leave us with nothing to say. There are ways in which a person responds to a data that is beyond one's perception or beyond ordinary explanations. One way is to outrightly reject it and another is, to ridicule it just because one cannot understand it. These modes of responding display an arrogance that is not even humane, leave alone spiritual. The Greeks in Areopagus laugh at Paul and some consider him 'confused'... hardly a few tried genuinely understanding him!
A more appreciable type of response, a bit more humane or simply human, would be that the person begins to enquire about the new data presented and make some scientific efforts to understand it. However even this would not suffice when it comes to certain types of experiences. The Greeks found it hard to grasp, not because they were not intellectually prepared, but because they were not gripped by the Spirit... a Spiritual disposition alone can lead to beholding some types of truths!
A Spiritual disposition in approaching new experiences would enable a person to perceive the truth in what is said, understand its true meaning and find relevance for one's life. This sort of a mind will not reject something merely because it seems new or it has not been so till then. The one who empowers a person towards such a disposition is the Spirit of truth, introduces Jesus in the Gospel today.
The beautiful expression of St. Anselm, 'faith seeking understanding', is a grace! "When the Spirit of truth comes, the Spirit will guide you into all the truth"... the truth of what I am upto, the truth of who I really am and what I am called towards. Openness, respect and a sense of wonder are prerequisites for one to have real Spiritual Experiences!