The Sunday Gospel [June 12, 2011 - Solemnity of Pentecost]
John 20:19-23
19On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21[Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Reflection
“Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them; and whose sins you retain are retained.” ~ Jesus in v. 22b-23
Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit to perfect his Father’s creation – that includes you and me. To achieve this goal the Holy Spirit distributed gifts – gifts of healing, teaching, prophecy, making miracles – different gifts to different people. God did not create a perfect world, although he could have done so. Instead, he made us co-creators of perfecting his creation. Through the gifts we have received we are now to testify to the power of the cross, to proclaim the truth of Jesus’ words and to declare the message of forgiveness and hope. Collectively, these gifts have one goal – to achieve the perfection of all, beginning with our life now and ending in the next.
“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.” ~ St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
What gift(s) did you receive from the Holy Spirit? How are you using it to perfect God’s creation? Do you pray to the Holy Spirit?
Source: The Reflection is from Bro. Abel Navarro (you can visit his blog at http://myblogabelnavarro-abel.blogspot.com/).
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