Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 20, 19-23
On 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.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
The power of the Spirit
1. Love fulfills. An encounter with Jesus offers a different perspective on life, because Christianity isn’t an association, it’s a family that shapes a lifestyle’. By that I mean the way of living that led many to live life differently, disrupting personal and even social structures. But let’s see… when you follow this path, when you listen to God and and reflect on your actions, don’t you sometimes feel strange or unusual? Of course you do, because we’re citizens of heaven, even if we’re living in this world. Christians love life, and love the encounter with others, recognizing God’s presence in every aspect. Do you see it that way?
2. Make our dwelling. We are not salespeople of the Gospel nor pamphleteers of God. We witness our faith through our lives. We should remember St. Francis of Assisi’s words, “Go and proclaim the Gospel, and if necessary, speak.” Our actions reveal our love for God more than words ever could. It’s like when we’re in love; it shows even when we don’t say a word. May our actions show that we’re in love with God.
3. The Advocate. The power of the Holy Spirit moves us as a Church, as lovers of God, to proclaim the freshness of the Gospel and not to be moralistic judges. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, we’re called to share the Gospel with love, rather than to judge. We’re a family who aims to demonstrate that a different way of living is possible.
Happy and blessed Pentecost! Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
