Reflections
Psalm 104: 1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 (Read)
“When you send forth your spirit,
they are created.”
Animated by the Spirit, the divine
breath, we who are His creatures
sing of the glory of our Creator.
“When you send forth your Spirit,
you renew the face of the earth.”
God our Creator is the source
of all natural life. So also the
Holy Spirit is the source of all
supernatural life. We are nothing
without the divine breath --
“When you take away their breath,
they perish and return to their dust.”
It is this same creative breath that came down
on the disciples in that locked room St Luke
speaks of in our 1st reading (Acts 2: 1-11).
The Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to
go forth and proclaim the Gospel boldly to
men of all nations, speaking different tongues.
We too are called to be baptized in the Spirit,
and to receive the divine breath of the Lord.
Having been baptized in the Spirit, we are a
new creation, and are called to glorify the Lord
in what we do. In this way, as the Psalm says,
“May the Lord be glad in His works.”
Fortunately, for us too, the Spirit is manifested
in each of us for some benefit, as St Paul reminds
us in our 2nd reading (1 Cor 12: 3-7, 12, 13).
All we have to do is accept Christ and believe in him.
Without the breath of the Holy Spirit, we have
no spiritual life. But thanks to God's gift, we are
a new creation; we are baptized into Christ,
and we share in the divinity of our Lord.
And that alone gives us reason to praise God.
As our psalmist says, “Pleasing to Him be my theme;
I will be glad in the Lord.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm affirms that the Lord sends out His Spirit to renew
the face of the earth. Tell of how you are affected by your having
received the Holy Spirit that is living on the inside of you.
2. Our psalmist prays that the Lord will be glad in His works! What
works are you doing that makes you one of those who are pleasing
to the Lord?
The psalmist wonders at the works of God. The works of art, the more closely they are looked upon, the more rough they appear; the works of nature appear more fine and exact. They are all made in wisdom, for they all answer the end they were designed to serve. Every spring is an emblem of the resurrection, when a new world rises, as it were, out of the ruins of the old one. But man alone lives beyond death. When the Lord takes away his breath, his soul enters on another state, and his body will be raised, either to glory or to misery. May the Lord send forth his Spirit, and new-create our souls to holiness.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have the Holy Spirit living inside me... and yes, I am a new creation because of this gift. However, I acknowledge humbly and candidly, that I need refreshment. I need new outpourings of the Holy Spirit in my life over and over again.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, I feel immense joy and am empowered to speak God’s Word and live according to His love. Other times, I am depleted. I need to ask for more supernatural help.
And thank God He is generous with his gift of the Holy Spirit. God does not run out of His divine supply. In John 3:34, we learn, “For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.”
One way I am clearly affected by the Spirit’s guidance, and not my own, involves trying to love the people right in front of me. I don’t love all people the same — why should I be kind to the one who snubs me? Am I a doormat ready to be stepped upon ? Am I not worthy of any respect? Such fleshly thoughts crowd out the Holy Spirit sometimes and stir up anger and resentment.
When I wish to be stirred by the powerful breath of life, I focus instead on finding the presence of God in the very people who annoy me or dismiss me. God loves them too. I don’t have to agree with them or even like them, but I can recognize the grace of God in their lives. At the very least, I can “love them in Christ” vs. attempting to love with my own strength. And through my private act of love, the Spirit multiplies. In this small and individual way, I can be part of God’s plan to “renew the face of the earth.”
No wonder our psalmist in Psalm 104 gives praise to the Lord by appreciating His wisdom. Our Lord creates and maintains his creation. If he takes away our breath, we die and return to dust. The psalmist begs God to send His spirit which will renew the face of the earth. Animated by the divine spirit we become a new creation and are transformed in the image of God. We are nothing without the divine breath.
ReplyDeleteBeing baptized in the Holy Spirit means to me to receive the Lord’s divine breath without which there is no spiritual power of life living within us.
For instance, look closely at Peter and Jesus’ disciples — how boldly they started to preach the good news after they were baptized in the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. I could see the power of the Spirit moving through their lives and changing them drastically. God made them a new creation.
Their faith was strengthened. They were no longer afraid of going out into the world and witnessing about Jesus and preaching the Gospel in his name.
Yes, there were times when I was in great spiritual hunger. I was so thirsty that I was looking for something to quench my thirst. Then I met Jesus and ever since I was baptized in the Holy Spirit I started to have a personal relationship with Him. Whenever I face a trial, crisis or any personal problem, I run to Him and pray in tongues. Quite often I do not know what I am talking about
to God, but the Spirit tells that my problems are known to God.
The Spirit has been my counselor.
He eases my anxieties and replaces them with His peace.
In addition I ask him to open my eyes for discernment whenever I’m about to make a wrong decision. He gives me insights and enlightens the darkness of my heart. My soul rejoices in his presence. By the power of the Holy Spirit I could love the unloveables and forgive the unforgivable. It was a big challenge for me but with the help and power of the Holy Spirit living within us it's possible for me to carry on His mission.