Vamshi Eedara csc –
Readings: Acts 19:1-8; Jn 16:29-33
The first reading speaks about the importance of the Holy Spirit.
In the reading, we see Paul is asking the disciples whether they have received the Holy Spirit when they were baptised. The answer was no. When Paul laid his hands upon them, and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, then the Holy Spirit came upon them and they started to proclaim the word of God in different tongues and prophesied.
The reading invites us to see the power of the Holy Spirit and to experience it in our
lives.
The gospel reading of today is very much connected to our daily life because the gospel says that disciples were happy that Jesus was speaking plainly which can be understood easily. But Jesus challenges them because they did not understand what will be his passion. Jesus asks each of them whether they have the same belief during the time of difficulties? Jesus knows each one and says to all of them that they will leave him alone, but the father is with me. Jesus also speaks with the awareness that he is never really alone because God, his father is always with him. What Jesus says of himself we can all say of ourselves.
There will be times in our lives when we find ourselves alone. Yet even when we are alone, we can say with Jesus that I am not alone. God the father is with us as he was with Jesus. indeed, the risen Jesus is also with us, as is the Holy Spirit who has been poured into our hearts. Even when we feel that we are alone, we are always in the presence of the trinity. We are living the members of that wonderful family of love. Even when we face so many troubles in this world we find peace in Him.