WITNESSING CHRISTIANS ~ CookingFood.Org

“RISEN WITH CHRIST”

Easter Reflections

Monday, 29^thMay 2017.

Seventh Week of Easter

Acts 19: 1-8;

Ps 67: 2-7 (R. 33);

Jn 16: 29-33.

WITNESSING CHRISTIANS

It’s easy to be a Christian and to follow Jesus when everyone else is doing it. But what about those moments when your faith is ridiculed or put down? Or when you have to make the difficult choice to turn from cultural pressures and stand out for your faith? These are more challenging times to be a follower of Christ. In today’s Gospel there were many who had been analyzing Jesus’ teaching, listening to Him and talking about Him. Many were even coming to believe He was the Messiah. They believed in Him and they believed that He came from God. Jesus quickly points out to them that, though they believe now, there will be a time when most will abandon Him and they will leave Him alone. One of the greatest tests of our faith is to look at how faithful we are when following Christ is not popular. It is in these moments, that we have an opportunity to manifest our faith and deepen our resolve to be a Christian.

Today we speak a lot about the ‘New Evangelization’. This evangelization will not work merely through the media. People will not be touched by our words: tweeting, texting, social media, and entertaining websites, rather it is the human-to-human witness of the power of the Spirit that will transform our lives and behavior just as the Spirit transformed Paul from a persecutor to a courageous proclaimer of the Good News. The modern generation, and especially those who have been baptized and have drifted away from the Church are looking for signs of the Spirit of God in us. If we want people to hear our new evangelization message, we have to be renewed in the Spirit. Pope Francis, suggested that some of us are frightened by a prospect of being renewed, because we can’t control the Spirit - rather the Spirit may take us where we are afraid to go, both personally and communally. So let us beg God to fill us anew with the Holy Spirit and. Let us allow the Spirit to challenge us!

Prayer: Lord, I do believe. Help me to let that faith in You stay strong at all times. Help me to say yes to You and to live that yes always. Jesus, I trust in You. O Holy Spirit of Love, come to me that I might witness to the Truth of You. Holy Spirit, I trust in You. Amen.