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WORD AMONG US WAU.ORG Reflections
Daily Meditation: John 20:19-23
Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22)
Happy feast of Pentecost!
The coming of the Holy Spirit that we celebrate today was a promise Jesus made to his apostles and to all who would come after them—including us. He knew that his disciples would need divine guidance, wisdom, and strength to live the life he was calling them to. He knows that we, too, need the same gifts. So he calls us to “receive the Holy Spirit” as well (John 20:22).
In the creed, we proclaim that the Holy Spirit is the “giver of life.” He comes to give us new life in Christ and to set us free from death and sin. He is the wind of God who empowers us to act and live in a way that glorifies the Lord. So if there is a pattern of sin that you can’t let go of, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” He is there to guide you out of the darkness and bring life wherever sin has caused spiritual death. Open your heart and let him in.
At Mass today, we will also recite the Veni, Sancte Spiritus: “Come, Holy Spirit!” So let’s ask the Spirit to come and “heal our wounds, our strength renew” and to “wash the stains of guilt away.” Let’s ask him to help us leave behind all guilt and shame.
If you feel that you may have walked away from the Lord, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Ask him to “bend the stubborn heart and will / Melt the frozen, warm the chill / Guide the steps that go astray.” Ask him to show you the way back to God.
If you feel burdened by sorrow, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Cry out to him: “Shed a ray of light divine! / You, of comforters the best; / . . . Sweet refreshment here below; / in our labor, most sweet rest.” Ask him to fill you with joy.
Jesus has breathed his Holy Spirit on you, and he is inviting you to open your heart and receive him.
“Come, Holy Spirit, and fill my heart anew!”
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First Reading — Acts 2:1-11
1. How was the filling of the Holy Spirit manifest?
Second Reading — 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13
2. What are several ways in which we experience the Holy Spirit’s presence?
3. How does the Spirit contribute to unity among believers?
Gospel Reading — John 20:19-23
4. Why was it necessary for Jesus to give the Holy Spirit?
5. What are the implications of, “As the Father has sent me, so send I you”?
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