Saint Martin I, Pope and Martyr
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 4:31)
Imagine that you had just finished the best vacation of your life. You ate really well; you tried a few new activities; you thoroughly enjoyed being with your friends or family. It was perfect in every way. You came back refreshed, peaceful, and full of energy—ready to tackle whatever was waiting for you at home. You probably also began thinking and planning another refreshing vacation just like it!
In today’s first reading, the disciples, who had been so excited and overjoyed on the day of Pentecost, are in need of some spiritual refreshment. They keep getting thrown in prison for sharing the gospel, and the threats seem to be increasing rather than decreasing. You can imagine how worn out they must have been feeling! So in need of God’s help, they pray to the Spirit, who they know will show them how to move forward. And he answers their prayers powerfully! The place where they are gathered shakes, and they are filled with the Spirit once more.
Wait a minute. Didn’t the disciples already receive the Holy Spirit? Weren’t they filled with the Spirit at Pentecost? Why do they need another filling?
Being filled with the Spirit is not the same thing as a glass being filled with water. We don’t “contain” the Spirit. We can’t control him or keep him locked up in our hearts. He is always flowing, always moving, always pouring out of us. And so, as life hands us challenges, we find times when we need our own spiritual “vacation,” times when we need to be filled anew. Then, once we have been refreshed, we are able to go back out into the world with new energy, peace, and conviction.
It’s possible to live from “strength to strength”, but only as we keep asking the Spirit to fill us again and again. He is our one reliable source of strength, love, and encouragement (Psalm 84:8).
So make it a point to turn to the Spirit in every challenging situation, big or small, that you face. He doesn’t mind filling you over and over again, as long as you keep pouring yourself out for the people around you. Remember, his goal is to make each of us into vessels for his grace.
“Holy Spirit, thank you for filling me every time I need refreshment!”
Psalm 2:1-9; John 3:1-8
Daily Marriage Tip for April 13, 2015:
True love goes much deeper than physical attraction, but there is also a physical dimension to feeling loved. Share what you find especially attractive about your beloved’s appearance.