Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“The one who comes from above is above all.”

 

Gospel Reading: John 3:31-36

The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.

 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus defines the path to eternal life. He tells us that we have been given the Holy Spirit so that we will know God. However, He tells us that it is our choice, we must accept the Holy Spirit. It is a gift freely given to us with no attachments. Christ said that He bore witness to the Holy Spirit yet man did not receive it. He tells us, “Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.” When we receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, He enables us to recognize God’s truth. But more importantly, “whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.” Again, we are challenged to make a decision. We must choose between the light of the Holy Spirit or the eventual wrath of God. The light leads us to eternal life in heaven. But by avoiding the light, we will be judged harshly by God. We can accept eternal life or eternal death. We must consider the consequences of our decisions. We must consider whether the decision we make leads us to or away from eternal life. Through faith and reason, we can begin to unwrap the truth of God. But this same reason can allow us to deny Christ and justify our bad choices. We can eventually rationalize or actions to the point where we completely empty our soul of the grace which reveals God’s truth to us. It is like having a viral infection.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Christ, fill me with the Holy Spirit.

Allow the Holy Spirit to transform my life.

Allow the Holy Spirit to help me make good decisions.

Allow the Holy Spirit to lead me to life eternal.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon