Commentary on the Gospel of
Empowered by God!
- In union with the Holy Spirit: prayer
- Empowered by the Holy Spirit: witnessing
- Humility: to God be the glory
Our Lord assures us that ‘the Advocate, the Holy Spirit will teach us everything and remind us of all that he told us.’ The Holy Spirit will teach us what matters most - that we are God’s children and are on a journey going back to reunion with our God. There is no limit to ambassadorial representation of one’s ‘Good Father!’ Once the Christian possesses this conviction with clarity, one is ready to die for the cause of the Gospel, believing that ‘alive or dead one belongs to God.’
We see this attitude displace itself in our two great missionaries in the first reading of today, Paul and Barnabas. One of the traditional songs says ‘great things happen when God mixes with us.’ We see in Paul and Barnabas ‘a never-say-die’ attitude! Clearly, they were immersed in the power of the Holy Spirit – Acts 13:2 attests to this: while at prayer, the Holy Spirit directed, ‘separate Saul and Barnabas for the work I want them to do’. One of the areas our contemporary Christianity is very much relaxed is in creating time to be with God in prayer. We apparently have more time to be ‘busily more productive’ with our works than to be in seemingly ‘lazy attitude of prayer.’ For many of us these days, prolonging being with God in prayer amounts to ‘doing nothing’. Adoration remains the highest form of prayer: just being in the presence of God; and it unfailingly, empowers our spiritual journey.
Oh well, Paul and Barnabas managed to escape from being stoned in Iconium, ran to Lystra; undaunted and empowered by the Holy spirit, they continued to proclaim the Good News! Faith-expression at work! Inflamed by the Holy Spirit, one can move mountains as our Lord assured us. Yet, there is even a greater lesson for us than the evidence of miracles: the lesson of humility! Today’s psalmist says it all: ‘not to us O Lord, but to your name give the glory.’ Humility is the virtue of taking one’s rightful place or position. Paul and Barnabas displayed this without the least compromise as they wanted to offer sacrifice to them! Lord Jesus Christ as we witness to your goodness, help us to always realize that we are ‘men/women of God’ and not ‘god of men/women.’
