"The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord, and you also will testify." (John 15: 26, 27)
"I have chosen you from the world to go and bear fruit that will last." (John 15: 16, 19)
"I will bear a witness to you in the world, O Lord. I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers, alleluia!" (Psalm 17: 50; 21: 23)
"God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior." (Isaiah 12:2)
What makes the word of God so potent in transforming our weakness into strength? One good reason for me is the person behind that word or promise. We know that God cannot fail. We also know that God cannot lie. The Holy Spirit writes in Isaiah 12:2 "God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior." When we receive words like these with an open and trusting heart, incredible strength and courage is born within us. And we feel that we can do anything because of Him who gives us strength.
The Bible again and again urges us to have courage and not to be afraid. We need trust and courage as sons and daughters of God in order to claim our inheritance. Every father realizes this truth. Our Father in heaven knows that we cannot claim our rights as His children without trust and courage. If we believe that God is indeed our Savior and ever present help, then we should be confident and not be afraid. The life of love, praise and worship of our creator which is the very essence of the Christian life demands courage.
"I have come that they may have life and have it to the full" (John 10:10)
We all desire to live abundantly, to achieve our potentials in life. The aim of education is to develop our talents to live to the full. Christ promises that He came that we may have abundant life. Experience shows us that this present life does not satisfy all our needs and does not last forever. Jesus must mean some other form of life in his promise of abundant life. He is talking of spiritual life, eternal life. A life that begins here and continues forever. Jesus achieved this life for us through His teaching, death and resurrection.
In another passage, Jesus says: "And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent" [John 17:3.4]. What then is eternal life? Why do we need it? Who gives eternal life and how is it obtained? When and where is eternal life given?
Man, created in the image and likeness of God has a spiritual nature. Eternal life is the life of the spirit that enables man to live as a son of God. Jesus Christ gives the life through His word and the Eucharist, that is, the gift of His Body and Blood. To obtain this life, we ask for it in faith and Jesus gives us through His Holy Spirit. If man lives to the full when he lives spiritually, it means that people without God cannot live to the full. To live to the full we need Jesus.
"So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, everyone who searches finds; everyone who knocks will have the door opened. What father among you, if his son asked for a fish, would hand him a snake? Or if he asked for an egg, hand him a scorpion? If you then, evil as you are, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him." (Luke 11: 9 – 13)
Condition for receiving the Holy Spirit: desire and prayer – "Ask and you shall receive."
"Jesus Christ himself is the "Amen." He is the definitive "Amen" of the Father's love for us. He takes up and completes our "Amen" to the Father: "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why we utter the Amen through him, to the glory of God." (Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1065)
When we ask God with faith for the Holy Spirit, we receive Him. St. Augustine writes: "May your Creed be for you as a mirror. Look at yourself in it, to see if you believe everything you say you believe. And rejoice in your faith each day."
"Just at this time, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, he said, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children." (Luke 10: 21)
Joyfulness, cheerfulness is a characteristic of a spirit-filled soul. The Spirit of Jesus delights to reveal the secrets of the kingdom to simple souls.
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, for he has anointed me to bring the good news to the afflicted. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim a year of favor from the Lord." (Luke 4: 18)
"The Spirit of the Lord is one" – Indwelling
"For he has anointed me…" - Qualifies, equips
The Spirit anoints, qualifies for a mission:
