When St. Paul was on trial before the Jewish Supreme Court, the Sanhedrin, he tricked his enemies into fighting each other so that he could get off the hook. However, Paul's stratagem backfired on him. The dispute between Paul's enemies grew so turbulent that the Roman "commander feared they would tear Paul to pieces. He therefore ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst and take him back to headquarters" (Acts 23:10). That night, after Paul's plans had failed and he was sitting in jail, the Lord appeared to Paul and announced that Paul would be His witness in Rome, the center of the Western world (Acts 23:11). In our weakness, God's power reaches perfection (2 Cor 12:9).
On this seventh day of the Pentecost novena, we need to realize our weakness so that we will depend on and cry out for the power of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1:8). When Jesus had ascended and His apostles were at their weakest, they received the Holy Spirit. Throughout history, Christians have received the Spirit when persecuted and even imprisoned for their faith in Jesus. The Lord has "singled out the weak of this world" to receive the Spirit and "to shame the strong" (1 Cor 1:27).
To receive the Spirit, choose the weakness of gospel poverty, persecution, obscurity, docility, simplicity, and sacrifice. Embrace the weakness of the cross (see 2 Cor 13:4), then receive the Spirit.
| PRAYER: | Jesus, without You I can do nothing (Jn 15:5). Come, Holy Spirit! |
| PROMISE: | "I have given them the glory You gave Me that they may be one, as We are One – I living in them, You living in Me." –Jn 17:22-23 |
| PRAISE: | Sarah has received God's gift of healing and finds that when she prays for people they are sometimes healed immediately. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College