Rom 4:13, 16-18
Brothers and sisters:It was not through the lawthat the promise was made to Abraham and his descendantsthat he would inherit the world,but through the righteousness that comes from faith.For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift,and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants,not to those who only adhere to the lawbut to those who follow the faith of Abraham,who is the father of all of us, as it is written,I have made you father of many nations.He is our father in the sight of God,in whom he believed, who gives life to the deadand calls into being what does not exist.He believed, hoping against hope,that he would become the father of many nations,according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be.
Gospel
Lk 12:8-12
Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you,everyone who acknowledges me before othersthe Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.But whoever denies me before otherswill be denied before the angels of God.
“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spiritwill not be forgiven.When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,do not worry about how or what your defense will beor about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”
Meditation: Luke 12:8-12
Do not worry… . The Holy Spirit will teach you. (Luke 12:11-12)
When Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would teach his followers what they should say, he wasn’t talking only about the prospect of their being arrested and brought to trial. That may happen, and in that case they would probably feel desperate for the Holy Spirit to give them wisdom. But Jesus didn’t want them—or us, for that matter—to wait for a crisis before they started leaning on the Spirit! In fact, the kind of reliance on the Spirit that Jesus describes in this reading is something that can come only from daily practice.
God wants it to become part of the natural rhythm of our lives to turn to the Holy Spirit. He wants us to get in the habit of seeking the Spirit’s insight and his gifts. He wants us to develop the habit, too, of just thanking him for being with us and showing us his love. As we become more confident of the Spirit’s presence, we are more likely to pause and pray for his wisdom or strength in difficult situations. We become more comfortable listening to him and acting on his promptings.
Let’s say your child comes home from school in a bad mood. Take a moment to turn to the Holy Spirit and ask him to help you lovingly get to the root of the problem. Maybe your neighbor has parked her car in front of your mailbox again, and you didn’t receive your mail today. Ask the Spirit to give you patience and gentleness when you see her. Maybe she just needs a kind word or a listening ear. What if you had a family emergency, and your house was abruptly filled with family members in need of care and comfort? The Holy Spirit can raise you up—even if you feel overwhelmed—and use you to minister to each of them.
The best way to improve your ability to hear from the Holy Spirit is to practice listening to him! Today, whether things are going well or poorly, you will face numerous opportunities to seek out and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. The more you turn to him, the better you will be able to hear his voice!
“Holy Spirit, I rely on your guidance today. Help me to hear your voice and follow your lead!”
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