Reading 1
Acts 4:23-31
After their release Peter and John went back to their own people
and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them.
And when they heard it,
they raised their voices to God with one accord
and said, “Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth
and the sea and all that is in them,
you said by the Holy Spirit
through the mouth of our father David, your servant:
Why did the Gentiles rage
and the peoples entertain folly?
The kings of the earth took their stand
and the princes gathered together
against the Lord and against his anointed.
Indeed they gathered in this city
against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed,
Herod and Pontius Pilate,
together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
to do what your hand and your will
had long ago planned to take place.
And now, Lord, take note of their threats,
and enable your servants to speak your word
with all boldness, as you stretch forth your hand to heal,
and signs and wonders are done
through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Ps 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9
Responsorial Psalm
R. (see 11d)
Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples utter folly?
The kings of the earth rise up,
and the princes conspire together
against the LORD and against his anointed:
“Let us break their fetters
and cast their bonds from us!”
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He who is throned in heaven laughs;
the LORD derides them.
Then in anger he speaks to them;
he terrifies them in his wrath:
“I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD.
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jn 3:1-8
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to him,
“How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
Jesus answered,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Meditation: John 3:1-8
“Do not be amazed.” (John 3:7)
But Nicodemus was amazed! Jesus told him that in order to see the kingdom of God, he had to be “born from above.” Of course, Jesus wasn’t talking about the physical birth that Nicodemus thought he meant. He was talking about a spiritual birth.
This concept of being born from above may sound unfamiliar to us as well. After all, we live in a world that relies on the physical senses— what we can see, touch, taste, hear, and smell. But Jesus came to enliven our spiritual senses so that we could “see” him and “touch” him in an even deeper way. He came to teach us how to walk by faith and not just by sight.
So what does it mean to be “born of the Spirit”? A lot of things! Here are just a few.
First, being born of the Spirit makes us vessels of the Spirit. It means that the Holy Spirit lives in us, always ready to encourage us, convict us of sin, fill us with peace, and stir us to do his will. It means that we can be led by the Spirit instead of the desires and drives of our fallen nature.
Second, being born of the Spirit means that we can begin to think as Jesus thinks, to have the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). Where we may want to react with bitterness, anger, or vengeance when we are wronged, the Spirit can teach us to look on our offender as someone created by God and equally loved by him. He can teach us to forgive quickly, to discern good from evil more clearly, and to be more ready to serve instead of expecting to be served.
Finally, being born of the Spirit means becoming a bit different—at least from the world’s perspective! Nicodemus saw something truly unique in Jesus. Was it the miracles? Was it his sense of peace? Or was it the way Jesus’ words resonated in his heart? Whatever it was, we can be sure that as we open ourselves to the Spirit, people will notice something out of the ordinary in us, and they will be intrigued. They will see us living by a different set of standards, and that will make them more receptive to the good news of Christ.
“Lord, open my spiritual eyes. Holy Spirit, I need more of you today.”
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