The Descent of the Holy Spirit - Love of God

 

The Descent of the Holy Spirit

Fruit of the Mystery: Love of God

After the Ascension, the close followers of Jesus along with his mother, Mary, gathered in an upper room where they spent time in prayer. Then, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and were able to speak in many languages. They went out and immediately began to preach the good news, and each person heard them speaking in his or her own language. As a result of their testimony, about three thousand people were baptized that day (Acts 2).

After receiving the Holy Spirit, the apostles were on fire for God. They had to share the good news. They had been living in fear, hiding away now that Jesus had left them to return to his Father. The Holy Spirit gave them the courage and the ability to preach and to ultimately even die for the sake of the message that Jesus taught. They loved God with all that they had. They were willing to spend the rest of their lives, and even to sacrifice their lives, doing whatever it was that God asked of them.

We, too, are called to have that sort of love for God, and the Holy Spirit is there to help us. We receive the Holy Spirit through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. The Holy Spirit helps teach us to pray, to communicate with God and develop a deep relationship with Him built on love.

The Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom, knowledge, and fortitude we need to live the Christian life. We are to love God so deeply that, like the first followers of Christ, we are willing to do whatever God asks of us, even when it is hard.

Part of what God calls us to do is to bear witness to others of what He has done for us. Especially in our secular world, this takes courage. We can share our love for God with others through our words and, perhaps more importantly, in the way we live our daily lives. Both our words and actions should lead others to God. They should see that we are Christian by the love that we show all those we meet. We should love God so much that we want others to also share in that love. The Holy Spirit is with us to show us the way.

In meditating on this mystery of The Descent of the Holy Spirit, may we pray for a deep love of God.

 

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