caught in the middle?
"He will bear witness on My behalf. You must bear witness as well." —John 15:26-27
The Holy Spirit bears witness on behalf of Jesus. The Spirit witnesses that Jesus has died, is risen, and will come again. For human beings to be able to recognize the Spirit's witness, He must make Himself visible and audible. Consequently, the Spirit has decided to make our bodies His temple (1 Cor 6:19). We can apply to the Holy Spirit the statement of St. Teresa of Avila that God has no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet, and no voice but our voices. Therefore, we must "bear witness," for we are the means by which the Spirit witnesses (Jn 15:27).
As the Spirit has decided to use us to provide the video and the audio of His witness for the crucified and risen Christ, so those who see and hear the Spirit's witness will use us as a focal point for expressing their acceptance or rejection of the Spirit's witness. They will thank us forever for letting the Spirit witness through us, or they will persecute and martyr us as the only way in which they can "get their hands on" the Holy Spirit, Whose witness they reject and oppose (see Jn 18:2).
Offer your body to the Holy Spirit (see Rm 12:1). Then you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit to express the Spirit's witness for Jesus (Acts 1:8).
Prayer: Holy Spirit, I will take on myself the hostility that many have toward You.
Promise: "The Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying." —Acts 16:14
Praise: At a high-school reunion, Barb witnessed God's love to Rachel in a way that changed her life forever.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Edward J. Gratsch, October 4, 1999
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 12, 1999