fire up
"Do not grow slack but be fervent in spirit; He Whom you serve is the Lord." —Romans 12:11
When you received the Holy Spirit, the devil immediately tried to extinguish the flame (1 Thes 5:19). At the same time, the Lord stirred into an even greater flame the Spirit in your life (2 Tm 1:6). Yield to the Spirit. Put on the lampstand of your life the gifts and fruit of the Spirit (Lk 8:16). The Lord will continue to light your fire.
With Mary, go into the hill country (Lk 1:39) and give as a gift what has been given to you (Mt 10:8). The Spirit's flame will grow in you while the Zechariahs and Elizabeths in your life are filled with the Spirit and prophesy and the babies leap for joy (Lk 1:41). Your being will proclaim the greatness of the Lord and find joy in God your Savior (Lk 1:46-47).
Let Mother Mary help you trust that the Lord's words to you will be fulfilled (Lk 1:45). "Give, and it shall be given to you. Good measure pressed down, shaken together, running over, will they pour into the fold of your garment. For the measure you measure with will be measured back to you" (Lk 6:38). It is in giving the Spirit that we receive.
Prayer: Father give the Holy Spirit to me and through me. Mary, pray for me.
Promise: "He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in His love, He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals." —Zep 3:17-18
Praise: Mary's first action upon conceiving Jesus was to bring the Holy Spirit into the home of a priest (Lk 1:41).
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our leaflet, Celebrating Mass in the Power of the Spirit, or our tapes on Every Mass Should be Spirit-filled on audio AV 49-1 or video V-49.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 27, 2005
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