the spirit of easter
"Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke up." —Acts 4:8
On the day of Jesus' death, Peter denied Him three times. After receiving the Holy Spirit, however, Peter became a new person. He fearlessly obeyed the Lord even to being thrown into prison. At his trial before "Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly class" (Acts 4:6), Peter defied the religious leaders. He proclaimed that "Jesus is 'the Stone rejected by you the builders Which has become the Cornerstone' " (Acts 4:11). The Holy Spirit transformed Peter into a powerful evangelist and the fearless leader of the newborn Church.
For Jesus' death to set us free and His resurrection to empower us, we need the Holy Spirit. To truly celebrate Easter as soon as possible, we need Pentecost as soon as possible. We don't have to wait for the Father and Son to pour out the Spirit on us. They are waiting for us to repent of any ways in which we may have stifled the Spirit (1 Thes 5:19). Then we will receive the Spirit (Acts 2:38). We will no longer deny Jesus, but celebrate and proclaim Him risen from the dead. Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit. Jesus is risen!
Prayer: Father, give me a thirst for the Spirit (Jn 7:37) and a new outpouring of the Spirit within three days.
Promise: "Many of those who had heard the speech believed; the number of the men came to about five thousand." —Acts 4:4
Praise: John and Sam walk the streets of a rough neighborhood to lovingly evangelize the poor and heal the physically and spiritually wounded.
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, November 28, 2018
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