Come… Holy Spirit

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them

Maybe you’ve noticed this character who keeps appearing throughout Acts.   He’s usually in the background, avoiding the limelight.   He has almost no speaking parts, and yet he always manages to get in on the action.   The evidence of his presence is on every page.   He is the Holy Spirit, of course!

Today’s first reading (Acts 4:8) is a perfect example of the major role that the Holy Spirit played in the early Church.   When Peter, an ordinary fisherman from Galilee, was filled with the Spirit, he boldly preached to the spiritual leaders of Jerusalem.   The Spirit didn’t speak to them directly.   Instead, he worked behind the scenes, filling Peter with love for the elders, along with the courage he needed to speak up.   And he stayed behind the scenes throughout the story.   When Peter opened his mouth to preach, he declared, “Jesus Christ . . . crucified,” not “the Holy Spirit glorified” (Acts 4:10).

You might say that Acts is the Holy Spirit’s “tour de force.”   But the Spirit’s role isn’t limited to stories from a bygone era.   He is as alive and active today as ever.   He wants to play a major behind-the-scenes role in your life too.   In fact, he’s already active in you.   Every day he gives you evidence of his presence.   If you look closely, you can see it in the way God is gradually transforming you and drawing you to himself.   If you find it hard to sense his presence, don’t get discouraged.   Remember, the Spirit doesn’t shine the spotlight on himself.   You can trust that he really is there, working within you.   The fact that you are reading this meditation is proof that the Spirit is giving you a desire to know God better!

As he did with Peter, the Holy Spirit wants to soften your heart with love for the people around you.   Do you have any resentments toward family or friends?   Ask the Spirit to fill you with his mercy.   Do you need patience?   Ask for it.   Do you need more boldness in sharing your faith?   Let him give you the courage to talk about what Jesus has done for you.   It’s okay to be nervous or unsure of what to say.   Just step out, and trust that the Spirit will be supporting you, as he always does.

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