Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts!

Pastor’s Pen
St. Augustine Catholic Church
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Sixth Sunday of Easter

Dear Easter People filled with the Holy Spirit,

Here in the sacred word for this sixth Sunday of Eastertime is a message that God’s spirit is more powerfully present in us. Peter and John laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. We pray that God’s spirit is on us and we too receive the Holy Spirit. We pray that we’ll be cured of anything that is not of the Lord. When you receive the Spirit great things can happen! Just pray for God’s spirit to be with you. That is what is proclaimed in our first reading.

I like to rest in a passage from one of the readings and one that strikes me is the Letter of St. Peter where he talks about putting into death in the flesh and Christ was raised to life in the spirit. He starts off by saying “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts!” Wow!! Just let the Lord be the center of your heart and be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you the reason for your hope. That you have great hope and that you exemplify this hope in the way that you live and learn with gentleness and reverence. That is what we are called to do. Jesus wants us to put to death the flesh, anything that is not of Him, so that we can be brought to life in the spirit.

So with this spirit we look at the gospel which has basically the idea that God’s spirit will be with us in new ways and Jesus is promising that the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, will be with us always. He is the Spirit of Truth, but maybe the world cannot accept this or see it or be aware of it, but we know that there is this inner spirit that gives us courage to go through whatever. In this time of uncertainty with our lives as many people are dying and now more people are known by us, we just pray and put ourselves in the Lord’s hands and try to take the precautions prescribed that are necessary for our own personal health and the welfare of others. Jesus says that you will know Me and the Holy Spirit will remain in you and be in you. So, church family, that is good news and He sure isn’t going to leave us orphans!  So look for ways for the Holy Spirit to be more alive in your daily lives as you live this week.  Another Advocate will be with you always. Claim that Advocate as you go about your daily living and just rejoice in the intimacy that with the Holy Spirit you are all the closer to our Wonderful God.  Alleluia!!  Rest in all of those sacred ideas.

Love, Father Bob