|
by Max Estayo John 16:12-15 
I once heard someone say to another in the vernacular,"Magsimba ka nga, para umayos ka, wala kang ka-Espi-espiritu" (can you at least attend the Mass to fix your life, the Spirit is not living in you).
To me, this is the most hurtful thing anyone could say to another. If that was said to me, I'd quickly take a look of my life and see if there's any truth in it. For, indeed, living a life without the Spirit is living without sense.
Just how do we explain the essence of the Spirit? I like to compare it to a bottle of soft drink. Do you notice that once the cap is removed, gas or the carbon dioxide in the mixture, is released? If the bottle is left open for a long time, it loses its taste because the "spirit" in it is gone.
Perhaps that's the way with us, we lose our "taste" if the Spirit is not dwelling in us. I think it is easy to spot a person without the Spirit. The troubled look, a dark aura, a sad face, a warped mind - these could be tell-tale signs.
The Spirit is life (Rom. 8:2). And so, though one is dead, he is living. The Spirit can make the dead live again. Jesus has spoken of it as the "Spirit of truth." As the Spirit is one with Jesus and the Father, anyone who lives in the Spirit lives in God. He becomes entitled to the fruits (Gal. 5:22-23) and gifts (1 Co. 12:7-10) of the Spirit.
If anyone possesses these fruits and gifts, will another tell him he is living a useless life? Not a chance, for his is an aura of abundance, joy and peace. The invitation for all us is to live in the Spirit to earn the right to become God's children (Rom. 8:14).
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for the gift of the Spirit. Continue instructing us and opening our hearts to the Spirit so we can live in You, in the Father and live a life united with You. Amen. |
