John 15:26B, 27A
Alleluia: - "The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord, and you also will testify."
None of us know Jesus the way that his apostles or the people of his time did. However, in order that we might know him today, he gifted us with the Spirit of Truth. The Spirit that we all receive at Baptism and is strengthened at Confirmation. The Spirit that guides us to know the Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Man, who is at the same time the Son of God. It can be hard to communicate or relate to the Spirit. When I first entered seminary, I realized how little I knew about the Spirit.
However, without the Spirit, without the Paraclete sent from the Father by the Son, we would not know the Jesus of Nazareth who lived 2,000 years ago. But, by the grace of Jesus, he gave us a piece of Himself, a piece of the Father, to be a living witness of his mission, his love, his mercy, his forgiveness. I encourage you sometime today, to acknowledge the Spirit living within you. As you converse with him, pay attention to your surroundings and those whom you encounter thereafter, for they might just be the Jesus of Nazareth from 2,000 years ago.
Get to know our seminarians! Today's reflection was written by:
Israel Hernandez (Izzie), Third Theology
Home parish: Our Lady Of The Rosary
Did you know...
April 25th, I was ordained a transitional Deacon. Now, as I serve the Church as a Deacon, I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for me. As for our Diocese, may God continue to Bless us with many more vocations to the "priesthood."
Pray with us for the men and women discerning the priesthood and religious life. To pray for our seminarians by name or to find out more about the Diocese of St. Petersburg vocations office, click here.
