Live in the Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of God’s love
in our earthly life.
Years ago, a farmer walked every Saturday many
miles to town. His little dog always followed him. One Saturday, as they
walked, the little dog ran into the brush and weeds along the road. He came
back, panting, full of dirt and cockle-burs. Further down the road, the
dog chased a rabbit into the thorns and brambles. After a while, he
returns to the farmer’s feet, scratched and cut by the thorns. Outside town, the dog
runs off again.
At the first stop, the store owner asks “Where’s
the little dog that always follows you?”
It is at this time the little dog shows up
limping with his tongue hanging out. He was dirty with more cockle-burs than
before and bleeding from new cuts and scratches. He comes and lies at his master’s
feet.
Seeing the condition of the little dog, the
merchant asked, “Was the road dangerous?”
In love and kindness, the farmer takes off his
hat, fills it with water, and gives it to the dog. “No,” says the farmer, “the
road was good, the distractions were dangerous.”
The Holy Spirit is the love between the Father
and the Son. This is where God invites us to live our lives. In the place where
we reach out to God and God reaches back to us. The Holy Spirit brings God’s
mercy of love and kindness. Just like the story of the little dog.
Living in the Spirit is not hard. God is
faithful. God is constant. God is true. It’s side trips and distractions in
life that are dangerous. Despite these, the Holy Spirit is with us because of
God’s mercy. God never changes directions. When we run after all those
distractions of life the grace of the Holy Spirit justifies us, cleanses us,
and brings s back.
The Lord is waiting for us. No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the
Holy Spirit.
This is where the Lord wants us; living in God’s
mercy, realizing love and kindness. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to be
vessels of God’s mercy in this world. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
Living in the Spirit, remember Mercy shown to us,
living in the spirit show mercy to others, and remember that we are always in
the need of God’s mercy. There
are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit.
Living in the Spirit is sharing God’s mercy by
our love, joy, peace, patience, charity, kindness, faith, and endurance. These
are our gifts to preach the gospel and proclaim the kingdom of God. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the
face of the earth.
We do this in everyday life with our
distractions, side trips, and wanderings. Believers return. The Holy
Spirit enables believers to have access to the Father through Christ in the one
Spirit. (Lumen Gentium)
We are like the little dog dirty, full of cockle-burs,
cuts and scratches from life. We limp back to our savior. We
return to our master because we know God is there. We lie at the
master’s feet; we come back to the one who sustains us. Jesus exclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to
me and drink.”
Each of us is called to live in grace of the
Holy Spirit, which is the love and kindness of God’s mercy. The Holy Spirit is
the fulfillment of God’s love in our earthly life.
The words of sequence on the Feast of the Holy
Spirit: On our dryness pour your dew; Wash the stains of guilt away.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, Come to the
living water of Christ.
Y’all be good. Y’all be holy. Preach the gospel
by the way you live and love. Amen.
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