22nd Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2006

Scripture: I Cor.2:10b-16. Psalm 145:8-14. Luke 4:31-37.

For me the theme of the Spirit was what came to me in prayers as I read today's Scripture. I was moved by what Paul is saying about the Spirit in this passage and gave it more time and thought than ever before. Paul is addressing a community that has many problems because of its location, its enthusiasm for different parties of thought and devotion, and for the sexual and rivalry sins that they have. Paul is trying to work through all of this and answer their questions and work with them at solving their problems and getting beyond their sinful behavior. What better way than showing them the gifts of the Spirit: discernment, knowledge, and unity. I continued to come back to the first reading several times and found it to be very helpful in my own love for the Holy Spirit and my devotion to that same Spirit. Paul says the "Spirit of God" who discerns and scrutinizes all of my thoughts, desires, and actions. This Spirit leads me to trust and believe in God with greater depth and enthusiasm. The Spirit helps me to respond to the calls and graces of this day. If I do this, then, like Paul I will be putting on the mind of Christ. This is what Paul is proclaiming not only to the Corinthians but to me and I believe what he is saying. This same Apostle Paul changed his own zeal for the Lord into a proclamation about the Son of God, Jesus, whom he accepted as Messiah. His was a revolutionary conversion that brought the Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus as Lord, and I am among his inheritors of this gift of faith in Jesus.

I see the same Spirit of power at work in Jesus in the expelling of the evil spirit from the young man. Jesus does so from the authority he has within his own being. The word for authority in Greek means that power that comes from his very source as Son of God driven by the Holy Spirit. Evil spirits are no match for the Holy Spirit working through the healing power of Jesus. No wonder the people exclaim, "What is there about his speech? He commands the unclean spirits with authority and power and they leave."

The Psalmist is also inspired by the Holy Spirit and tells us that "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and full of great kindness. The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all his works." And I am led to pray this Psalm and also to invoke this same Holy Spirit. I pray, " Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your divine love. Send forth, your Holy Spirit and we shall be renewed." Amen.