Resurrection to Mission: Living the Ancient FaithSample

As we close, remember: the Book of Acts is not a closed book. It is still being written through your life and mine. The same Spirit who filled the Apostle St. Peter, gave joy to the martyrs, and inspired the young doctor and his team now fills you. Christ is the true Temple, and by the Holy Spirit, we become His dwelling place…the living temple of God’s presence. We are called to carry God’s presence into every part of our lives, so that the world may encounter Him through us.

“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31 NKJV)

To be God’s temple means to carry His presence into every part of our lives (home, work, relationships, and service, etc). Pentecost empowers us for this: to be the place where heaven meets earth, where others encounter the living God through our love, mercy, and witness.

The Spirit has not grown weak. If we lack power, it is not because the gift is diminished, but because we are not living as the apostles did. We have the same Spirit, the same opportunity. Will we open our eyes, convert our hearts, and receive His power? St. Mark the Ascetic captures this truth: “The Holy Spirit writes the Gospel not in ink, but in our hearts.” (On the Spiritual Law, §200)

Return to the opening story: the martyrs who smiled. They had joy because they knew death was not the end. They had courage because Pentecost had come.

Will you live with that same joy and courage? Will you let the fire of Pentecost burn in you…not just today, but every day? The story continues. The fire still burns. Will you carry it forward as a living chapter in God’s mission? The world is waiting.

The Church is sending. The Spirit is empowering. Let us go forth boldly and joyfully, living Pentecost’s message today and every day. St. Gregory of Nazianzus says: “The Spirit comes to those who are pure and makes them spiritual; He comes to those who are ready and makes them ready for greater things.” (Oration 41) Are you ready? The most important thing is not just what you are, but what you do. Let the Holy Spirit’s presence in you overflow in acts of love, forgiveness, kindness, and truth. This is how the world is changed; one Spirit-filled life at a time.

Let us begin here, on Pentecost. Today, open your eyes to see Jesus, let your heart be converted, and let your soul experience the power of the Pentecost that brought the Gospel to the nations.

Reflection: Will you carry the fire forward? What does it look like for you to be a living chapter in God’s ongoing story?

Today’s Challenge: Reflect on how you can be a “living chapter” in God’s ongoing story. Write a short prayer or commitment, asking the Holy Spirit to help you carry the fire of Pentecost into your daily life.

Prayer: O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, who is present in all places and fills all, the treasury of good things and the Life-Giver, graciously come, and dwell in us and purify us from all defilement, O Good One, and save our souls.

May the Holy Spirit write the Gospel deep within our hearts and allow the fire of the Pentecost to burn in us so brightly that we become a light for others to be guided to Christ. May the fire of Pentecost burn in us, the joy of the Resurrection fill us, and the mission of the apostles continue through us today and every day. Amen.

God bless you!