July 9, 2017 — Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
ZEC 9: 9-10; PS 145: 1-2, 8-11, 13-14; ROM 8: 9, 11-13; MT 11: 25-30
Does the Holy Spirit dwell within you? If you are a baptized and confirmed Catholic the answer is a resounding “yes.” However, a better question might be “Is the Holy Spirit alive within you?” We are all gifted with the Holy Spirit, but how we respond to that gift varies immensely from one person to another.
St. Paul says as much in the Second Reading from his letter to the Romans. Paul says, “Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, (He) will give life to your mortal bodies also.” This produces a number of other questions for us as Catholics.
Given that the Spirit is within us, but does the Spirit guide us to Jesus? Are we prepared to be more like Jesus? Are we willing to be His disciple? And especially, Is the Spirit working in our hearts? It is there for each of us, to strengthen us and fortify us and to be with us always. However, we have to accept and embrace that fact. Living a life of stewardship is one of the ways we can do that. As our Bishops have told us in their pastoral letter on stewardship, “Stewardship is how you respond to Jesus’ call to discipleship and holiness.”
It is a challenge for sure, but it is within the grasp and the capability of each of us. We may have to work at it, but if we trust in God it is most definitely possible.
