If someone were to
ask me how do I know for sure that God exists, I would say I know God exists
not just because I feel it in my bones, but because of this living relationship
I have with His Advocate, the Holy Spirit.
This gift of faith is not merely a gift I received in Baptism because my parents loved me enough to want me to be a child of God; it is also a gift I have chosen to unwrap and utilize, thereby growing it with each passing day.
I do this by living in God's presence with heart, mind and spirit constantly, by being obedient to the movement of His Spirit who lives within me.
Obedience is tough for once we reach adulthood, we prize independence to the fatal exclusion of humility and receptivity. We fail to realize that true independence comes from knowing and doing the Father's will.
Odd as that may sound, when we decide to do things His way, we are freed from our fears, shortcomings and dysfunctions for we operate from a place that is actually most true to ourselves and has the greatest integrity. It is also the seat of our deepest desire and where the Holy Spirit reigns.
Through the Spirit, we are given the wisdom to know what is right, the courage, compassion and generosity to do what is right and the fortitude to see our actions through, despite failure, discouragement and even persecution.
Such strong alignment with God's Spirit requires a careful cultivation of a relationship not unlike that of a spouse or a BFF. I am glad that in spite of my woefully minimal prayer life currently, I can claim a fairly decent relationship still.
This Pentecost has been an extra special one, for apart from celebrating the birthday of the Church, I rejoiced in how central a figure the Holy Spirit has been in my life and consequently, how much I am loving my life and what I do for I truly feel I am precisely where I should be, following His lead.
I asked for a renewal of my spiritual gifts, as well as a couple of new ones (A reminded me to ask for the spiritual gifts I sought the night before), and I felt that I would be granted what I had asked for.
As we* gathered for a luncheon celebration and to pray for each other this Pentecost, the Spirit spoke strongly to each of us, giving us an indication of what lies in store for each of us. It was a wonderful afternoon of feasting and sharing lives.
The cherry on the cake were the multiple celebrations yesterday: Singapore's new Archbishop Monsignor William Goh, the 10th anniversary of ICPE Mission Singapore and the 11th anniversary of ICPE Mission's Pontifical Recognition. Plus today, we celebrate the arrival of C and M's gorgeous baby girl, Anna, who is a child that has been "set aside for God".
As we move back into Ordinary Time, let us not forget our Pentecostal beginnings and pay homage to it every day. Live life in the Spirit.
This gift of faith is not merely a gift I received in Baptism because my parents loved me enough to want me to be a child of God; it is also a gift I have chosen to unwrap and utilize, thereby growing it with each passing day.
I do this by living in God's presence with heart, mind and spirit constantly, by being obedient to the movement of His Spirit who lives within me.
Obedience is tough for once we reach adulthood, we prize independence to the fatal exclusion of humility and receptivity. We fail to realize that true independence comes from knowing and doing the Father's will.
Odd as that may sound, when we decide to do things His way, we are freed from our fears, shortcomings and dysfunctions for we operate from a place that is actually most true to ourselves and has the greatest integrity. It is also the seat of our deepest desire and where the Holy Spirit reigns.
Through the Spirit, we are given the wisdom to know what is right, the courage, compassion and generosity to do what is right and the fortitude to see our actions through, despite failure, discouragement and even persecution.
Such strong alignment with God's Spirit requires a careful cultivation of a relationship not unlike that of a spouse or a BFF. I am glad that in spite of my woefully minimal prayer life currently, I can claim a fairly decent relationship still.
This Pentecost has been an extra special one, for apart from celebrating the birthday of the Church, I rejoiced in how central a figure the Holy Spirit has been in my life and consequently, how much I am loving my life and what I do for I truly feel I am precisely where I should be, following His lead.
I asked for a renewal of my spiritual gifts, as well as a couple of new ones (A reminded me to ask for the spiritual gifts I sought the night before), and I felt that I would be granted what I had asked for.
As we* gathered for a luncheon celebration and to pray for each other this Pentecost, the Spirit spoke strongly to each of us, giving us an indication of what lies in store for each of us. It was a wonderful afternoon of feasting and sharing lives.
The cherry on the cake were the multiple celebrations yesterday: Singapore's new Archbishop Monsignor William Goh, the 10th anniversary of ICPE Mission Singapore and the 11th anniversary of ICPE Mission's Pontifical Recognition. Plus today, we celebrate the arrival of C and M's gorgeous baby girl, Anna, who is a child that has been "set aside for God".
As we move back into Ordinary Time, let us not forget our Pentecostal beginnings and pay homage to it every day. Live life in the Spirit.
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