Reflections on the Readings
January 17, 2015 - Year C
The second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dennis S. Hankins
Life in the Spirit
The Manifestations of the Holy Spirit remind us of the Abundant Life there is in Jesus! The Holy Spirit gives the Church its conviction and confession that Jesus is Lord. Manifestations of the Spirit are for the common good; for the edification of each member of the Church, for we all drink of the same Spirit who inspires our language of prayer. He guides us, teaches us, and glorifies Jesus among us. The Church, alive in the Spirit, is a body of mutual love and prayerful support. For in the Spirit, the Lord reveals through each one of us (for the good of our brothers and sisters) his glory and abundant life. Paul is concerned that we are not uninformed concerning the fulness of Christ's Spirit among us. Jesus is Lord, and in the Church we receive the fulness of his merciful heart encountering his loving and merciful Lordship. Men of political ambitions challenge Jesus. But Jesus, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven and was incarnate of the virgin Mary and became man, to ransom us, to heal us, to forgive us. Of his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace . Jesus is not running for Lord—He is Lord —May Mary, who interceded with her Son concerning the shortage of wine at the marriage party in Cana of Galilee, intercede for us to have a fresh supply of the new wine of the Spirit so that we may have a new awareness of the merciful heart of Jesus— a new encounter with the glory of Jesus Christ for the good of the Body of Christ and for the life of the world. Praised be Jesus Christ who gives us the gift of himself in the bread which is his body and in the wine which is his blood.
For God has called us through the gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(2 Thess 2:4-11).
May we truly reflect in our face the merciful glory of the Lord and be to each other a conduit of the gifts of the Spirit, so that there be no shortage of the precious love of Jesus among us.
Dear brothers and sisters, may we fervently believe that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever! Let us ask largely of his merciful heart. For the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve. And thus we are to one another but servants sharing with each other gifts of the Spirit for the common good. Holy Spirit, sweet wine of heaven, help us to be ever full of the joy of Jesus and eager to share the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the mutual care and for the good and blessing of all. Amen!
Dennis Hankins is a parishioner at Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, of the Diocese of Knoxville, TN. Prior to uniting with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil 2006, Dennis served as a priest in the Charismatic Episcopal Church. E-mail Dennis at: dennishankins@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter: @dshankins or visit him at: www.dennishankins.com
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