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Blog: July 24, 2022

Fr. Jeff and others share reflections on the Sunday readings.

July 24, 2022

“If you then…know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will the Father in heaven

give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”


It is interesting to me that the answer to our asking, seeking, and knocking isn’t necessarily that God answers our prayers in the way we desire, but that we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. In some sense, then, all prayer stimulates the work of the Holy Spirit and God’s answer to us is the gift of himself. For your contemplation:


“In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth—and the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind (ruah=wind, breath, spirit) sweeping over the waters—Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light.” -Genesis 1:1-3


“…then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath (ruah= wind, breath, spirit) of life, and the man became a living being.” -Genesis 2:7


“Send forth your spirit, they are created and you renew the face of the earth.” -Psalm 104:30


“The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD (piety) and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD” -Isaiah 11:2-3a


“And the angel said to her in reply, ‘The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.’” -Luke 1:35


“John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than is coming…He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.” -Luke 3:16


“…and the holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” -Luke 3:22


“Then Jesus approached and said to them, ‘All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’” -Matthew 28:18


“But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” -Acts 1:8


“And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…” -Acts 2:2-4


“In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” -Galatians 5:22-23


“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” -1 Corinthians 6:19


“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.” -1 Corinthians 12:4-6


“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ Let the hearer say, ‘Come.’ Let the one who thirsts come forward, and the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving water.” -Revelation 22:17