Word: By the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, we are united in love as a community of believers.
Order: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:5)
Reflection:
We don’t get enough opportunities to highlight the power of the Holy Spirit in our monthly Word and Themes. But for the month of May, we are encouraged to focus our minds, hearts and souls on the Holy Spirit. By the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, we are united in love as a community of believers. The Holy Spirit is considered as the principle of love, symbolized in the image of fire. It is this same fire that is at the heart of the ongoing revival in BLD, a movement initiated by our own Community Spiritual Director, Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo, and spearheaded by the Executive Council of Servant Leaders (ECSL).
By the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, the ECSL has been conducting pastoral visits to the various BLD Districts, conveying what BLD should truly stand for: Fruitful, Inspired, Renewed and Empowered. The ‘fire’ of the Holy Spirit is the stimulus we need to rekindle the spirit and the hearts of BLD members across the globe. Through this ‘fire’, we are able to move forward towards the attainment of our new Vision and Mission as “a community of disciples, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to be living witnesses for transformation in Christ…”
Week 1 (5th Sunday of Easter)
For the 5th Sunday of Easter, the 2nd reading obliges us to obey God’s commandments and do whatever pleases Him. We all know that this is easier said than done, because pleasing God requires a 24-7 commitment. It demands that we love one another, including those we love to hate. This commandment reminds us of St. Teresa of Avila who, after experiencing trials, was supposedly told by Jesus, “That’s how I treat my friends”, to which she replied “and that’s why you have so few.” St. Theresa of Avila experienced many hardships and challenges, but she had remained a loyal follower of Jesus with a good sense of humor, clinging to Him like a branch to the vine. And that’s why her life bore much fruit and how she eventually became the saint that she is today.
This is our theme for this week: By the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, we bear much fruit and become disciples of Jesus. Remaining in God is no mean feat, but the rewards are well worth it. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.” (Jn 15:7)
Week 2 (6th Sunday of Easter)
Our theme continues from the previous week and encapsulates the message that permeates our BLD Community prayer. By the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, in faith, we can love one another. What kind of love are we to give? The kind of love that the Lord commands us to give – the same kind of love He gives us. “This is my commandment, love one another as I love you,” (John 15:12). The Father went to the extent of giving up His only Son to die for our eternal salvation. Let us pause at this point and silently ask our selves, “Am I willing to die for someone else, especially if my death is a consequence of someone else’s wrongdoing?” You and I know the answer to this question.
There is no way we can love others the way God loves us. This is the reason why in our Community Prayer, we plead and say “Let the Holy Spirit flow freely into our hearts and minds that we too may share in that mutual love between you and the Father.” It is only by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit that we can truly love one another. Without Him, we are nothing but through Him we can do all things. And as we do, we can claim Christ’s promise for the week, “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.” (Jn 15:10)
Week 3 (Ascension)
It is easy enough to visualize how empowered the apostles must have felt having personally witnessed the Ascension of our Lord and seen with their own eyes how He was bodily lifted up to heaven. After the discouragement, fear, distress and disappointment they experienced with the passion and death of their Master, this was a moment of restoration and glory for the elated apostles. This same sense of wonder, utter conviction and unquestioning faith should remain with us today, as it did among the apostles 2,000 years ago. We should be fired up with the same commitment, determination and empowerment for building God’s Kingdom and proclaiming the Good News to all, as Jesus urges us to do, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15).
This is our theme for this week: By the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, we build up the Body of Christ as we exercise His gifts. Once again, we know that it is not easy to go out there and boldly spread the Word of God. But we are merely the Lord’s instruments. And we should humbly offer ourselves to be used by Him, surrendering all our frailties and weaknesses and trusting in His promise for the week, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mk 16:16)
Week 4 (Pentecost)
Pentecost Sunday falls on the 4th Sunday of the month marking the end of the seven-week Easter celebration of Jesus rising from the dead. This is the culminating event, the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus’s return to His Father, so He can send the Holy Spirit to bestow His many gifts upon us that we, in turn, may minister to others using our gifts for the up-building of His church on earth. What was true then remains true today, and it is Pentecost Sunday that forms the basic foundation and inspiration for our Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS). It enables us to experience the power of the Holy Spirit over and over again, as often as we are willing to serve the Lord at this awesome weekend.
It is amazing how the outpouring of the Spirit at a Life in the Spirit Seminar baptism never ceases to transform us. We come out of the weekend as new persons, equipped to proclaim God’s Word. This is our theme for the last week of May. By the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, we proclaim the Gospel of Christ. What a wonderful and indescribable transformation! It inspires us to share our new life with the whole world. This is the promise for the week. “When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth” (Ps 104:30). With the breath of the Holy Spirit upon us on Pentecost Sunday, we can be on FIRE again as members of BLD: FRUITFUL, INSPIRED, RENEWED and EMPOWERED.
