Deacon Tom Anthony

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 We must always remember that the Holy Spirit, which is the Love of God, dwells within us. We were created in His image and, because of that, we will always be a part of Him. God loves us. This fact cannot ever change. Whatever challenges we face, whatever we do, God will always be there to guide us through this life of ours. The Holy Spirit offers us hope, reconciliation, and a transformative experience beyond anything that we could imagine. Paul tells us in his Letter to the Corinthians that the manifestation of the spirit is given to each of us individually for some sort of benefit. This benefit is unique in nature based on what God wants for us and our individual journey of faith. It is up to us to explore our relationship with God to discover the type of gift which was given.

We are all special. We are all different in a wonderful way. Because we are not the same we will not be treated the same by God. We also will have different expectations set forth. We must ask ourselves: “What does God want for me?” Just like when Andrew and John began following Jesus when it was revealed to them that He was The Lamb of God. Jesus turned to them and asked, “What are you looking for?” God is constantly asking us the same question. We come to Him broken and incomplete, yet we are naturally drawn by the presence of His love. We are then challenged to let it form us and change us into a new creation further opening the floodgates of His love.

For much of our lives we have remained separated from a complete relationship with God. This is our fault and we must ask ourselves what is preventing us from experiencing the incomparable joy of a life with Him. We must then remove these influences that will ultimately destroy us. This is a continuous spiritual exercise which will benefit us greatly. It should become a central part of our lives. It can be defined as a working relationship with God. As long as we concentrate on it, there will be spiritual fruits. Sacred Scripture, prayer, and an acknowledgement of the presence of God act as a map towards joy and purpose.

We all tend to turn to God more readily when we are in crisis. This is good but we cannot forget to maintain that relationship with Him when things get better. Pride lures us away from a complete relationship with Him, a relationship which is based upon love and a continuous spiritual growth. We are forged and strengthened in times of trial and tribulation. From those times, we are molded into a new creation. It is from there that our purpose with the presence of the Holy Spirit can be revealed. Our entire life should be a Revelation of the Spirit. We definitely have a benefit with God in our lives. The more we acknowledge this and embrace it, the more this benefit will be revealed to us.

Deacon Tom