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I urge you to spend some time reflecting on who God is for you? The answer may give you insight about how you see God, your expectations of God and how you allow God to impact your life. One of the questions I ask people is; “What does God have to do to get your attention?’ This is another way of looking at what God means to you and how you expect God to reach out to you. Don’t make the same mistake, as that of the Pharisees who missed recognizing the Messiah, for them Jesus simply did not fit into their expectations.

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Today’s Gospel is an account of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples. This account is very different from the other accounts in the Gospels. Jesus makes another appearance. He welcomes his disciples with the call to Peace. I want to point out that Jesus said this to the disciples who were afraid, the doors were locked, they had isolated themselves out of fear.

Fear can lead us to abandon our values, goals and convictions; leading us to behaviours that normally would not happen. In a way causing us to feel shut down. I want to point out that after receiving the Holy Spirit the disciples were fearless, actively preaching the good news when before they lived in secret.

People who are courageous or have done courageous acts can still be afraid. They have learned how to handle their fear to prevent them from being shut down. So, going back to the disciples, they were likely still afraid for their lives, but the Spirit gave them courage to move forward.

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Jesus makes some serious claims of those who follow Him, who will be able to drive out demons, speak new languages, pick up serpents, and even if they drink poison they will survive. Jesus promises miraculous cures simply by laying hands on the afflicted. I recognize that miracles do happen. I am not questioning that, however in our own times we don’t always see the healings nor the drinking of poison. I am wondering if there is something more here for us to consider.