Imagine the Spirit

The text today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary offers food for thought about the power of images in how we make decisions about our path. The passage from the Book of Acts tells of the vision of Peter which opened his mind to the later invitation of Gentile visitors to come and experience the conversion of their lives which is being accomplished through the same Holy Spirit who has brought New Life to the Jewish disciples of Jesus. The mission to baptize them in the name of the Holy Spirit becomes clearer to Peter. The role of the disciple is to be open to the promptings of the Spirit. The “baptism” is the witness of the community of the action of the Spirit in persons responding to the invitation to intimacy with God. When community gathers to celebrate Baptism, the movement of the Spirit is within the assembly. Perhaps later reflection on the photographs will show the Presence of God in the eyes, gestures and thanksgiving for the lives we experience, our own and others. The comfort of the image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and the certainty of His declarations of “I am” in the Gospel of John are presented as the peace for communities in turmoil in the first century of the Church by Alyce M. McKenzie in her Edgy Exegesis column. The Word revealed in the Gospel of John brings life to many. The images and symbols animated by faith in the movement of the Holy Spirit provide consolation, confirmation, courage and commitment