Category: Message of the Day

“When the day of Pentecost came it found them gathered in one place.” —Acts 2:1 One-hundred-and-twenty of Jesus’ disciples had been devoting themselves to constant prayer for nine days (Acts 1:14). As they began praying at about 9 AM on the tenth day, “suddenly from up in the sky there came a noise like a strong, driving wind” (Acts 2:2). After the Holy Spirit introduced Himself audibly, He manifested Himself visibly when “tongues as of fire appeared” (Acts 2:3). These exterior manifestations indicated interior transformations in the hearts of Jesus’ disciples (see Acts 15:9). Then they spoke from the abundance...

“Peter was hurt because He had asked a third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ So he said to Him: ‘Lord, You know everything. You know well that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.’ ” —John 21:17 If we love Jesus, we will feed His sheep, that is, we will feed God’s people with God’s Word, for “not on bread alone is man to live but on every utterance that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4; Dt 8:3). Peter showed his love for Jesus by standing up on the first Pentecost Sunday, proclaiming Jesus as...

“A dispute arose between Pharisees and Sadducees which divided the whole assembly.” —Acts 23:7 We must be men and women of the truth, for God is the Truth (Jn 14:6) and the Holy Spirit guides us to all truth (Jn 16:13). The Church is “the pillar and bulwark of truth” (1 Tm 3:15), and God’s “word is truth” (Jn 17:17). Thus, Jesus’ disciples are “consecrated in truth” (Jn 17:19). Men and women of truth must stand up for the truth and “even to the death fight for truth” (Sir 4:28). However, we must do this in love (see Eph 4:15),...

“The Holy Spirit has been warning me.” —Acts 20:23 We are halfway through the Pentecost Novena. By this time in the novena, the Holy Spirit has been quite active. The Holy Spirit has been working on preparing our hearts for Pentecost. The Spirit has been consoling us, instructing us (Jn 14:26), leading us to the truth (Jn 16:13), and warning us about repentance and other changes we must make (Acts 20:23). As the novena continues, the Spirit will be helping us pray, for we know not how to pray as we ought (Rm 8:26). The Spirit will fight against our...