Frederick, Maryland, United States - Daily Mass Reading & Catholic Meditation “The Word Among Us” for Monday, 2 June 2014

Frederick, Maryland, United States - Daily Mass Reading & Catholic Meditation “The Word Among Us” for Monday, 2 June 2014
Meditations: Acts 19:1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples. 2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They said to him, “No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 He said, “Into what then were you baptized?”
They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Paul said, “John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke with other languages and prophesied. 7 They were about twelve men in all. 8 He entered into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning God’s Kingdom.
Saints Marcellinus and Peter, Martyrs
We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit. (Acts 19:2)
“But wait, there’s more!” This familiar line from countless television commercials captures the spirit of today’s first reading. The disciples in Ephesus were adhering to John the Baptist’s message of repentance. They had been baptized and were living according to what they had learned about turning away from sin.
But wait! God had more for them. Paul came on the scene and told them about Jesus, “the one who was to come after” John (Acts 19:4). They accepted Paul’s message and said yes to baptism “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (19:5). Such wonderful news!
But wait! There was even more. When Paul prayed with them and laid hands on them, the Ephesian disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit. Paul recognized that God was moving among them, and so for three months, he debated in the synagogue and taught about the kingdom of God. When Paul’s welcome in the synagogue wore out, he didn’t give up. He moved elsewhere in the city and continued teaching the disciples for two more years. Their simple yes to what they heard—from John the Baptist and from Paul—brought them to conversion, but it brought them so much more than that. It brought them into a lifelong relationship with the Holy Spirit!
With God, there is always more. It begins with saying yes to him, yes to whatever he holds out today. If something—anything—stirs your heart toward God, say yes to it. Accept it for the gift that it is, even if you can’t see where it will take you. The disciples at Ephesus surely had no idea of all that awaited them once they accepted Paul’s offer of baptism in the name of Jesus. They just said yes, and God did the rest.
Say yes, even to little things such as squeezing in a prayer time on a busy day or biting back unkind words. Say yes to promptings to speak to someone you may not know or to call or write a letter to someone you have lost touch with. Say yes to offering to pray with a co-worker who is ailing or anxious.
Say yes to the Lord, and you’ll find more of his grace!
“Father, help me recognize what you are offering me today. I say yes to everything you have for me.” Amen.
Psalms 68:2 As smoke is driven away,
    so drive them away.
As wax melts before the fire,
    so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad.
    Let them rejoice before God.
    Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.
4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!
    Extol him who rides on the clouds:
to Yah, his name!
    Rejoice before him!
5 A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows,
    is God in his holy habitation.
6 God sets the lonely in families.
He brings out the prisoners with singing,
    but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.
7 God, when you went out before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness...
Selah.
John 16:29 His disciples said to him, “Behold, now you speak plainly, and speak no figures of speech. 30 Now we know that you know all things, and don’t need for anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”
31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”
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