My dear young friends in Jesus Christ, I remember when I came to England from India a couple of years ago. I was introduced to a new culture, new people, and a new language too. I was not sure how to fit into the new land and was worried whether I could achieve the mission I was called for. At that time, Jesus reminded me to call on the Helper – the Holy Spirit. I began to pray to the Holy Spirit and ask for comfort and guidance. The Holy Spirit responded to me saying, “I will evangelise this nation through children.” This brought immense joy and comfort to my soul. Soon the Holy Spirit began his work. Jesus touched the hearts of many young children and teens and brought about a transformation in their lives through retreats and conventions.
Dear children, this Holy Spirit is freely available to each one of us. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26) It is the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes to Jesus and makes us believe in him more and more. The Spirit makes us realise how much the Father loves us and knows our needs and cares for us.
The Holy Spirit loves children very much. The Lord promised, “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.” (Joel 2:28) In the Old Testament, when the time came to choose the next king of Israel after Saul, God sent the Prophet Samuel to Jesse’s house. Out of his eight sons, Samuel noticed that the first son of Jesse, Eliab was the best among them. But God chose David, the youngest of all who was serving in the fields, as the anointed one. When Samuel looked at David, he was perhaps not as strong as Eliab, but what was important was that he was the anointed one of the Lord. The Lord used David in a powerful way – defeating the giant Goliath, conquering various enemies to regain the lands which were promised to Israel, living a life of worship and praise, such that the Lord said of him, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will.” (Acts 13:22)
In the New Testament, Jesus accomplished the miracle of feeding five thousand people because one little boy from the crowd offered the little that he had – five loaves of bread and two fish. At Fatima, Mother Mary appeared to three small children, Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco to reveal to the world the importance of prayer, the Holy Rosary and eternal life in Christ.
The call to holiness and sanctity begins at the time of our Baptism. So do not be afraid to call on the Holy Spirit. Let us open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, who can make us holy and bring purpose to our lives. I pray that each one of you will be led closer to Jesus through the Holy Spirit and be powerful witnesses for Christ.
Written by fr soji olikkal