God Is with Him

God Is with Him

Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

And now, Lord, take note of their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness, as you stretch forth your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus." As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.   Acts 4:29-31

He came to Jesus at night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him." John 3:2

Piety

“The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so, it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

Study

Perhaps Pentecost was not a singular event or celebration.  As the notes to the NABRE point out, Sacred Scriptures often uses earthquakes as a sign of the divine presence.  So, even though there are no tongues of flame in today's reading, the disciples may be experiencing the Holy Spirit in the present moment.

Now Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the LORD had come down upon it in fire. The smoke rose from it as though from a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently.  (Exodus 19:18)

At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook, and the house was filled with smoke.  (Isaiah 6:4)

In the current example, the shaking of the building symbolizes God’s favorable response to the prayer and perhaps the presence of the Lord or the Holy Spirit. 

The presence of the Holy Spirit also harkens us to the Gospel.  Throughout the season of Lent, we met up with Nicodemus three times as we witnessed his conversion.  Now, the Good News revisits the first story in a different context.  First, we know from Good Friday that – unlike the disciples – Nicodemus stayed with the Lord on the cross and helped with his anointing with enough myrrh for the burial of a King.  More importantly, we know that Jesus planted the seeds of conversion and rebirth with Nicodemus during their first encounter.

Nicodemus already knew that God was with Jesus and by extension, God was with everyone who encountered the humble Rabbi.

Action

The collision of the supernatural world with humanity is how our senses can begin to experience God.  With Nicodemus, it took the night-wind. Maybe with the rest of us, we need an entire earthquake.

Here in chapter 3, we had no idea where the spirit of the Lord would take Nicodemus.  Here in the current episode of our lives, we have no idea where the spirit of the Lord will take us. The challenge is to accept a future with God as Jesus accepted his Emmanuel God-with-us life.