Holy Spirit of God, rekindle your gift of Mercy within me…

                                                                
2 Timothy 1:1-12
Baptism is not simply a bench mark, a custom in our Catholic faith.  Rather it is the opening of a door this side of heaven that directly leads to the possibility for human hearts to be purified, and indelibly enflamed with the Holy Spirit of God. Anyone who has been baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit has the potential to receive all the graces of God’s mercy, and benefit from the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. And as much as these gifts of the Holy Spirit are received and exercised, then that human life is able to produce the Fruits of the Spirit: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. These Gifts and Fruits are the definition of the abundant life that is at the heart of ‘man’s search for meaning.
 
But life happens, and all too often the door that is designed to let God’s Mercy flow freely into and out from our beings is only cracked open or kept closed. Or, to follow the metaphor of this GMD, the potential of our Baptism is left as a pile of kindling in our hearts that is rarely, if ever, ignited. We need to ask God for his lighter to ignite the gifts laid down in our hearts by the sacrament of our Baptism. We do this by turning to the divine flame of God’s Grace through prayer, meditation on holy scripture, songs of praise and thanksgiving, and reception of Holy Communion in order to light the fire of our Faith that is the source of all Hope and Love in our lives. 
 
Will I open the door wide on the gift of God’s Mercy given to me at Baptism, and ignite my ‘pile of kindling’ by practising the presence of God in my life?  Will I dare to become enflamed with the faith, hope and love of God, like Christ Jesus? Holy Spirit of God  enkindle your Mercy within me. 
 
And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:52)
 
If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world on fire!
St Catherine of Sienna, Quoted by St John Paul II in a homily Jan 4, 2021
 
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