You Also Testify to Me ... (StVdP)

You Also Testify to Me ...
Reflection for St. Vincent de Paul Meeting, May 2, 2016
Dcn. Bob Bonomi

In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” In today’s Gospel passage Jesus continues: … “When the Advocate comes … he will testify to me. And you also testify …”

“You also testify…”  Think about that.  Whether we realize it or not, because we profess to be Christians, others will come to know Jesus through us.  Everything we do during our life testifies to our relationship with Jesus.  It is in how we handle the successes and failures of the challenges we face that we testify to others our belief or lack of belief in Jesus and the love and mercy of God acting in our own lives.

What does our own life teach others about Jesus?  As Vincentians, we minister to the physical needs of the poor as Jesus commanded us, but do we allow the Holy Spirit to minister through us to those who are not materially disadvantaged as well? In our daily conversations, do we spend more time disparaging others than praising them?  In our inevitable discussions about the events in our country and around the world, do we spend more time discussing the evils we see than the joys?  Do others see a loving, merciful God through us, or do they see only judgment and condemnation?

It can be a challenge for us to call upon the Holy Spirit to teach us how to deal with ALL of the situations we face in our daily lives, and not just in our ministry.  In every encounter that we have, we must reflect the love and mercy of Jesus has for others. If we are not sure what to say, or if the conversation is headed in what we think is the wrong direction, we should be ready to say a little prayer for guidance; a prayer from our heart, not just a lengthy formula that we have memorized.

And sometimes the simplest of prayers is the most effective:  “Jesus, I trust in you.”  If we trust in Jesus, if we let the Holy Spirit guide us, then the message that we testify to will become clear to others as well.

Jesus, I trust in you.