Here’s the hope of our Christian faith. It’s the hope and belief that God leads us to the good and to freedom and to life. How do we follow the Holy Spirit? How do we know which way God is leading us? I’ll mention three ways:
First, we look to Jesus. We celebrate his coming among us by following the call of John the Baptist and by preparing ourselves to let the living Spirit of Jesus more fully into our life. He is the face of God. He tells us and shows us how to live in God’s Spirit.
Secondly, we come to know which way God is leading us through our prayer and reflection and growing in an awareness of how the Spirit of God is always with us, and through reflecting on how our faith and our Christian freedom should be lived out in the public domain. What are the social consequences of our faith?
Thirdly, we come to know God by being grateful. Just as Jesus was a gift to his family and to all of us, everything that we have is a gift. Saying a prayer of thanks to God each day helps us to realize that life itself is a gift and that we are called to live in awareness of being blessed by God. A life of gratitude leads to a life of love.
“I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you, praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, because of your partnership for the gospel from the first day until now.” (Philippians 1:3-5)
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