Two Essentials

 

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Year B

Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8

The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace.  It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers.
Acts 9:31

“The fear of the Lord, and… the consolation of the Holy Spirit.”  This is the perfect combination for Christian living and making progress in the spiritual life.  As we can see from St. Luke’s inspired commentary, it was a winning combination then as well: “The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria… grew in numbers.”  Why is it so?  What is meant by these two terms?

The fear of the Lord stands in, not for being afraid of God, or terrorized by God, but rather, to have a deep and abiding reverence for God.  Also implied here is obedience to God’s word.  The fear of the Lord means that the early disciples knew God, loved God, and so desired to offer obedient service to Him.  Very much in view is the notion that all of these things were taught and embodied in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The consolation, or comfort, of the Holy Spirit is the means by which we are reminded that we are the dear children of God and that His love is ever being poured out upon us and into our hearts.  This is how the Holy Spirit is described in St. John’s Gospel when our Lord refers to Him as the Comforter who is to come [John 14:16, 26].  This is His role.  St. Paul teaches us that the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children [Romans 8:15, 16].

We need both elements.  Without the fear of the Lord we grow lax and presume on God’s grace.  We exhibit a familiarity with Him that is inappropriate and harmful.  On the other hand, without the consolation of the Holy Spirit we become fixated on rules, forget our roles as sons and daughters, and never progress to the intimacy with God that He intends.  So how do we maintain the proper balance?

Our times of prayer should be rooted in the Sacred Scriptures and the Tradition of the Church.  These will continue to reveal God as He is, and not as we are prone to make Him out to be.  We will encounter a God of love, but also of justice and holiness.  We will be led to see our sins for what they are and to confess them with a firm purpose of amendment.  We will learn to rely on His mercy for forgiveness, and His grace to enable us to live the holy lives to which we are called.  We should often call to mind the greatness of God and allow ourselves to be drawn into the deepest adoration of God because He is worthy of all our praise.

Equally, we should reflect on our position as the adopted sons and daughters of the great King.  Our Papa loves us and longs for us to come to Him willingly, joyfully, trustingly, and lovingly.  The Holy Spirit was given to us, first in Baptism, and more powerfully in Confirmation, that we might know the depths of this intimacy with God. 

As long as we maintain these aspects in balance we can expect to make good progress.  But if we err on one side or the other we can expect difficulties.  If you are experiencing dryness or inconsistencies in your walk with the Lord, check to be sure both of these elements are intact and in balance.

If we continue in this way we can expect the blessing we see in evidence in the Acts of the Apostles today.  We can expect spiritual growth and progress in our own life and fruitfulness as we share these things with others.

So then, let us be careful, this day and every day, to walk in the fear of the Lord and in the consolation of the Holy Spirit.  May God add His grace and blessing as we do so and may we have the joy of seeing the church multiplied!