On this third Sunday of Advent the first part of the Word of God we hear is, “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor…” This passage from Isaiah (chapter 61) is the one Jesus quotes when he begins his public ministry in Nazareth. The stirring of the Holy Spirit is always an indication of God doing something new. It is how our Bible begins with the Spirit of God hovering over the waters at the moment of creation. Today it signals the significance of the one whose birth we prepare to celebrate.
Today we also hear St. Paul say, “Do not quench the Spirit.” Our Advent hope includes being careful not stifle or shut down the stirring of the Holy Spirit within us and among us. Our Christian living is to be Spirit-led. These Advent days are a good time to pray the prayer to the Holy Spirit: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.”
How do you experience the stirring of the Holy Spirit to bring glad tidings in your life?