Thursday of the Third Week of Easter
In the first reading of the day, we hear of the encounter between Philip and the court official of the queen of the Ethiopians. And, every time I hear this story, I always find myself delighted by how the figures respond to God’s inspirations. First, an angel of the Lord speaks to Philip telling him to go to a certain road, so Philip immediately gets up and goes. Then, the Spirit tells Philip to catch up with the chariot in the distance, and Philip does so. And, finally, after hearing the message of Jesus Christ, the officer wants to be a follower of Christ and says without wavering, “Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?”. In all these circumstances, God gives his holy inspirations, and the figures give a full and generous response without any unnecessary delay. They do not put off the good that the Lord asks of them. Rather they have hearts docile to God’s promptings, and they do not waste a moment in living out Christ’s call.
Therefore, in our lives let us follow the example of these holy men in the first reading. After all, when we put off a good deed or delay fulfilling a holy responsibility, doing it only gets harder as time goes on. But, if we are prompt and eager to live out the good that we know we are called to do, then often it becomes much easier, more pleasant, and more joyful. And so, let us cultivate hearts that are open to receiving the Holy Spirit’s inspirations and ready to put them into action. Let us not waste one moment in joyfully living out Christ’s call for our lives and doing the good that we know we are called to do.