Our Lord consoled his Disciples in the upper room on the night he was betrayed by telling them the Father would send the teacher, the Holy Spirit. He would teach them all things, so he did, and they began to speak in other languages. That is the Holy Spirit factor. The Church also experiences it.
In Biblical imagery the right hand always conveys favor, honor, blessing. It is entirely logical and appropriate that Christ is seated at the right hand of God. The Church represents God’s right hand in the world. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Church blesses the world.
The Lord made good use of his special instrument, the Apostle Paul. Now he sent him into Macedonia, a Roman colony. There God leads him to Lydia, whom the Holy Spirit called to listen to Paul’s sermon. She was baptized along with her family.
The desire to be in heaven is multiplied and intensified when one reads Saint John’s description of the New Jerusalem. There God will dwell with us. There will be no crying, or sadness or death.
A systematic study of the twenty-third Psalm reveals how rich and valuable its teachings are. It contains many applicable lessons for our daily life. We shall not want, because the Lord is our shepherd.
The Apostle Paul lived in the darkness of human folly. He wanted to worship a god he had imagined. Then the real God appeared to him and shaped him into an instrument to carry God’s name to the Gentiles. Now he would live in the light. Confirmands: Live in the Light of Christ!