Reflections from the Heart – June 5, 2022

Pentecost Sunday
by Fr. Ivan Olmo

“To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” Do you ever wonder what your true gifts are? Those things that are helpful, useful and of some benefit to you or to someone else? Not your skills or strengths, nor your abilities or capabilities but your true gifts that come from God. The gifts God graciously poured into your heart in order to give glory and praise to his holy name. The gifts he has given to you in order to help you lead others to the gift of salvation and in the process of saving others, you save your own soul. Those gifts set aside especially for you so that you may be like the Lord in all ways, imitating him in word and deed that you may be the Lord’s gift to those in need. You certainly have those gifts. Do you know what they are? When we think about the Church and how God has loved her, we can meditate on God‘s love, which is his most amazing gift, and contemplate all the ways he has gifted us with his love. God has given us the gift of his very self. Imagine we poor sinners can actually call on the name of the Lord whenever we are in need. We can actually call God our Father and he is most happy to acknowledge us as his beloved children. The gift of God stooping down to listen to us. What an amazing gift. God actually listens to us even when we complain most of the time. The gift of the Son who has given his life for us. He has brought us forgiveness of sins, restored our innocence, given us eternal life and the gift of the Holy Spirit that has been poured into our hearts inspiring us, encouraging us, lifting us out of darkness into God’s wondrous and glorious light. Certainly, with those gifts we don’t need anything else. Who would want anything more than God? Who would need anything more than God? God continues to give good gifts in super abundance. Blessed be God in his Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Blessed be God in all his Holy Angels and Saints. Blessed be God in Holy Scripture, his Holy Sacraments, his Holy Church and in all the ways God continues to provide for us in our heart, mind, body, soul, will, spirit, senses, intellect, freedom, prayer so that we may love God with our entire being. God is the true gift that dwells inside of you.