A Gospel Reflection
by Deacon Kevin Heim
Monday, April 20th
2nd Week of Easter
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?” Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
One of the things I have appreciated most about living in Iowa is the changing of the seasons – sometimes we even get a chance to see all four of them the same day. Of the four, spring is my favorite. From the melting of the snow, through the first blooming tulips, croci and snowdrops, to the greening of lawns and trees with the early rains; a rebirth in nature for sure. Yet it is the wind that is most remarkable. The gentle, drying zephyrs from the south, the stronger blows from east or west that bring the rains, the nippy reminders of winter from the north. Where it comes from and where it goes is still a mystery, but the maps tracking it can be works of art.
As does the wind, the Spirit comes and goes at will. What happens when the Spirit makes contact? Is it as tangible as the physical wind? Is it as tangible as it was with the apostles at Pentecost? It could be, depending on whether we are as resistant as a house in the wind or as accepting as the pliant reed.
A final thought - “The most important moments in life are the hours of prayer and adoration. They give birth to a human being, fashion our true identity; they root our existence in mystery.” - Robert Cardinal Sarah,
God or Nothing