Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20: 22

Christ couldn’t have made it easier for his followers to receive the Holy Spirit. All they had to do was inhale. We receive the Holy Spirit; we don’t earn it. We can’t. It is pure gift.

It’s easy to get caught up in thinking we have to achieve our place in God’s kingdom, but what we have to do is accept the gift. We can’t guarantee the supply of air we need to live, much less control God’s Spirit. Just as God breathed life into Adam, Christ breathes new life into our weary souls. When we receive and say thank you, we grow spiritually. Our right relationship with Our Creator is renewed. We are freed from self-righteousness and pride.

We have an ongoing need to stay close to our source of life. We can’t just take a one deep breath and say, “Okay. Been there, done that.” After our initial reception, accepting the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives is a continuous process. After all, we can’t just take one deep breath and say, “Okay. Been there, done that.” Just as we inhale and then exhale, there is a time to take in and a time to give back out. But unless we first receive, we will have nothing to give.

It is common knowledge that breathing slowly and deeply is a great way to calm ourselves down when we are anxious or slow ourselves down when we are frantic. How much more powerful might it be if, as we inhale, we picture ourselves breathing in the Holy Spirit, and breathing out stress, self, and whatever is not of God. Let’s receive the gift and give thanks to the Giver.

Prayer: Thank you Lord, for the gift of Your Spirit.

Reflection for sharing:  What happens when I spend a moment breathing in the Holy Spirit and breathing out stress?