Today's Gospel: Luke 4:14-22 Today’s Gospel begins with a compelling proclamation, “Jesus returned ... in the power of the Spirit.” Jesus returned from 40 days of prayer and fasting rejuvenated by the Holy Spirit and ready to fulfill the plans God had for Him. This illustrates the importance of making time and space in our own lives to allow the Holy Spirit to fill and empower us. Jesus is our greatest model of faith, so when shown the ways in which He lived it, we ought to take a moment to ponder what He is teaching us. Immediately following this outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we encounter Jesus declaring Isaiah’s prophetic words about Himself. Jesus is acutely aware of not only who He is but who He is in relation to the Father. Can you confidently say the same? Do you know who you are? Who you were created to be? And, most importantly, who you are as a child of God? Where do we even begin to answer these important questions? We follow Jesus’ model of stepping away from the busy and giving our attention to the Father. Yet, many of us do not have the luxury of going on retreat for 40 days; so how do we accomplish this in the everyday chaos of family life? Think moments, not days. Each day find a moment to retreat away with Jesus to pray, even if it is just one recitation of the prayer he taught us, The Lord’s Prayer. It is the perfect prayer in busy times because it encompasses all that we need to remember and to ask of the Father. Fast for 5 minutes from your “to-do” list and give God your full attention. You too will return to whatever plans await you, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ponder:

When in your day can you make a 5-minute retreat for prayer and fasting?

Pray:

Today is busy, but I found time to read today’s Gospel and this reflection. Now, I can rest assured that I am overflowing with the Spirit because You, Lord, are never outdone in generosity. Because I gave You time I hold so precious, You give me an even greater gift of Your Spirit to fill and sustain me.
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