Anointed With The Spirit

" Now Peter began to speak to them:  ' I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation, anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. You know the message He sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ -- He is Lord of all. That message spread through Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed with the devil, for God was with him. ' " [ Acts 10:34-38].


I was brought to church as a young child and baptized when I was about age two or three. As soon as I made my First Communion and was Confirmed, my family stopped taking me to church.

My family thought that because we HAD gone to church and that because I was baptized, that -- thank Heavens-- I was not a " little heathen" any longer. By having me baptized and Confirmed, I was therefore a Christian.

But I knew nothing about being a Christian.

I had no idea that I was supposed to actually emulate Jesus, probably because my parents never bothered to do so. I would ask to go to church, but the answer was always no. You see, I had piety, even as a girl of 14.

Meanwhile, in my house, I suffered so many slings and arrows coming at me, I did not know how to cope.

My mother seemed to be perpetually sad, but also highly critical. She could cheerfully read me a book in the morning. But later in the day,  when I came home from school, she had given the family dog away.

I sensed her struggling with everyday life. I began to weed her garden without being asked. I began to help her bring in the groceries and put them away. I wheedled a new sewing machine out of her; then, in turn, every Sunday afternoon, I would do all the family mending.

At a young age, I had an early wisdom and understanding. I figured out, if all those cruelties were coming my way, I could neutralize all these negative ions by putting out some positive forces of my own.

When my brother hit me or stole my things or locked me in my room,  or as he called me ugly everyday, I knew enough not to go fist to fist. I was much younger and smaller. I had an unusual fortitude, to put up with all this abuse. But I also had right  judgment, not to match violence with violence.

I always say that I may be smart, but not THAT smart! How was I so wise and powerful?

These days, I like to quote Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who said about his fellow South African blacks, ''The first mistake they [white South Africans] made was that they taught us to read and they gave us Bibles.'

Well, the first "mistake" my parents made was, they had me baptized.  With my baptism,  I was anointed with the Spirit.

I never knew this, though!  I did not know about the source of my powers until decades later. All I knew was that somehow, Something or Someone was protecting me. Someone was prompting me to do or say the right thing, in the most difficult and even dangerous situations.

I was emulating what Jesus did, only I had no idea what that was. I did not have a name for it until much, much later.

Decades later, I chose a church and became a Catholic. I stumbled upon the Scripture: " Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed with the devil, for God was with Him."

I absolutely LOVED that passage! Those words spoke to me and I said to myself , " I want to do THAT"!

That is the moment when the Holy Spirit, which has been there for us since our baptism, becomes utterly clear.

This reminds me of how author Lorna Kelly says that, in talking with a friend about Jesus, Lorna herself absolutely fell in love with Him.

It feels like a foolish thing to utter, that I am totally fascinated and in love with Jesus. After all, Jesus is God's Son, a Divine Being.  (Some secular folks would deny that He is even real, especially today.) And yet, that is precisely what God intended when he sent His Son in human form!

God wants us to be charmed and fascinated by Jesus. He wants us to be intrigued by His Son, and desire to follow Him.

When Jesus was baptized,  God  "anointed Him with the Holy Spirit, and with power". [Acts 10:38].

Answering cruelty and harsh words, and psychic wounds, with Love and Wisdom and fortitude, is what gives us the upper hand. The Fruits of the Spirit give us power to overcome. With spiritual warfare, we go on the offensive with immense Love. The Peace within us puts us on control of any enemies.

In our baptism, we are given the Fruits of the Spirit: wisdom, understanding, right judgement, courage, knowledge, piety and awe of The Lord.  And like Jesus, we are called to go about doing good and healing all who are oppressed, by the power of those Fruits  ----- for God is with us.

[ Related Posting: " The Baptism of The Lord", January 7, 2011].

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