Homily for Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Easter

In today's Gospel passage, Nicodemus, a well-educated person with strong beliefs, seems surprised and confused in his conversation with Jesus. The conversation is challenging because what Jesus says doesn't align with what Nicodemus holds as true. In response, Jesus encourages him to let the Holy Spirit dwell in him so he may be reborn.

Often, we are told to surrender ourselves to the Spirit, but in today's passage, Jesus is not asking us to surrender. Instead, he asks us to open our minds and hearts to the Spirit. He is not asking us to give up anything but to listen to the Spirit.

Our relationship with God is a relationship, which means that we actively participate in speaking and listening. In this relationship with the Spirit, we can understand who and what God is in our lives and souls and who we are to God.

Let us pray that we will truly open ourselves to the Holy Spirit so that we may come to know God and keep Him in our awareness as an ever-present and influential reality.