From Rome, Italy, Fr. Dominic Holtz, OP, delivers "A Word of Hope" for Monday of the Second Week of Easter. Today's Gospel features the famous dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus about being "born again" or, more accurately, "born from above" (John 3). Jesus uses the analogy of the wind: "The Spirit blows where it wills... you do not know where it comes from or where it goes."
This doesn't mean Christian life should be unpredictable or reject tradition. Instead, the analogy highlights origin and destiny. Just as the wind's source and destination are mysterious, our new life in the Spirit comes from God ("from above") and leads to a destiny in the Risen Christ that cannot be predicted or defined by our earthly past (family background, previous life choices, level of knowledge).
While the world can't trace our spiritual roots or future, the transformation brought by being born of the Spirit is evident. This new birth frees us from being bound by who we were or anxious about where we're going, allowing us to rest in the present power and grace of the Risen Lord.
#EasterSeason #EasterWeek2 #AWordOfHope #FrDominicHoltz #DominicanFriars #BornAgain #BornFromAbove #BornOfTheSpirit #John3 #Nicodemus #HolySpirit #WindBlowsWhereItWills #NewLifeInChrist #Transformation #CatholicReflection #DailyReflection #WordFromRome #Alleluia #FreedomInChrist