Life in the Spirit.

The heart of today’s readings and the Church’s faith converge on one powerful truth: God does not merely call us to follow rules or perform rituals—He calls us into life in the Spirit. This is the life Jesus came to give; the very life of God poured into human hearts. In the Gospel, John the Baptist points to Jesus and declares, “He is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” This is a mission statement. John baptized with water as a sign of repentance. But Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit—the divine breath that creates, renews, and transforms. To be baptized with the Holy Spirit means to be immersed not just in water, but in the life of the Triune God Himself. The Church, drawing from Pentecost and her apostolic experience, has always taught that the Holy Spirit is the giver of life. Through the Spirit, God does not remain distant or abstract. He communicates Himself to us. The Spirit makes God’s own life dwell within human beings. This is what we mean by life in the Spirit. Isaiah helps us see the purpose of this gift. The servant of the Lord is not sent only to restore Israel, but to be “a light to the nations.” Life in the Spirit is never just private. When God pours His life into us, it overflows outward. The Spirit forms us not only for holiness, but for mission. We are given divine life so that the world might encounter divine love. The Psalm places these words on our lips: “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.” This is the voice of someone alive in the Spirit. Not driven by fear, not constrained by duty alone, but moved from within by love. The Spirit does not force obedience—He awakens desire. God’s law is no longer written only on tablets of stone, but within the heart. Saint Paul confirms this in his greeting to the Corinthians. He says they are “sanctified in Christ Jesus” and “called to be holy.” Holiness is not something we manufacture by effort alone. It is the fruit of divine life growing within us. The Spirit forms Christ in us. He teaches us how to live as people who belong to God. So, what does life in the Spirit really mean? It means what the Church has always proclaimed: A transformed human existence in which the very life of God—given through Christ’s death and resurrection—is poured into us by the Holy Spirit, enabling us to live as God’s children, free from sin, guided by truth, and united in the Church. It is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Abundant life is not the absence of struggle. It is the presence of God within the struggle. It is living no longer from fear, shame, or ego—but from identity, grace, and communion. To live in the Spirit is to wake each day not asking, “What must I do to survive?” but “Lord, how do You want to live through me today?” Today, as John points again to Jesus and says, “Behold the Lamb of God,” the Church hears something more: Behold the One who gives life. Behold the One who fills hearts with fire and truth. Behold the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. May we not settle for a faith that only touches the surface. May we open our whole lives to the Spirit who makes all things new. And may we live—not just exist—but truly live in the Spirit.