On an evening walk last week, my  neighbor asked me to sit down for awhile and visit.  She asked me why God allows bad things to happen in the world.  Without hesitation I responded, "That’s what you call free will."  People can choose to rob, kill, insult, ignore or engage in any other destructive behavior.  She asked me if I really believed in the power of prayer, without hesitation, I responded, "Yes, I have seen the power of prayer change my life."

The older I get, the more I have come to appreciate the power of the Holy Spirit in my life.  In the First Reading I had to pause and think about the words… "the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment."  Then, the lines from the Robert Browning poem came into my mind, "Grow old with me, the best is yet to be."  The Spirit in our hearts is only the beginning of a lifetime of experiencing the Holy Spirit within us.  As I have experienced the gifts given to me, through the Holy Spirit, I find myself gaining a greater sense of appreciation and realization of the power of the Holy Spirit in my life.

As the salt of the earth, Jesus is telling me to live my life with pizzazz, with joy, to celebrate and to share my joy with others.  As the light of the world I have been gifted with some wisdom and insight and am called upon to share my insights/thoughts with others.  Finally, the Gospel today seems to be telling me to share my life’s story with others and to openly express how the Lord has protected, guided, gifted and blessed me with fullness of life (salt) and insight (light).

I am a disciple of Jesus in the year 2003.  God has given me strength and has given me many opportunities to share with others, how the Spirit of God has moved and continues to move through my life.  My simple, daily interactions with others confirms my belief and faith in God, knowing that life is good but the best is yet to be.