Post-feast of the Encounter; the Holy and Just Simeon Who Received God and the Prophetess Anna
Read
2 Peter 1:20-2:9; Mark 13:9-13
What do you really need for your mission to proclaim the Good News to all nations? You need a keen sense of God as the absolute centre of your life. In a word, you require the spiritual gifts of piety and fear of the Lord. I realize that these terms can sound fussy and puritanical, but they are actually naming something strong and essential.
First, you need the fear of the Lord, which does not mean that you are afraid of God. It means that nothing to you is more important than God, that everything in your life centres around and is subordinate to your love for God. Second, your equipping needs to include piety. Piety means you honour God above everything else, that you worship him alone. These spiritual gifts enable you to find true balance; they allow you to discover what your life is about.
Equipped with these gifts, you are ready for the mission. Having received the fire of the Holy Spirit, you are ready to set the world on fire.