In the second reading for the 19th Sunday of the liturgical year, St Paul addresses the issue of grieving the Holy Spirit. To grieve in Greek, “lupeo”, means to be in heaviness, to be sad. To grieve the Holy Spirit is to practically incapacitate him to act. He becomes as it were, too heavy to act in the figurative sense. The spirit of the believer, which depends on Him to live and move and have it’s being ( Acts 17:28) will become practically inert too! That is the unfortunate consequence of murmuring (John 6:41).

Ours should rather be a constant life of thanksgiving. This is our duty and salvation and it is to be carried out always and everywhere. If you do not wish to grieve the Holy Spirit of whose temple you are, then cease murmuring and adopt the Eucharistic life by giving thanks, or else the journey will be too long and difficult for you (1 Kings 19:7). Thanksgiving has that uncanny ability to help you carry on by surrendering to the love of God as Elijah, Paul and Jesus did even amidst a myriad of challenges. Thanksgiving is a medicine for depression!

As we begin a new week, may we be filled with the spirit of praise, gratitude and thanksgiving as the Lord empowers you now by an unprecedented anointing flowing from the 34th Psalm of David through to overcome every tendency to ingratitude and despondency through Christ Our Lord. Amen