Saturday May 17, 2025

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“Amen, amen, I say to you, [insert your name here]: Because you believe in Me, you will do the works that I do, and you will even do greater ones than these” (adapted from John 14:7-14).

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Good News Reflection for:

Saturday of the 4th Week of Easter
May 17, 2025

Today’s Readings:

Acts 13:44-52
Psalm 98:1-4
John 14:7-14
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051725.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-may-17-2025

How to bring loved ones to Christ with God’s help

It’s heart-breaking to love someone who is stubbornly rejecting the truth about the Catholic Faith. It’s hard to watch them suffer the worldly effects of not turning to him to let Jesus be their Savior. And the biggest heart-wrencher: You fear that they won’t spend eternity with you in Heaven.

We are called and commissioned by Christ to evangelize. But how can we do this successfully for the ones we care about most?

Jesus would not ask us to partner with him in the mission of salvation if he did not also provide the means for accomplishing it. And remember, he cares more about the salvation of your loved ones than you do!

For most non-believers, turning to Christ does not happen until they become grievously disappointed with what the world has to offer. We have to wait for their wrong beliefs to fail them — and most likely it has to fail them again and again before they become interested in finding out what a difference faith in Christ can make.

But this doesn’t work for everybody. There are plenty of people who remain fully entrapped in their wrong beliefs their whole life long.

Think about what worked for you: What brought you to a fully immersed life in Christ? Or what strengthened your faith when you relied more on worldly beliefs than Christian truths? Or what brought you back to church after being away for a while?

Next, think about your loved ones who need conversion. Is there anything in your story that would resonate with them? That’s a powerful opportunity!

For me, my conversion away for the occult and from Protestantism happened when a friend explained how God miraculously changes bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Jesus during the Catholic Mass. Next, he introduced me to the Holy Spirit. By a supernatural grace, I believed in the miracle of the Mass and I wanted more.

Notice the role God played in my conversion story. Think about the role God played in your own story of conversion or faith growth. You and I cannot convince someone to change their minds and become a faith-filled believer — not by our own efforts. God needs to intervene.

This is why Jesus said, in this Saturday’s Gospel reading, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these.” What were the works of Jesus? Preaching the truth with a compassionate heart is a natural work of faith. But he also did supernatural works: healing diseases, raising people from the dead, casting out demons, multiplying the food. Everything he did was for the sake of the salvation of souls.

The Holy Spirit empowers every follower of Christ to do the same.

Instead of relying on our lives to prove the truths we teach, we should be relying on God (because we live the truth so imperfectly). Instead of expecting our words to make a difference (and then getting frustrated and angry when we don’t succeed), we should — and can — expect God to do something supernatural.

So how do we become so alive in the Faith that signs and wonders help us bring others to Christ? There’s only one way: a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit, which is strengthened by what is often called “baptism of the Spirit” or, as St. John the Baptist called it, “the baptism of fire”. It comes from asking for the in-filling and over-flowing of the Holy Spirit we received when we were baptized with water.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill me. Come, Holy Spirit, renew me. Come, Holy Spirit, You have my permission to change me.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Listen to this 2-part podcast:
1: How to bring loved ones to Christ @ gnm.org/footsteps6
then
2: How God brings our loved ones to Christ @ gnm.org/footsteps7

The transcripts are available for download too.

© 2025 by Terry A. Modica

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