Allow the Spirit to Renew Us

Homily for Wednesday of the 2nd Week in Easter

The readings today draw us into a single, powerful truth: new life in the Spirit always transforms the way we live with one another.

In the first reading from Acts, we see the early Christian community living with a radical unity. They were “of one heart and mind,” and no one claimed anything as their own. This wasn’t forced sharing; it was the natural fruit of hearts changed by the Resurrection. When Christ becomes the center, generosity stops being a burden and becomes a joy. Their unity was the visible sign that the Spirit was alive among them.

Then Jesus, in the Gospel, tells Nicodemus that he must be “born from above.” This new birth is not a one‑time event but a continual surrender to the Spirit. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, Jesus will be lifted up on the cross so that we may look to Him and live. New birth comes from looking at Christ—crucified love—and allowing that love to reshape our hearts.

So the message today is simple but demanding: If we truly allow the Spirit to renew us, our lives will look different. Our relationships will look different. Our priorities will look different. The early Church shows us what a Spirit‑filled community looks like. Jesus shows us how that transformation begins.

May we let the Spirit make us new, so that our lives become a sign of unity, generosity, and trust in the God who reigns forever.