Tuesday April 29, 2025

John 3:7-11

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

‘Do not be surprised when I say:

You must be born from above.

The wind blows wherever it pleases;

you hear its sound,

but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.

That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.’

Are you born again? That question used to make me very uncomfortable as a young Catholic boy. I just did not know how to answer it. I would point to my baptism but it was not enough for the born again Christians. They would fire back “But have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour?” Ahhhh yes … maybe… I don’t know. Listen I go to church, I don’t hang out with weed smoking boys and I am in seminary. These are good indicators that we are good here.

I still don’t like that question. So what is our Lord talking about here. Well I think he is asking Nicodemus to be open to change in his life. As you grow things change and you change. There is no way I could understand then what I understand now. Now I understand myself as a spiritual being having an earth experience. This earth experience is but a moment of my life. I am part of the Church Pilgrim and someday I will no longer be here and will join the Church Triumphant! Am I born again… I am constantly being born into who God wants me and sometimes this birthing process sucks and many times it is a joy.

Incidentally Mary Ann is cleaning out Grayson’s bedroom since we have a teenager now and we found a book we used to read to him. The title made me stop and I teared up as I was flooded with emotions “Oh the places you will go” by Dr Seuss.