One night, Nicodemus, a wealthy man who seemed to possess everything, came to Jesus. Wealth and honour did not seem to be able to give him what he was looking for. There was something amiss in his life. In the course of their conversation, Jesus helped Nicodemus discover that the really important thing in life was to be born again with water and the Spirit, and not the signs and wonders that he did.

To be born again implies change. It called for a change of heart and mind. It is Jesus who can work this change in us. It is through Him that we are reborn. When we allow Jesus to enter into our lives and to take possession of our hearts, we are empowered. We become what we could never have been, and we are able to do what we by ourselves could never have done.

In today's first reading, we see how the believers prayed for the power of the Holy Spirit so that they could proclaim God's message with boldness. We too are challenged to do likewise. Let us, like the early believers, pray for courage. May we trust God's power in our lives.