Monday, April 13, 2026: The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

I love this reading and reflection because it is so human to ask questions --  especially at night when it's dark and the wind blows... we are all Nicodemus.

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

He came to Jesus at night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him."

Jesus answered and said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." 

Nicodemus said to him, "How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?"

Jesus answered, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, 'You must be born from above.'

"The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

A Reflection for Monday of the Second Week of Easter

By Kat O’Loughlin

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him."

In today’s Gospel, Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night. He is curious but not quite ready to be fully seen. He is drawn to Jesus, but still trying to make sense of what he is experiencing, and finds himself with questions. Jesus does not dismiss him for his uncertainty, for his questioning. He meets Nicodemus right where he is and he takes the time to speak with him. 

There is something very comforting about that. So much of faith, at least for me, unfolds in that in-between space, that nighttime, where questions and uncertainty are plentiful. In ministry and even in our own spiritual lives, it can feel like we are supposed to arrive at our faith with complete certainty. We want things to be clear and certain. This Gospel suggests, however, that faith is not always about clarity. Often, faith is about asking honest questions and voicing our doubts, especially when we do not fully understand. 

I think of the people who come to faith this way, carrying questions about belonging, identity or belief, unsure how they will be received or if there is even space for them at all. The invitation is not to rush toward the answers, but to meet them with the same patience and love that Jesus offers Nicodemus.

Nicodemus did not leave this encounter with everything figured out or with complete certainty. But he shows up and he asks the questions. That can be where the strongest faith begins, with those moments we are unsure but willing to show up, ask questions, listen to answers and remain open to a God who may be always a little beyond our complete understanding.

Kat O’Loughlin is grant manager at America Media.