THE INDWELLING PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Today, Jesus promises the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to his apostles. The readings show us the effects of the abiding presence of God in His Church and of His indwelling in each of us. The Person of the Holy Spirit is the central theme of our reflection this week. Who the Holy Spirit is, what His roles are, and how we can experience Him in our daily lives.
Contextually, as we draw closer to the end of the Eastertide that culminated with the feasts of Ascension and Pentecost. This Sunday’s readings are all about God’s abiding love through his Holy Spirit of love.
OUR THEME
The readings explain how the Holy Spirit is the precious gift of the Crucified and Resurrected Christ to us. He is the indwelling Spirit of God in us that leads, guides, illuminates, and sanctifies our being, existence, and Christian life and effort.
The principal purpose of these readings is to create awareness of the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit in our Christian life or the Church. Indeed, for us to love genuinely and to keep rules and regulations faithfully are the two most difficult things in the world.
Yet, this is the challenge and demand of the readings of this Sunday as we prepare for and anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of love and truth comes to help us love and accept the truth that set us free and leads to us eternal in Christ Jesus.
FIRST READING: ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 8:5-8, 14-17
In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles 8:5-8, 14-17 Philip through the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit proclaimed the Risen Christ as the Messiah to the people of Samaria. Peter and John confirmed the presence, action, and joy of the Holy Spirit in this new mission of the early Church.
The manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the Samaritan community that received the Good News of Salvation through Philip was highly welcomed by the general Christian community. Therefore, we witness the consolidation of this faith with the gifts of the Holy Spirit through Peter and John. This is a similar process of our faith journey through the sacrament and the church.
We received our faith through baptism from a priest or a deacon through our personal or parental commitment to the Christian faith. Later, through a pastoral visit of the bishop, we get prepared and confirmed to receive the Holy Spirit who fortifies our faith in a concrete or solid way.
SECOND READING: 1 PETER 3:15-18
In the second reading of today, St. Peter continues his encouragement and admonition to the early Christian Church on how to remind faithful, righteous, confident, and trustworthy in Christ through the Holy Spirit amidst persecutions, sufferings, and difficulties.
St. Peter demonstrated to us that Christian life; its salvation, rationale, hope, virtues and living in good conduct and even difficulties and pains are attainable in Christ through the Holy Spirit.
This is the promise of God and of Christ to us that the Holy Spirit will comfort, guide and help in our daily necessity to live better, fruitful and authentic lives as living testimonies of Christ in the world.
THE GOSPEL: JOHN 14:15-21
Jesus was explicit and forwarding in his farewell speech to his disciples. He revealed to them the eternal condition of receiving God´s promises, especially the Holy Spirit. 1. Faithfulness to God´s commandment to love; 2. The Divine Assistance of the Advocate. 3. The Eternal Presence of the Trinity. 4. The surety of unconditional, unfailing and uniting love of God the Father. 5. The Spirit of truth that liberates and sets us free from slavery to falsity.
The gospel text of John 14:15-21 is full of Christ´s promises and assurances to us about the Holy Spirit of God whom the Father will give us in his name.
THE DIVINE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. It is the Spirit of love that will help us to love one another as He: Christ has loved us and through genuine love come to the fullness of God who is Love.
2. He is the Advocate: our defender who will be with us and defend us always.
3. He is the Spirit of truth that will reveal the whole truth of the Divine life and godly, true Christian life to us.
4. He is the Abiding Spirit of God who will not leave us as orphans, that is: defenceless, loveless, or unguided in our personal, communal, or Christian life.
5. The Holy Spirit creates a perfect union of the most Holy Trinity with us. He is the link between us and God. He creates, flourishes and sustains our spiritual relationship with God.
In a nutshell, the Holy Spirit: the Advocate, the Comforter, the Helper, or the Counsellor gives us Life, stands by us, defends us, strengthens us, and consoles us all through life as an individual or as a Christian community.
THE ABIDING PRESENCE OF GOD THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY
1. Without the abiding presence of God Christianity is a burden of rules and regulations.
2. It is mere rites and rituals of externalism enriched by human traditions and ideologies.
3. We cannot soar through hard times, confusion and manipulations in the name of God.
4. Religious manipulations and ‘twistings’ happen when God and his guiding spirit are absent in our faith practice.
5. The possible breakups and divisions are inevitable in the Christian fold. Acts 15: 1-2, 22-29
6. The indwelling of the presence of God through Christ and the Holy Spirit takes us to the most significant height of faith, of insight into heavenly and divine beauties.
7. God’s indwelling presence is our hope and assurance over trials, hardships, persecutions etc. Rev. 21: 10-14, 22-23
8. Jesus promises us the Abiding Presence of the Holy Spirit among us as the Eternal Teacher of our faith and the Everlasting Memory of the Christian faith and history. Jn. 14: 23-29
9. Without His Indwelling Presence among us and in us, we cannot love, remain in God or God in us. The absence of the Holy Spirit makes the commandment to love a burden.
9. Without His Indwelling Presence among us and in us, we cannot love, remain in God or God in us. The absence of the Holy Spirit makes the commandment to love a burden.
10. There is no abiding peace or serenity and Christian joys without the living presence of God.
LIFE MESSAGES OR LESSONS FROM OUR SCRIPTURAL TEXTS
We need to welcome the Holy Spirit, allow Him to act in us and seek His help every day for our steady growth in spiritual life:
a) To conquer temptations from our habitual sins and to avoid the occasions of sins.
b) To remove the blocks caused by our addictions, evil habits, and various forms of abuse which we suffered in our early life, preventing our spiritual growth.
c) To discern and recognize the presence of Jesus in all the people we meet during the day and to do them humble, loving service.
d) To become agents of reconciliation and healing to others in our family and this community, by asking forgiveness from others we have offended, and graciously granting forgiveness to others who continue to hurt our feelings and ill-treat us.
Christ is the first Paraclete sent by the Father to help us know him, love him, and serve him as our brothers and sisters. Through, the Holy Spirit sent to us in Christ’s name, we get divine help to live truly our lives in the Spirit of truth not distorted and love not conditional.
OUR PRAYER
Holy Spirit, Lord of Divine Fire, we need You to melt frozen hearts and warm the chilling souls; of lukewarmness, of confusions, of watering down of faith and teaching standards, of materialism over spirituality, of “abracadabra” or “priestcraft”, or of religiosity over spirituality. May your preaching, healing, transforming, empowering and guiding power helps us to look on to faith in the Truth while maintaining charity in the bond of Unity. Amen!
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