THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The power of the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son is not only the giver of life or the spirit of love. It is an enormous power that propels the Christian life to completion. That is, in our Christ witness to the Risen Christ. It is a manifested power in the modus operandi of the Spirit.
He is the spirit of truth, love, unity, gifts, communication and organization. In the Spirit, all is perfectly harmonised for greater efficiency. The Holy Spirit is the motor, energy or power that brings to life the Christian life and testimony. Without the Holy Spirit, the Christian life is dead.
THE FEAST OF PENTECOST
One of the supremely great days of the Christian Church is the day the Holy Spirit came upon the praying and waiting apostles, disciples, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pentecost is a feast celebrated fifty days after the resurrection of the Lord and ten days after the ascension of the Lord. It is a feast of the birth of the Christian Church founded by and in Christ Jesus through the action of the Holy Spirit that is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Universal Church.
Etymologically, the word “Pentecost” in Greek “Πεντηκοστή”- “(Pentēkostē)” means “fiftieth”. It refers to the festival celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover, also known as the “Feast of Weeks” and the “Feast of 50 days” in the rabbinic tradition of God’s Covenants with Noah after the flood and with Moses at Mt. Sinai.
PENTECOST FROM THE CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
It is also the beginning of the Church´s mission to witness to the Risen Christ. When coward men were transformed into courageous men. The Holy Spirit is the Advocate, the Paraclete, the Helper, the Force, the Teacher of Truth, the Memorial of Faith and Christian History, and the Spirit of Light and Life. Its gifts and fruits are very essential to Christian growth and maturity.
The descend of the Holy Spirit: the Spirit of love, and truth and the indwelling Spirit: the one who comforts, helps, guides, teaches, directs, strengthens, reminds, transforms, sanctifies, illuminates, and abides at all times. It is one of the most important feasts of Christendom. It is the birth of the Church: Christ’s Mystical Body.
OUR THEME
The readings of this Sunday remind us of who is the Holy Spirit, what is His role in our lives and how can we experience Him in our lives personally or communally. One of the supremely great days of the Christian Church is the day the Holy Spirit came upon the praying and waiting apostles, disciples and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Pentecost is a feast of the birth of the Christian Church founded by and in Christ Jesus through the action of the Holy Spirit. Hence, the role of the Holy Spirit is indispensable in the life of a Christian or the Church.
The Holy Spirit endows us with many gifts and fruits, among which is the Spirit of love to forgive sins. That is, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of love that fosters unity in diversity through reconciliation and forgiveness of sin. Our mission as Christians and as a Church is to be an instrument of love and reconciliation through the action of the Holy Spirit.
FIRST READING: ACTS 2:1-11
St. Luke gives a live image of the happening Pentecost: 1. Assembly of prayer, 2. The sound, signs and appearance of the Holy Spirit in the TONGUES OF FIRE, 3. The speaking in tongues of the wonders of God, 4. The confusion and amusement of their listeners, 5. Peter´s explanation and admonition in a fiery and courageous manner 6. Additionally, the augmentation of convinced believers.
Concretely, when the Holy Spirit moves everything else moves as well. This is the reality of Pentecost! The third Person of the Trinity is the Helper, Advocate, Consoler, Illuminator and Sanctifier of our faith and testimony as Christians.
HOLY SPIRIT IMAGERY IN THE TONGUE OF FIRE AND ITS IMPLICATION FOR THE CHRISTIAN FAITH AND LIFE
When the Holy Spirit moves everything else moves as well. This is the reality of Pentecost! The third Person of the Trinity is the Helper, Advocate, Consoler, Illuminator and Sanctifier of our faith and testimony as Christians.
In the first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down in a tongue of fire depicting the role of the Spirit among us:
1. Tongue to taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
2. Tongue to taste and savour the sweetness of the Christian life.
3. Tongue to taste and spit out everything contrary to the Christian life
4. Fire to cook, strengthen, refine, and preserve the Christian faith and life.
Hence, the impossible is realized, people of different nations, tribes, cultures, and orientations spoke the language of love to all and bore witness before all. Above all, transforms timid men into the bravest.
Our responsorial to Psalm 103 invites us to an honest and sincere prayer: “Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.” We could ask as well to kindle in our hearts the Spirit and the fire of your love. We need the Spirit of love to fill, instruct and grant us the Love of God and others and through us renew the face of the earth of hate and division.
SECOND READING: 1 COR. 12: 3-7, 12-13
The Holy Spirit is the uniting force of the diversities of human personalities and expressions of the varieties of gifts and charisms in the Christian life. The Holy Spirit gives different gifts and manifests in different charisms in the Christian community: the Church.
Yet, it is for one common good or purpose for the edification of the Christian community to give or bear authentic witnesses to Christ. As well as the manifestation of the greater glory of God among men and women of all ages.
Jesus can only be proclaimed as Lord through the Holy Spirit who with its various gifts and forms of service enrich the Church and the Christian community for the benefit of all.
The fundamental truth of the Christian life is that the Holy Spirit gives meaning to our existence and makes us adopted sons and daughters of God in Christ. Hence, through the Holy Spirit, we can pray and call God: Abba, Papa, and Father! Rom. 8:8-17.
Equally, the power, the force, and the gifts of Spirit and its fruits of Faith, Hope, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control are very important for a fiery witnessing in the Church, the Christian communities and various ministries of service.
OR, SECOND READING: GALATIANS 5:16-25
For St Paul, living by the Spirit of God means avoiding all forms of sins and manifesting all forms of goodness. That is, a Christian who lives according to the Spirit of God does not live a carnal life subjected to the flesh or ego.
A life dominated by the works of the flesh: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.
In contrast, it is a life of fill with the fruit of the Spirit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
One fact here is that the works of the flesh and the Spirit of God cannot cohabit in the same person or Christian. One must take precedence or maintain dominance over the other. It is not a matter of theologizing or spiritualizing, you are either led by the Spirit of God showing in the fruits you bear or you are dominated by the works of the flesh.
Generally, it was Paul’s belief and experience that the Christian lives in constant and continuous tension between his human nature (the inclination of the flesh) and the Spirit life in him (the inspiration of the Spirit).
THE PENTECOST SEQUENCE: VENI, SANCTE SPIRITUS
The best of the Holy Spirit is beautifully articulated in the sequential poem of today.
1. Holy Spirit is the Power from on high, the best gift of God the Father from the celestial home
2. He is the Shed of a ray of light divine, the Father of the poor and the source of all things.
3. The Holy Spirit is the best comforter of our souls in troubled times.
4. He is the Sweet refreshment or rests in our labour.
5. The Holy Spirit is grateful for coolness in the heat of lives and Solace amid woe.
6. He is the most blessed Light divine, which shines within our hearts.
7. The Spirit is the indwelling and infilling of our inmost being and without whom life is nothing.
8. He is the one without whom nothing good in deed or thought ever exists but all is the taint of ill.
9. The Holy Spirit is the Healing Force of our wounds, our strength renews, and our dryness pours your dew.
10. The Holy Spirit washes our stains of guilt away: he equally bends our stubborn hearts and will.
11. The Spirit Melt our frozen love, warm the chilling will, and guides the steps that go astray.
12. The Holy Spirit leads us to be faithful, to adore and confess our sins and guilt.
13. He enriches with his sevenfold gifts and the fruits of his endowment. Hence, we cried out giving us virtue, grace and salvation. With everlasting peace and joy. Amen. Alleluia.
THE GOSPEL: JOHN 20:19-23
Jesus the risen Lord declared peace, grace and joy on the disciples with a single task of reconciling to the world with God and with one another. Therefore, the disciples receive the Holy Spirit to continue this task with the mission of Jesus Christ.
In other words, the apostles and disciples receive the Holy Spirit to continue the mission of Jesus Christ: to preach, to teach, to heal, and to celebrate the forgiveness of sins to all without exception. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Love, Grace, Truth and above all Mercy.
THE SPIRIT OF LOVE
The Holy Spirit of God is the Spirit of love. God is love (1John4:8). We cannot discuss the gifts of the Holy Spirit without alluding to the Pauline “Hymn of Love” in 1 Corinthians 13. For Paul, whichever gifts of the Holy Spirit have an end. However, three gifts last forever namely: Faith, Hope and Love. The greatest of which is love. The Holy Spirit gives us then, the greatest gift of love. He is the Spirit of love that flows from a God of love.
WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?
THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN CHRISTIAN LIFE:
The Holy Spirit is God. He is the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity. That is, the Holy Spirit is a Person. A divine Person who is equal in dignity and majesty with the Father and the Son. He is the Lord and Giver of life who proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God that gives life to all created things. The Spirit that creates, renews and sanctifies us, the church and the entire creation.
Ultimately, He is (1) an indwelling God, (2) a strengthening God, (3) a sanctifying God, (4) teaching and guiding God, (5) listening and speaking God, he enables us to pray and listens to our prayer, as well as speak to us through the Holy Bible, (6) a Giver of life and gifts, He gives us the breath of life, eternal life, His gifts, fruits, and charisms, thus enriching the Church. (7) The Spirit of love, God is love and we are called to know and love God in others. (1John 4:8)
1. As an indwelling God, the Holy Spirit makes us His Living Temples (I Cor 3:16).
2. As a strengthening God, He strengthens us in our fight against temptations and in our mission of bearing witness to Christ through transparent Christian lives.
3. As a sanctifying God, He makes us holy through the Sacraments:
a. He makes us children of God and heirs of heaven through Baptism.
b. He makes us temples of God, warriors and defenders of the Faith, through Confirmation.
c. He enables us to be reconciled to God by pardoning our sins through Reconciliation.
d. He gives us spiritual nourishment via the Holy Eucharist by converting bread and wine into Jesus’ Body and Blood through Epiclesis.
4. As a teaching and guiding God, He clarifies and constantly reminds us of Christ’s teachings.
5. As a listening and talking God, He listens to our prayers and enables us to pray, and He speaks to us mainly through the Bible. Rom. 8:26
6. As a giver of gifts, He enriches us with His gifts, fruits and charisms. 1 Cor. 12, 13 & 14
BIBLICALLY THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES THESE THINGS IN OUR LIVES
The Holy Spirit is our Companion on our faith and life journey (John 14:26). He helps us in our weaknesses and struggles (Rom 8:26). He equally testifies of Jesus (John 15:26) as he frees us (Rom 8:2; 2 Cor3:17) and helps us obey God (1Pet. 1:22).
The Holy Spirit is our Comforter (Acts 9:31; John 14:16–17). The English word “comfort” comes from the Latin word from which we get the word “fortis” – to be courageous.
The Holy Spirit is a teacher who helps us acquire knowledge, competence and virtue (John 14:26). He guides us (John 16:13), instructs us (Acts 8:29), transforms us (2 Cor 3:18) and leads us (Rom 8:14) to live the Christian life in Truth and Spirit.
The Holy Spirit Convicts Us of Sin. He is the silent voice of conscience that works as an inner judge, warning us and letting us know the grief of sin against God, others and ourselves (John 16:8; Titus 3:5-6).
The Holy Spirit prays and intercedes for us according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-67).
The Holy Spirit is a revealer of Truth. The Holy Spirit is our spiritual guide revealing to our minds and hearts the truth as it relates to scripture, worship, doctrine and Christian living (John 16:13).
The Holy Spirit is a gift-giver. There is a diversity of spiritual gifts, which the Holy Spirit gives to individuals to use for the good of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12: 4–7 4).
The Holy Spirit harvests the fruit in our lives. These fruits are products of the Spirit’s presence in our life (Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Thess 1:6; 1 Cor 12:8-10).
The Holy Spirit empowers us to proclaim the truth of the teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ without fear or favour (Acts 1:8; Acts 4:5-12).
The Holy Spirit assures our hope of heaven. The Spirit’s revealing, leading, teaching, gifting, and proclaiming in us is proof that we belong to God forever (Ephesians 1:13-14). The Spirit of love enriches us to love fully and truthfully in Christ Jesus (1Cor 13)
The Holy Spirit fills and sanctifies us (Acts 4:31; 2 Thess 2:13) and lives in us (1 Cor 3:16). He also renews us (Titus 3:5), strengthens us (Eph. 3:16) to bear witness to the truth (Rom 9:1).
The Holy Spirit seals us forever with the mark of God´s adopted children (Eph. 1:13), enables us to wait on wait for God (Gal 5:5) and above all, the Spirit unites as one Christian body in Christ. (Eph. 4:3-4). Hence, the Spirit breaks down barriers and ripples off divisions and discrimination in Christ Jesus. (Acts 2:1-11; 6:1-7; 15: 1–35; Eph. 2: 14–17).
THE DANGER OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
With the seal of the Holy Spirit, we are all Pentecostals. The Pentecostal experience is not only the birth of Christendom or the Church. It is the renewal experience that launched us to the Christian life and grace.
However, the absence of the Holy Spirit poses a danger to Christians, the Christian life as well as the Church. It leaves us vulnerable, manipulative and lost in falsehood.
a. The Pentecostal grace and experience of the apostles through the Power from above made them manifest the fullness of the Spirit: in tongues, prayers, prophecies and testimonies.
b. The fullness of life in the Spirit implies the fruit of the Spirit ~love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, modesty, chastity, generosity, faithfulness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.
c. While there is a clear warning of what less life in the Spirit means for us, the Christian community and the Church: immorality, impurity, lust, idolatry, and sorcery.
d. A life without the Holy Spirit is all hatred, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
e. The Holy Spirit is the divine pause that moderates our human impulses and natural excesses. Without the Holy Spirit, Christians and the Church are like a bicycle without brakes going down a slope. It is bound to crash beyond repairs.
WE NEED TO PERMIT THE HOLY SPIRIT TO TAKE CONTROL OF OUR LIVES:
1) By constantly remembering His holy presence and behaving well;
2) By praying for His daily anointing so that we may fight against our temptations and control our evil tendencies, evil habits and addictions;
3) By asking his daily assistance to pray, listening to God through meditative Bible reading and talking to Him; and
4) By asking for the help of the Holy Spirit that we may do good for others and be reconciled with God and others every day.
5) By allowing his inspiration to enlighten us and lead us to the truth, as well as being docile to a new horizon of the Christian faith and life amid the changing world.
6) By teaching us how to love God and one another as Christ did. He is the Spirit of love who inspires and fills us with the Spirit of love: perfect and sincere love in the Christian community.
OUR PRAYER
Oh! Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord. Amen
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