June 9th

Post date: Jun 07, 2019 3:20:20 PM

June 9, 2019 (Pentecost) Homily by Fr. Karl Schray

There is a story of a mother who took her 5-yr-old son to hear

the great Polish pianist, Ignace Paderewski.

Well, at the concert hall, she got involved talking to an old friend

and did not notice that her son had slipped away.

When the curtains opened and the spotlights came on, the woman was shocked to see her son sitting on the piano bench,

innocently playing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’.

Before she could retrieve her son, Paderewski walked onto the stage

and whispered to the boy, “Don’t stop—keep playing!”

Then leaning over the boy, Paderewski reached out his left hand

and began to fill in the bass. A few second later,

he reached around the other side of the boy, encircling him,

and added a running obbligato.

Together, the great maestro and the little 5-yr-old

mesmerized the audience with playing.

When they were done, the audience broke into thunderous applause.

Today we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples

just as Jesus had promised when he said: “I will ask the Father

and he will give you another Advocate, another helper,

who will stay with you forever…”

When Jesus departed from the disciples, they were like spiritual children.

Their knowledge of God and how to spread God’s Kingdom was lacking.

It was like the little boy’s knowledge of music.

And the great Polish pianist resembles the Holy Spirit coming upon the

disciples, encircling them with love, whispering encouragement to them,

and transforming their feeble human efforts into something beautiful.

There’s a lesson here. We look at he world and see so many problems

that need to be addressed. We also look at our talents and

see how inadequate they are in the face of these problems.

For just one example, we see the immense apathy of many Christians

when it comes to following Jesus, and we say to ourselves,

‘How can I change this situation?’

Let’s go back to our story. Musically, the little’s boy’s skill was minimal.

But Paderewski built upon it and turned it into something beautiful.

In a similar way, the Holy Spirit can take whatever we have—

no matter how small—build upon it and transform it

into something powerful and beautiful today if we invite Him into our hearts.

In other words, “Fan into Flame the gifts we were given”.

Will you make this a new Pentecost by speaking of the mighty acts of God in your life?

Here is a poem by Mexican poet, Amado Nervo:

Alone we are only a spark, but in the Holy Spirit we are a fire.

Alone we are only a string, but in the Spirit, we are a harp, a lyre.

Alone we are only an anthill, but in the Spirit, we are a mountain.

Alone we are only a drop, but in the Spirit, we are a fountain.

Alone we are only a feather, but in the Spirit, we are a wing.

Alone we are only a beggar, but in the Spirit, we are a king.