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 Homily for the Pentecost Sunday

READ: (Acts 2: 1-11; 1 Cor 12: 3-7, 12, 13; Jn 20: 19-23)

REFLECT: The Holy Spirit Comforts, defends and Unifies...

Dear friends, today we are celebrating the Pentecost day. The word Pentecost comes from the Greek word ‘Pentecoste’ which means ‘fiftieth.’ The outpouring of the spirit was given to people on the fiftieth day after the resurrection of Jesus. Pentecost day is the beginning of the church and it is the birthday of our church. The spirit added faithful more in number to the church, many were baptized and the church began to grow largely by the grace and presence of the spirit of God.

The tower of Babel in the book of Genesis 11:1-9, people wanted to build the tower and show their power but God confuses them, making them not to understand the language that each other spoke but on the Pentecost day, by the pouring forth of the spirit we see the oneness and unity, all speak in different languages yet they could hear them speak in their own native language. That’s the power of the spirit of God. God brings communion but the evil one brings confusion. The spirit of God always promotes communion, union and oneness that’s the significance of Pentecost day. So based on the liturgy of the word,  I would like to share with you three points of reflection.

1.     The Holy Spirit comforts

Today consolation and comfort is what we seek all for in life. Perhaps the reason is quite known to us, because we are troubled, disturbed, scattered and have lots of issues that lead us to sorrowful state and become sinful and guilty of sins committed. The comfort can be obtained from various persons or places. But no one can give the comfort that God gives to us in and through the spirit of God, because the comfort is so special and precious, at times inexplicable. Such is the comfort and consolation of God, who makes us enjoy the peace and serenity of life. That’s what we see in the gospel reading from St. John, when the disciples were in fear for Jews in locked doors; Jesus enters, gives them peace and makes them receive the spirit. Amongst fearful and terrible times of the disciples, the presence of Jesus’ peace and the gift of the spirit gives them comfort and consolation.

Many times in our lives too, we have these sorts of disturbing and disorienting experiences and we expect and look for peace and the spirit of God to give us consolation and comfort. Very beautifully Pope Francis says, Paraclete as Comforter - In difficult times we look for consolation, but often we only look for earthly remedies, which do not last, working only like a temporary “pain reliever” in which “they can sooth us, but not heal us”. Instead, someone “who makes us feel loved for who we are” can offer peace to our hearts, not just our senses, and here the “Holy Spirit, the love of God” is the solution. The Spirit acts in our spirit, accompanies us and is our “source of comfort”.

Yes, the spirit of God comforts us in our sorrows and grants us all that we need to obtain peace. Most of the times we don’t become the recipients of Spirit’s comfort within us because, we feel comfortable in our comfort zones we live and not ready to let go of what we think or feel so precious and so we fail to obtain the comfort and consolation that the Spirit of God gives us. The moment we entrust our discomforts to the spirit of God, the moment we let go of our own comfort zones, we shall experience the divine comfort from the spirit of God. So let us pray that the power of the Holy Spirit may comfort us in our sorrows and discomforts to obtain peace and happiness in life.

2.     Holy Spirit defends

The powerful defence that we carry with us always is the spirit of God.  The Holy Spirit protects and prevents us from falling away from the direction of God. We receive the spirit of God in and through the sacrament of baptism and confirmation and our faith is consolidated and made strong. We become soldiers for Christ, strong enough to be convinced of the faith we profess, strong enough to share the faith and even stronger enough to live the faith we profess. It is because of the protection and power of the spirit over us.

In the first reading we hear that on the day of Pentecost event there were many people from different places but the spirit of God defends and protects them from all evil noise and voices that could mislead them but makes them hear the voice of God and feel the mighty power of God working in them. Yes, the Holy Spirit defends and protects us from all that could dissuade us from God; Holy Spirit discerns what is good for us and for our spiritual progression; Holy Spirit descends upon us and takes complete control of us to be in communion with God. So what we need is to allow the spirit of God to work in us, move us to delight in the brim of joy and happiness in life.

Pope Francis while speaking about Holy Spirit as an advocate shares that “the spirit of truth”, the Holy Spirit “defends us from the deceits of evil by inspiring thoughts and feelings”. The Spirit, “proposes but does not impose.” while the spirit of deceit, the evil one, instead entices us to give in to temptation.” Yes the spirit of God always defends us and so what we need to do is depend on the spirit of God to move us. The work of the spirit is always a loving proposal for change of life and does not force us. Most of the times we feel the defense of God or God’s Spirit as forceful and fearful. It is precisely because we don’t want to give up the way we think, feel or do. We fear that we may lose what we feel as special and precious, forgetting that God would give us better than what we have or hold. So let us listen to the promptings of the spirit to move closer to God and feel the defending of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

3.     Holy Spirit Unifies

We all know the nature of Holy Spirit is to unify or to unite everyone in God. That’s what we see on the Pentecost day the spirit united everyone in the Lord. More over in the second reading we hear that there are variety of gifts, ministries and services but it is one God and spirit which works in us and makes us do the will of God. We are all part of the body of Christ as one. There is no difference between the presence of the spirit in each one as Jews or Greeks, slaves or free the spirit is present for everyone the same way. Therefore the work of the spirit is to unify everyone as members of one family.

Pope Francis says, “The Holy Spirit is the creator of communion, the artist of reconciliation. He builds the community of believers by harmonizing the unity of the body and the multiplicity of its members. The Holy Spirit makes the Church grow by helping it to go beyond human limits, sins and any scandal.” Yes, the spirit of God takes delight in unity than disunity. The Gospel reading of the day gives us a clear point of reference for the work of the spirit to unify. Jesus after breathing the spirit of God into the disciples, does not limit the spirit with them alone rather gives the offer of forgiveness to be offered to everyone. So that we all of us might obtain forgiveness from God and live in reconciliation with one another as one family under the one supreme Godhead the Father.  Today there is lots of division and disunity in one self, family, society, church and the world, what we need to do is to pray to the spirit of God to unify us and grant us unity. Although we are divided in many ways to find fault with others or to bring about division in the family or society or world, only the divine spirit or the Holy Spirit can bring about union amidst us. Because, Holy Spirit sanctifies us and enables us to serve one another in love and compassion.  For such sanctifying power and uniting factor, we need to pray to the Holy Spirit the unifier of life.

In the Gospel of Luke, we hear that some people commented to test Jesus that he was driving out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of demons and not by the finger of God (Lk 11: 15-16ff) and in the Gospel of Matthew we hear Jesus’ warning the Pharisees, “people can be forgiven any sin and any evil thing they say against God, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven,” (Matt 12:31). Yes, it is all an indication to all of us how God worked in Jesus through his spirit for good works to bring healing to people and be in union with them. So let us be convinced and believe in the work of the Holy Spirit to promote union and communion in the family, society and the world. Let us not be part of the blasphemers who commit sins against the Holy Spirit by blasphemies rather welcome the Holy Spirit in us as the unifier  and uniting factor of life.

So how can we make this day so special to each one of us? It s not only by knowing the works of the Holy Spirit that we make this day so special but also by living and doing the works of the Holy Spirit in our lives. On this special day of Pentecost, let us remind ourselves of the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. In Galatians we have the fruits of the Holy Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,” (Gal 5:22-23).  The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.  We shall pray for gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit to animate our lives to be with God and to move towards God.

RESPOND:

Do we allow ourselves to be comforted by the Holy Spirit by giving up our own comfort zones?

Do we consider the defence of the Holy Spirit as a forceful act or a loving proposal for change of life?

Do we bring unity in families, societies and the world by the works of Holy Spirit?

Let us seek the Holy Spirit to comfort us in our sorrows, to defend us from every evil and to unite ourselves in God and with one another. May the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit be a source of strength for our growth. Amen.

God bless us all…Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968