The Spirit of Jesus

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time We just finished our Christmas celebrations. Last Sunday we celebrated the Epiphany. And the following Monday the Baptism of Jesus. So today we begin ordinary time and, in our Gospel John, talks about the baptism of Jesus. Today's gospel is the beginning of John's gospel. In John there is nothing about the birth of Jesus. There are no kings, manger, shepherds, nothing! In John we begin with the Baptist speaking of someone who is to come. And in today's gospel Jesus appears for the first time. John announces his presence saying "this is the lamb of God." Thinking about this I thought that this really is the work of the church. To point out Jesus. To let everyone know that Jesus is here alive and well. That is why the Catholic Church exists to proclaim "here is Jesus." That's why St Mary’s in Whittier exists. To say, "here is the lamb of God." At John's baptism people were immersed in the waters of the Jordan for the forgiveness of sins. But the baptism of Jesus is not with water but with fire and his spirit. The baptism of Jesus is to cleanse, renew, and transform the hearts of his disciples. Without this spirit of Jesus, the church of Jesus fades and becomes extinct. Without this spirit of Jesus, the church has no meaning. So, we, the living church of Jesus have two jobs. 1º point out Jesus, and 2º be the living presence of Jesus. To be a church filled with the Holy Spirit. With the help of the Redemptorists of Mexico we have started communities in the neighborhoods. There are three sectors the groups love, faith, and strength. How is it that these groups are the living presence of Jesus? Two very important ways. 1st is that these groups are in the homes, in the neighborhood. They are showing that to be a church we do not need buildings, no! We don't have to go to church, the church goes to the community. This is the new evangelization. 2nd is that it is yourselves who are carrying out the ministry. The communities are blessed with more than 50 leaders, people who are sharing their faith, people who are living their faith. This is the Spirit of Jesus in our midst. Like John the Baptist I can say, "This is the Lamb of God!" “This is the living presence of Jesus in our community.” This is the Spirit of Jesus in our community. Last week I attended the confirmation retreat lead by Ray and Laura Belis, The Spirit of Jesus was present there, yesterday I was at the RCIA retreat with Joe Westrup and the RCIA team, the Spirit of Jesus was there. The Spirit is present in our Sunday celebrations, in baptisms, music, school, the food bank. The list is endless. This week I spoke with our new provincial about the Redemptorists' desire to continue to minister here at St. Mary’s. He said, "the truth is, Patrick, you don't want to leave here." "Why do you want to stay here in Whittier?" And I have said that it is the truth, I do not want to leave here. Because here I find a community filled with the Spirit of Jesus. Only this Spirit of Jesus can lead us to recover our true identity. We have to abandon the paths that don’t lead to Jesus, we have to return to the word of God. Only that Spirit can give us light and strength to undertake the renewal that the Church needs today. Pope Francis said he wants a church “On fire, joyful, generous, daring, full of love to the end, and contagious life." But this will be insufficient, "if the fire of the Spirit of Jesus does not burn in the hearts." That is why today's Church needs "evangelizers with the Spirit" who open up without fear to their action and find in that Holy Spirit of Jesus "the strength to announce the truth of the Gospel boldly, loudly and at all times and places, even against the current. The renewal that the Pope wants to promote in the Church today is not possible when we are pessimistic, or when we think "nothing can change" and therefore "it is useless to make an effort", or when we definitively cross our arms in a huff. Francis warns us that "sometimes we lose enthusiasm by forgetting that the Gospel responds to people's deepest needs." I want to say to Pope Francis, I want to say to Archbishop Gómez, I want to say to my Provincial, I want to say to all of you, "Here is the lamb of God." God is here!