Be filled with the Holy Spirit, Put your Faith in Action!

Pentecost Sunday John 20:19-23 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

Today we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. We celebrate the Birth of the Church. In the First reading from Acts Pentecost happens 50 days after Easter, hence the name Pentecost, but in the Gospel Pentecost, or the outpouring of the Holy Spirit happens on Easter Sunday. The confusion is caused in part by a misunderstanding of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. People think that God the Father, the Creator of all always was around without beginning or end. Jesus, the Redeemer began when he was conceived in Mary’s womb, and the Holy Spirit showed up on Pentecost Sunday. The father sent the Son and then the Son sent the Spirit. That is not how it happened. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit all three were around since the beginning of time. They always are, always were and always will be. In Isaiah 61 the prophet says, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because she has annointed me.” The prophet is talking about Jesus having the spirit upon him. In the same way people think that you first receive the gift of the Spirit at the day of your Confirmation. Sort of like you receive God at baptism, Jesus at first communion and the Holy Spirit at Confirmation. Obviously not, we are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is always present, everywhere, every place, every time. So, what happened at Pentecost? What happens on the day of our Confirmation? I think that the Gospel gives us a very good explanation of what happened at Pentecost, it explains well what the happens at the day of our confirmation. The Gospel says that the disciples were hiding in the upper room, the doors were locked. Quite simply the disciples were afraid to live their faith, to express their faith. The same is true for us. We may want to fulfill our Christian calling, but all too often we are afraid. Let’s face it. We are often afraid to let our faith in Christ move from our heart to our mouths and actions. There is often a fear that paralyzes us and keeps us from confidently and openly allowing our faith to be made manifest for all to see. We are locked in our upper rooms in our homes or here in our Church but many times we are afraid to live our faith on the streets, in our work and in our school. It reminds me of a story I heard over a year ago. Marcelo was a student at Mary Queen. I am not sure if it is supposed to be a Catholic School or if Mary was the Queen of England. Anyway, it didn’t sound like a very Catholic School. Marcelo told me that one of his professors openly ridiculed the Church and Marcelo, filled with the Holy Spirit challenged that professor. Rather than just sitting back and saying nothing Marcelo defended the faith. That is an example of the gift of the Holy Spirit. St. Alphonsus writing on the Holy Spirit says that we all have the gifts of the Holy Spirit, all 7 of them and probably more. But he says that what we must do is to pray for them to be more fully expressed in our lives. That we must pray that we live them out. He also says that we must also practice the gifts of the Spirit. By that he means to use them. The example of Marcelo, the more times he defends his faith, the easier it will be for him to live his faith. The times of the Christeros was a great time of people living their faith here in Mexico. Priests who celebrated the sacraments at the risk of their lives, and people who hid and sheltered the priests. The Redemptorists have a Church in Havana. The Church was the Chapel of a girl’s high school. The story I was told when I visited was that when the government took over the property, they kicked out the nuns and turned the school into a school for all. And then they tried to turn the Chapel into a gymnasium. The people of the Church, and I believe they were mainly women wouldn’t allow them to. They camped out in the Church for years to make sure that it would continue to be a church. There were consequences for their actions. Their family members weren’t offered jobs. But to this very day that Chapel is still a chapel. That is an example of the gift of the spirit. So today on this the day of Pentecost pray that the Holy Spirit will come down upon once again and fill us with her love so that we will boldly proclaim our faith. I want to conclude with the prayer of the Holy Spirit. The first three words are especially powerful, and you can recite them throughout the day, “Come Holy Spirit!” Pray these words when you get up in the morning, walk in the park, drive in your car. Pray these words when you have to make a decision, when you are confused or angry. Pray them before you give someone any advice. It is a good practice to add the whole prayer to your morning prayers and then remember to say the first three words throughout the day. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and enkindle 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 consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.