Pentecost!

John 20:19-23

In the evening of the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.‘As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.’ After saying this he breathed on them and said:‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.’

Food for thought!

Today, we are celebrating Pentecost, which means 50. Today, if you counted, it is 50 days since Easter Sunday. Amazing things took place on this day, as we heard in the first reading. The greatest miracle was not the tongues; it was not what was seen on the outside. The greatest miracle was what happened on the inside, in the hearts of the disciples. (Act 2:4) «And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak.»

When Jesus went back to heaven, the disciples didn't know what to do. They retired to their upper rooms and hid themselves. They were afraid of the Jews; they knew that the people did not like them, they knew that their message was different from the popular message of the time, and they just felt like wrapping themselves up in bed and not having to get up and face the hostile society. This is what the Holy Spirit changed in the disciples.

Ac.2:1-13

So when the day of Pentecost came round, they were all together in one place; and all of a sudden there came from heaven a sound like that of a violent, rushing wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And tongues, like tongues of fire, appeared to them, which distributed themselves among them and settled on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them the power of utterance.

This is the kind of work that the Holy Spirit does in the hearts of believers. When fear of trouble tends to freeze our faith and courage into silent submission to despair, the Holy Spirit warms us up and empowers us to go out there and make a difference. Many times we are like the disciples of Jesus: we have the message, we have the mission, we know what to say and do, we know the answers, we have the plan, some times we have even the money, but just don't make anything happen.

In other words, it is not enough to know or to have a message, or to have theology; it is not enough to have a plan; it is very important to have the Holy Spirit. What moves us from inaction to action, what makes us take risks, go the extra mile, and do whatever it takes to achieve our goals, is called the Holy Spirit. THE DIFFERENCE IS INDEED THE HOLY SPIRIT: «And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit AND THEY BEGAN to speak.»

In other words, many of us haven't started to be our dreams, haven't began to realize our plans, not because we don't have the dreams, not because we don't have the plans, but because we are not yet on fire of the Holy Spirit. Dreams and plans and money are not enough; we need the Holy Spirit. All people have dreams; many people have plans; some people have enough money; what all people need in order to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others is called Holy Spirit.

FIRELIGHTER AND FIREFIGHTERS

There are two kinds of people: fighlighters and firefighters. The Holy Spirit is Firelighter; He ignites our souls; He puts us on fire. The first reading described this way the action of the Holy Spirit, that «tongues, like tongues of fire, appeared to them, which distributed themselves among them and settled on each one of them.» The Holy Spirit put these poeple on fire because He is a firelighter.

Unfortunately, as the Holy Spirit lights our souls with fire, so do some poeple fight our fire. Yes, we have firefighters all around us; they are all over the place; sometimes people get married to them. How can you identify firefighters? Firefighters use phrases like these: It's not in the budget; that's not practical; we tried that before and it didn't work; we've never done it that way before; that is the way it is everywhere; if it isn't broken, then don't fix it; that's not the way we do things around here; it will never work; who do you think you are, you will never be any different; you are a day dreamer; I know you; etc.

Some times, you get a brilliant idea, which ignites your soul; you feel yourself on fire; you want to experiment your new plan. Then, you go and share with your friend. Before you finish telling them your new idea and plan, they cut you short: That won't work; no one has ever done it, forget all about it; you are not capable...!

Many of us have quenched fire, quenched dreams, quenched brilliant ideas because of firefighters. Advice, stay away from firefighters; spend more time with people who see you not just as you are but as you could be; people who encourage your dreams, ignite your fire and help it burn even more. Increase firelighter friends and diminish firefighters in your life. Befriend the best Firelighter, the Holy Spirit.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON NOT A THING

Well, the Holy Spirit is not a thing, he is a Person, the third Person of the Blessed Trinity. So don't be afraid of the Holy Spirit; he is a person not a thing. Did you notice that in the gospel Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as «he» and not as «it»? Eight times Jesus called him «he»!! It means what? That indeed the Holy Spirit is a person, just as the Father, just as Jesus himself. Don't be afraid again of the Holy Spirit; he is a person; not a thing out there.

Jesus said of him this way: «He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.»

If, as the second reading put it, our flesh and blood are responsible for our «repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic- show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; brutal temper; impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small- minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community» (Gal 5:19-21);

Likewise, we are always under the influence the Holy Sipirt, every time we «love, and have joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23). You see how the Holy Spirit is busy in all of us without us knowing?! So, please, don't be afraid to love, and rejoice, and leave in peace, don't be afraid to show kindness and goodness, and faithfulness and gentleness, and self-control; these things are godly, because they are the Holy Spirit at work in you.

Let us welcome the Holy Spirit now, and ask him to increase his presence in me and in you. We pray: «Oh, Come Holy Spirit and fill the heart of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.»