THE PLACE AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES

 

 (Homily for Pentecost Sunday, Year B)

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Readings: Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11, 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13, John 20:19-23

 

Dear friend, ten days ago and forty days after the Lord’s resurrection, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. Before his Ascension into heaven, Jesus had promised his disciples that he would ask his Father and He will give them another Advocate who will be with them forever (John 14:16). Today, fifty days after the Lord’s resurrection from the dead, we are celebrating the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples.

Pentecost takes its name from the Greek word pentecoste meaning fifty. According to St. Luke, the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise, that is, the sending of the Holy Spirit took place on the Pentecost day which is the Hebrew feast of harvest (shavuoth- Lev. 23: 15-20). It is only St. Luke that puts the sending of the Holy Spirit on a Pentecost. In the gospel according to St. John for instance, the sending of the Spirit did not happen fifty days after Easter. The sending of the Spirit already began with the death of Jesus on the cross when he gave up his Spirit (John 19:30). Then, on the evening of the first day of the week, the day of his resurrection, he breathed on his disciples, the Holy Spirit (John 20:19).

With regard to the place and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the Holy Spirit is the principle of unity in the Trinitarian family. As the principle of unity, the Holy Spirit is the bond of unity between the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is also the source of unity in the body of Christ, the Church. These tasks, the Spirit continues to perform even in our own time, in our own lives. The Holy Spirit creates order and harmony in the midst of chaos, symphony in the midst of cacophony and unity in the midst of diversity, plurality and multiplicity. As St. Paul tells us in the second reading, many or diversity of gifts but the same Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4). The gathered assembly, though of different tongues, was able to understand the preaching of Peter in their respective languages because of the uniting power of the Spirit. Today, more than ever, we need the uniting force of the Holy Spirit in our countries, communities, relationships and families.

In addition, the Holy Spirit is the spirit of power. Prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples, for fear of the Jews, locked themselves up in the Upper Room at Jerusalem (John 20:19). Our today’s first reading tells us that on the day of Pentecost, the disciples were all seated together in one place when the Holy Spirit descended on them (Acts 2:1-4). When they had received the Holy Spirit, there was an immediate transformation. The hitherto timid disciples became courageous. They threw open the doors of the room where they were staying and came out proclaiming Christ publicly.

The Holy Spirit equips us to bear witness to the Lord’s resurrection. He empowers us to leave our comfort zones and to break every inhibiting barrier on our way to bearing witness to the Lord and being the best. The Holy Spirit is God’s abiding presence amongst us. He helps us, makes us understand and remember the teachings of Jesus (John 14:26) and makes us to pray properly (Romans 8:26). As we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, may the Holy Spirit inspire us, grant us his seven-fold gifts and lead us to the complete truth. May the fire of the Holy Spirit purify us, bring light to our darkness, turn hatred into love, sorrow into joy, and doubt into hope. Amen.