Readings: Acts 2:1-11; Ps.104; 1 Cor. 12:3-7,12-13; John 20:19-23
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.
RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT
Today, the solemnity of Pentecost, we have gathered like the disciples of Jesus who, after the preaching, the passion, death, resurrection and the ascension of Jesus, were afraid and ashamed to talk about Jesus. So they locked themselves in a room praying and waiting as we have done for the past few weeks now, waiting for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, that Promised Paraclete as Jesus directed us.
Yes, today the Promised Paraclete has come, the Comforter has come, the purifying fire has come. Today all children of God are empowered once more to conquer the world with the Good News of Christ's salvation. Today, the fears, the shame, the weakness of sins, the lukewarmness, the lockdown and all the barriers that hold us captive in the upper room have now been consumed by the power of the Holy Ghost, which we are receiving today. For we have been set free and empowered to transform the world once again with the truth of the Gospel of Christ.
This power is what we receive in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus came and stood among his disciples in their lockdown and fearful situation and said to them as he is saying to us today: ‘Peace be with you, As the Father sent me, so am I sending you. And after saying this he breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.” As he is saying to you now: Receive the Holy Spirit!! Gba Ẹmí Mimọ!
Karɓi Ruhu Mai Tsarki! Nara Mmụọ Nsọ!
This Gospel passage takes us today to the Upper Room, where, after the Last Supper and the tragic events of his passion and death, a sense of loss and fear had saddened the hearts of the Apostles. But their sadness will not be long, for he will not abandon them, he will not leave them, orphans. He will send the Consoler, the power of Love, the Spirit of the Father, and this Spirit will enable them to understand that his work is a work of love: love of the One who gave himself, love of the Father who has given him and love for humanity whom he has come to save.
This is the mystery of the Pentecost we are celebrating today as we have it in our first reading, When on the Pentecost day the disciples were in a room of fear and shame, and suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.
These gifts of the Holy Spirit are grouped into seven with twelve fruits. The seven gifts include: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. While the fruits which are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory are as follows: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.
Among all these gifts and fruits, love is the most important of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, just as it is also the most important of all the Christian virtues. Without love, all the good things we have received and accomplished mean nothing. Love helps us share in the image of God that Jesus offers us, so that we can live a life of the spirit. The Holy Spirit illuminates the human spirit and reveals in it the image of Christ Crucified and Risen, to become more like him, bearing the image and instrument of the love which flows from Christ. It is in this image of love, that the greatness of the Pentecost event is perceived.
Hence, St Paul advised us in our second reading to embrace the Spirit of love that will help us to accommodate each other’s gifts and talents, for though separate individuals, we are united as one body and one Spirit in one baptism. For there is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of us. This tells us that the gift of the Holy Spirit is meant to be put into use for the good of humanity. But this is not always the case. Because, sometimes we let our gifts be dormant.
Little wonder, St. Hilary in his treaties on the Trinity said that: faculties of the human body, if denied their exercise, will lie dormant. The eye without light, natural or artificial, cannot fulfil its office; the ear will be ignorant of its function unless some voice or sound is heard; the nose will find no work or purpose if it cannot perceive any scent. This is not because the faculty is absent, but rather because it is never put into use. So, there will be no experience of its existence.
This is the same with the soul of man, unless through faith it has appropriated the gift of the Spirit, then it will have the innate faculty of apprehending God. For the Spirit has been given to each according to the measure of his willingness to receive it in his soul. This Holy Spirit we must seek to have in abundance and then hold fast by faith and obedience to the commands of God.
Dear friends, how well are you disposed for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? What is your disposition towards the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? Some people have come today to receive the Holy Spirit without adequate preparation. Some are prepared just to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. Some have come with an extra basket, while some have come with a secured vessel to obtain as many gifts as possible.
Today the power of the Holy Spirit of love has been poured upon us, so we are called and empowered to go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News of God’s love for humanity. For there are many people in our world today who have not experienced the true love of God in their hearts, because they are distracted by various worldly concerns and selfishness, as they keep hurting each other and causing more trouble in the world.
Therefore, let our actions and deeds bear the fruit of this love of God not only to such people, but to our fellow brethren by showing genuine care and concern for each other. Let us not close our doors of love because, we continually want to feel secure and do not want to be disturbed by others or by God.
Rather let us like the apostles break open the doors of our hearts, for Christ overcome our enclosure to bring us love and peace and build a bridge between heaven and earth, so that we can climb up on this bridge of love to reach him and together with him, we too can reach all humanity, beginning with our families members, our societies and to the ends of the Earth.
LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we lift up our hearts together with Mary our mother in the Spirit of Pentecost, singing the Veni Sancte Spiritus, may the Holy Spirit of love come down upon us wherever we may be and fill our hearts with the fire of His love. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Amen. Wishing you a Spirit-filled Pentecost celebration.
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