Homily for May 13
& 20, 2018
Seventh Sunday of
Easter & Pentecost
The Holy Spirit in
the Life of a Christian
In many
ways, the Holy Spirit is the neglected member of the Trinity. We don’t think
about Him as much as we do the Father and the Son. Part of the reason is
because his role is somewhat unclear – what does the Holy Spirit actually do?
It’s easy to see what Jesus does, but the Holy Spirit seems very mystical and
hard to grasp.
But the
Holy Spirit’s action in the life of a Christian is not all that mysterious.
Today, [in anticipation of Pentecost,] let’s look at four ways that the Holy
Spirit is active in the life of Christians.
First of
all, the Holy Spirit makes us enthusiastic about our Catholic Faith. The word
“enthusiasm” actually comes from two Greek words, “en” & “theos” – meaning,
“possessed by God”. When we get enthusiastic about our Catholic faith, that’s a
sign that the Holy Spirit is stirring in our soul.
For
example, I think of Cardinal Avery Dulles, who recently died. He was a nominal
Christian studying at Harvard in his twenties when one day, as he stepped
outside on a rainy Spring day, he saw the buds in the trees beginning to burst
forth. Looking at these tree buds, he immediately thought, “There must be a God
if even these trees obey His law!” He was filled with great joy at the thought
of an all-loving God Who designed even the smallest details of the universe.
From that moment on, he was no longer Christian in name-only – he became a
fervent believer, a Catholic, and a priest and cardinal. That was the work of
the Holy Spirit – making him enthusiastic about our faith in God!
Secondly,
the Holy Spirit both convicts us of sin, and consoles us with hope in God’s
mercy. People often joke around about “Catholic guilt” – they say that guilt is
just some neurotic response to being raised Catholic (especially if you were
taught by strict nuns!). But actually, feeling remorse for our sins is an act
of the Holy Spirit that can lead us to repentance. But remorse is unhealthy if
it lacks hope! The Holy Spirit also allows us to hope that God is merciful and
loving, even when we are going through a tough time. After all, the Holy Spirit
is called the “Consoler” – the One who comforts us in our trials and gives us
hope in God’s goodness.
Thirdly,
the Holy Spirit prompts us to have a desire for holiness. I love the great
story from the life of one of my favorite saints, St. Dominic Savio, who became
a saint at the young age of fifteen. He was in a school Mass one time when the
priest, St. John Bosco, began to preach about holiness. Fr. Bosco was making
the point that it is easy to become a saint, and that God wants all of us to
live lives of holiness. Young twelve-year-old Dominic was deeply impacted by
that, and for the next few days, was quieter than usual and had lost his
customary smile. St. John Bosco approached him and asked if he was ok or if he
was sick.
Dominic
responded, “No, I am quite well! I was just thinking about how necessary it is
that I become a saint.” St. John Bosco was pleased with his response and began
to instruct him that holiness consisted in remaining joyful, being a good
student, and loving Jesus more than anything. Very quickly Dominic advanced in
virtue until he did become a saint himself! So if you have a desire for holiness,
for virtue, for living a life more radically in love with God, this is an act
of the Holy Spirit within you!
Fourth,
the Holy Spirit enables us to use our gifts and talents for God’s glory and the
salvation of souls. I had a friend in college named Paul who could beat-box
like no other. This guy was like a complete drum kit, all in his mouth. In our
college of Franciscan University, they had this epic Spring Break mission trip
called Sonlife, where a group of students would head to the beaches of Florida
to strike up conversations with others and invite them to church. Paul would
have these beat-box competitions which would gather all sorts of people around –
and when he had sufficiently impressed the crowd, he would begin to tell them
about Jesus and invite them to come to church with him! Whatever our gift and
talent – whether beatboxing or gardening, whether we’re good at math or a
people-person – we can do all things for
the glory of God when we offer ourselves to Him: our gifts and talents, all
our activities, even our weaknesses. That’s what the power of the Holy Spirit
can do in us!
This is
certainly not an exhaustive list of what the Holy Spirit does in the life of a
Christian. But many people wonder if they’ve ever felt the power of the Spirit
living in them – well, have you ever been excited about your Faith? Have you
ever felt moved to repent of your sin or filled with the hope of God’s mercy?
Have you ever desired to live a holier, more virtuous life? Have you used your
gifts and talents for God’s glory? If so, you see the Holy Spirit at work
within you!
Let us
pray, as we [prepare to] celebrate this great feast of Pentecost, for a new and
fresh outpouring of the Spirit. He comes in to hearts that are hungry to
receive Him. Do you want Him? If so, let us pray together:
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your
faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth Your Spirit,
and we shall be created, and You will renew the face of the earth. Amen.
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