May
15, 2016
Pentecost
Sunday
Acts
2:1-11; Psalm 104; 1 Corinthians 12:3B-7, 12-13; John 14:15-16, 23B-26 or John 20:19-23
There is this
story about a man who looked sad on his birthday. One of his friends who noticed
that he was sad came to him and asked why. The birthday celebrant answered his
friend: “My brother forgot to greet me today.
He also forgot to do so last year.” The friend said: “Don’t worry that’s
ok. Sometimes it happens that even
siblings forget each other’s birthdays.” The birthday celebrant said, “Is that
so? But he is my twin brother!”
Today as we celebrate
Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, we also celebrate the
birthday of the Church. The Holy Spirit is the giver of life, the soul of the Church.
One of the images used to depict the Holy Spirit is the wind because like the
blow of a wind, the Holy Spirit is invisible yet we can feel its presence. So
how does the Holy Spirit work in us? How can we feel its presence? What is its
role in our lives?
Let
us reflect on this in three points:
HOLY
SPIRIT AS COMFORTER. I
remember as a child I used to climb trees and play in the streets with my
friends. There were times when due to recklessness, I would end up being
wounded. When I arrived home crying, my mom would clean my wounds with betadine
and alcohol. It was really painful. But do you know what would my mom do to
ease the pain? She would blow towards the wounds until the pain subsided. Such
is the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we are down, burdened and wounded with
all the concerns in life, the Holy Spirit calms our hearts and comforts us.
This was the experience
of the apostles in the first reading. They locked themselves in the upper room
not only because they were afraid. They were also wounded and in pain because
Jesus just died on the cross. But when Jesus appeared and breathed on them the
Holy Spirit, their pains, fears, and doubts were all blown away. Peace reigned
in their hearts. The presence of the Holy Spirit indeed blows away our fears
when we are afraid and comforts us when
we are wounded and in pain.
HOLY
SPIRIT AS PROTECTOR. In my thirteen years of stay in the seminary, it was seldom that I got
sick. But there was one time when I had a high fever. When we would get sick,
we were usually sent home in order to regain strength. I remember at home my
mom would always prepare a special soup for me whenever I am sick with fever.
When the soup is served, she would first take a spoonful of the hot steaming
soup, taste it a bit, blow on it a little before putting it in my mouth.
Why would she do
that? She wanted to be sure that I would not get burnt by the hot soup. Such is
the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we face our struggles and crosses in life,
we sometimes do not know what lies ahead of us. But if we place our trust in
the Holy Spirit, we can be certain that we are in good hands. The Holy Spirit
will be there to protect us and assure us that like Jesus we will end up victorious
in facing our cross and trials in life.
HOLY
SPIRIT AS GIVER OF JOY. I remember as a child when my parents would not
give in to my demands, there were times when I became moody. But my mom had a
way of handling my being moody. She would approach me and try to tickle me by
blowing at my ear. This would lighten up my mood and make me smile. Such is the
Holy Spirit in our lives. When we are gloomy, when we do not find any meaning
and direction in life, that is the time to pray to the Holy Spirit to bring
joy, guidance and meaning to our lives. The joy that the Spirit gives is not
the fleeting joy found in worldly things. It is rather a true and lasting
joy that comes
from the Lord.
My brothers and
sisters, let us thank the Lord for the gift of the Holy Spirit. We have already
received the Holy Spirit when we received the sacraments of baptism and
confirmation. Do you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in your lives? The
Holy Spirit is our comforter, protector and giver of joy.
In this mass, let
us pray that this same Holy Spirit will inspire us to give comfort to those who are
troubled, protection to those who are defenseless, and joy to the sorrowful.
Amen.
