June
4, 2017
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 are the roles of the HS in our lives? Let us reflect on this in
three points.
Holy
Spirit as comforter. I remember as a child I used to play hide and seek with my friends.
There were times when due to recklessness, I would end up being wounded. When I
arrive 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 subsides. 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 is seldom that I get
sick. But there was one time when I had a high fever. When we get sick, we are
usually sent home in order to recover. 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 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 will not get hurt 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 has 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. 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.
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. 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.
