At 8:30 Sunday morning, I received an email, “Happy
Anniversary Deacon! Can you give the Homily today?” All I could say was “Come,
Holy Spirit come!”
What came to me was a story of a man who
lived a meager life. Living alone and dining on oatmeal or watery soup, he wore
ragged clothes and worn-out shoes. People assumed he had nothing; but, when he
died, it was found he had millions of dollars hidden away.
That person had the ability to live an abundant
life, but maybe he was too scared to live it. He never shared himself or what he
had. That poor person lived a life with abundance but it scared him.
Is that us?
The Bible is full of stories about the Spirit
of God. In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God was there in times of need. The
spirit of God was with Abraham and Jacob. It guided Moses and led the
Israelites out of Egypt. The spirit of God was with Samson and Gideon, judges
and warriors. The Spirit of God called Samuel and anointed David. The Spirit of
God came when it was needed the most.
Then Jesus came into the world and sent the
Holy Spirit to be with us always. “I will send the
advocate who will be with you. I will send my spirit upon you.”
Now, the Holy Spirit is with us always. This
is proved in our faith as Christians. “No one can say
that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”
We can be scared of the Holy Spirit. We learn
about the Holy Spirit in images of a dove, wind, or fire. Great images, but only
representations of the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit is God and we
should not be scared. It is the Holy Spirit of God through Christ in us that
lets us proclaims we are Christians.
Maybe we’re scared by the Holy Spirit and
being charismatic. We hear that the Holy Spirit in us makes us able to speak tongues.
It says it in Acts; but, I don’t speak in tongues – maybe I’m not a good
Christian. That’s not true.
We are all part of the body of Christ. Each
has a different gift. That is what being charismatic is about. Each and every Christians
is charismatic. It’s about God’s gift that the Holy Spirit encourages you to
use.
Look at the saints. They were all
charismatic; but, I do not know if they all spoke in tongues. The saints were
soldiers, doctors, lawyers, kings and queens, mothers and fathers, hermits,
deacons, priests and popes. They were young and they were old. They were
educated and smart and some were not. Yes, some spoke in tongues, healed the
sick and some were said to have even more remarkable and special gifts. Most just led holy lives, the charism they
had was love: the ability to see the face of Christ in every one.
Is that us?
Don’t be scared, as Christians we’re all charismatic,
living and sharing the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In this remember:
·
The Holy Spirit is the Advocate that
brings us Christ,
·
The Holy Spirit is Truth that gives understanding.
·
The Holy Spirit is Strength from God
sending us to the world.
·
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Glory
that lives in us.
Today is the feast of the Holy Spirit -
Pentecost. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church when we received the gift of
the Holy Spirit to be with us always. Isn’t it great to get gifts on a
birthday? Don’t be too afraid to share your gifts.
The gift of the Holy Spirit lets us know Jesus
Christ is Lord. Look at yourself, discover your gifts, and share the Holy
Spirit that lives in you.
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