Saturday, June 7, 2014

Birthday Gift for the Holy Spirit



Pentecost
June 8, 2014
John 20:19-23

Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them… (John 20:22)”


Happy Birthday to our Mother, the Church! Happy Birthday to all of us!
Pentecost traditionally marks the birthday of the Church. The Holy Spirit came down upon the disciples of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem and transformed them into the first community of believers. There and then, they were filled by the Spirit of Truth who empowered them to preach the mighty acts of God in various languages. The same Spirit powerfully drove them out from the locked room and led them into the ends of the earth. Thanks to the Mighty Spirit, we have now the biggest and one of the longest-living communities in the face of the earth, the Catholic Church.
Pentecost is not only about the foundation day of the Church, but also the day Jesus fulfilled His promise. This promise notes that He would send the Advocate, His own Spirit of Truth, for us. Thus, today we celebrate also the “birthday” of the Holy Spirit. Let us greet Him, “Happy Birthday Holy Spirit!” Surely, as a person in the Most Holy Trinity, He has been around together with the Father and the Son in eternity, but as St. Gregory of Nazianzen put it, Pentecost commenced the age of the Holy Spirit. Yet, more often than not, many of us are unfamiliar with this Sacred Spirit, let alone having an intense personal relationship with Him. In fact, I am guilty of this as well. Often, I invoke the Holy Spirit when the examination period is just around the corner. I beg Him to give me a good grade but, after I passed, I forget everything that I had learned, including Him! I realized that I only remember Him when there is an examination but after that, I will forget about him again.
In this respect, we need to thank many Charismatic movements in the Church. With energetic songs and praises, they remind us on the emphatic and habitual presence of the Holy Spirit among us. Both young and old people rush to these prayer meetings to feel the gift of healing and of tongue. Yet, the Holy Spirit is far beyond these charisma and prayer gatherings. In the Old Testament, the Spirit is closely link to ‘air’ and ‘breath’. Going back to the story of creation, God exhaled His ‘breath of life’ into Adam, and the man came to life (Gen 2:7). The breath of life is the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. Because of the Holy Spirit, we receive our first priceless gift of God, life itself. That is why in the Nicene-Constantinople Creed, we believe the Holy Spirit as the giver of life.
But, He goes beyond that. In today’s episode, Jesus breathed in His Holy Spirit so that the disciples would be able to forgive. It is the Spirit of Forgiveness and forgiveness leads into one final destination—Peace. He is the reason why we are in peace with God and with each other. In us, He is the Spirit of Jesus that cries aloud Abba, Father (Gal 4:6). He is the cause of our Joy in the Lord.
Pentecost is a high time for all of us to once again renew our relationship with the Holy Spirit. It is the moment to pray to Him and to talk intimately to Him. He has been there with us in first episode of our creation, and faithfully walks with us till the Kingdom comes. So, why not spend some time with Him? Let's make a special gift for the Holy Spirit.
Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP




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