DAILY HOMILIES

Jesus defines the Christian life as a missionary enterprise. “As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” (John 17:18) To be a Christian is to be on a mission: to preach the Gospel and make disciples of all nations. We are not here to become wealthy or successful but to know God, love God, serve God and be happy with God forever.

Rather than praying for a long life, let us pray for a life that has a significant impact. Rather than wish death away, let us pray for the grace to accomplish our purpose on earth. Rather than fear death, let us fear sin, whatever would make us unworthy of being with the saints in heaven.

If you are stuck in a hole, you can either cry (complain, shout, make a fuss, blame everybody, insult God, regret being alive, etc.) or find even the tiniest glimmer of light and start climbing out. Paul and Silas were stuck in prison; they were facing tribulation. Their hands and feet were chained to the walls, but no one could chain their spirits. In the heart of prison, they demonstrated their strength and resilience, cheerfully sang songs of praise; behold, there was a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps, you do not even have an upper room. Why not create one today? If you consider prayer important, then just as you have a room in your house dedicated to cooking (the kitchen), you should at least dedicate a space for prayer, call it your upper room. Make use of your upper room. Spend more time in your upper room. Prayer is the master key!

Today, Jesus reveals the third strategy for dealing with the world’s hatred: Prayer. We often sing: “Prayer is the key. Prayer is the Key. Prayer is the master key. Jesus started with prayer and ended with prayer. Prayer is the master key.” Prayer is the key to unlocking happiness amid the troubles that must come our way if we obey God’s commandments in a world that prefers darkness to light.

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus likens these persecutions to the pains a woman feels when she is about to give birth: “When a woman is in travail, she has sorrow because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world. You have sorrow now, but I will see you again; your hearts will rejoice…” (John 16:20-23).

By ascending into heaven, Jesus did not create a distance between himself and humanity; his Ascension confirms that we all have a final destination beyond this earth. Jesus is still with us. Jesus is always with us. In fact, we must never forget Jesus’ last words in today’s Gospel passage: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

The Athenians did not accept Paul because they couldn’t face the truth. They acknowledged their ignorance by making an Altar with the inscription: “To an unknown god,” but when Paul brought the truth to them, they resisted it.

The Holy Spirit is our helper; He gets things done. Jesus said, “If I do not go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” Never assume you are on your own. Learn to be conscious of God’s presence in and around you every moment.

The Holy Spirit is the principal agent of evangelisation. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth who bears witness to Him. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot know the truth about God. We cannot witness to God without first receiving the witness of the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile, even when we witness God to our fellow human beings, our success depends entirely on the Holy Spirit.

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus introduces us to the third person of the Trinity – the Holy Spirit, the Counsellor, the Spirit of Truth, and the indwelling presence of God in the life of the believer. As we gradually approach the Feast of Pentecost, our readings today present an urgent call upon us to intensify our prayers for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The world hates Christians because it sees a reflection of Christ in them. “And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19). The world prefers darkness to light. Evil is always more attractive than good. If you are not experiencing opposition from the world, it means there is nothing about you that points to Christ; you are not a threat to the kingdom of darkness because they see you as one of theirs.