DAILY HOMILIES #holy spirit

How is God both Father, Son and Holy Spirit simultaneously? This question is so complicated that we can only offer examples to explain. One example is that of a grown-up man, let’s say, Mr A. To his children, Mr A is a father. Mr A is a brother to his siblings, and to his parents, Mr A is a son. Mr A is one person but different things to different people. Even though this example gives us some idea, it is still a terrible example because while God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit simultaneously, Mr A cannot be both father, son and brother to any human being.

As the children of Israel received the tablet of the Law on Mount Sinai, marking a new dispensation for them – freedom from the captivity of the Egyptians, the coming of the Holy Spirit became the beginning of a new era for God’s children; the birth of the Church and the writing of the Law in our hearts. “A new spirit I will put within you, and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and carefully observe My ordinances.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

All these arguments about the Blessed Virgin Mary, the use of images in the church, the number of books in the Bible, etc. etc., what good has it done? You ask if I have given my life to Christ, and I tell you I am a Catholic, the next thing, you start trying to convince me that I will go to hell. You don’t believe in my doctrines, does that stop you from loving me as your fellow Christian? Why this hatred and animosity in our hearts?

Dear friends, every time we celebrate the Mass, we join Jesus and His disciples in the Upper Room; the place where God comes to meet ordinary humans. It is important to mention that it was in this same Upper Room that the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost. When next you are present at mass, know that you are in the Upper Room; the most powerful room on earth.

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 tried to clear their ignorance, they resisted him. Truly, there are some people who know they are ignorant yet they remain satisfied in their ignorance

The Christian life is not easy but there is always a way out; singing and praying are two things we can do anytime and our situation will definitely change for the better. Do not be sorrowful. The Steadfast Love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness O, Lord.

Today, Jesus Christ calls us his witnesses. We are to work side by side with the Holy Spirit in spreading the truth about him to the world. The question is: How are we to be his witnesses if we are yet to understand him fully? How can we talk to people about Jesus without first talking to Jesus himself? How are we to stand up for him, if we are not convinced about him as the answer to the world’s deepest yearnings? How can we witness to him if we do not abide in the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit is God dwelling in us, speaking in the depths of our hearts and making the impossible possible in our lives. We must pray every day for a renewal of the Holy Spirit in our lives so that we may live not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

If God so loved us even when we were His enemies due to our sinfulness, we too must love our enemies; we must love those who persecute us, we must pray for them and ask God to forgive them even when we keep receiving their stones.

Like Jesus Christ, we all have two names; one which appears on our certificates and one which defines who we are. Although the names we bear may vary, the kind of life we live must reflect our real identity - Christianity. People should not only call us Christians; they must also see Christ in us.

(Image: Courtesy of stock.adobe.com) As we celebrate World Mission Sunday today, we are reminded that missionary work is not the exclusive reserve of the ordained but something to which we all are called. In his message for world mission Sunday 2022, Pope Francis tells us: “The essence of the mission is to bear witness to Christ, that is, to his life, passion, death, and resurrection for the love of the Father and of humanity.” (para. 5).

Take in a deep breath for instance and say a prayer to the Holy Spirit. It may be a short prayer and as you exhale the air, say another short prayer. Doing this little exercise can catapult you to a higher realm and make you conscious that you are not alone in this life. God is with you right here, right now. Feel his presence in the Holy Spirit.