Make it your turning point!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily on the Feast of the Pentecost 

St. Gerard Majella Church

May 27, 2012

Beloved in Christ, today we celebrate the feast of the Pentecost. Today, we celebrate the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise in John 14:18: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” On the eve of his Passion, Jesus promised to send the Advocate, the Counsellor, the Helper and the Teacher who will stay with us until the end of time. When he comes, the Lord assured us, he will help us remember and understand all that he had taught us: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth” (John 16:12-13). Today, we celebrate the profound action of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and on the Church. 

Having received the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Father and the Son, the once confused and fearful Apostles, fearful of the Jewish leaders, fearful of the killers of Jesus, confused of what next to do after the “exit” of Jesus suddenly experienced something extraordinary. Having received the Holy Spirit, the Apostles could not stay in hiding anymore. With the power of the Holy Spirit, they broke out from the spirit of fear and timidity. With the power of the Holy Spirit, all doubts, all hesitations and all uncertainties disappeared. From the hiding place of the Upper Room, they made their exit to the streets of Jerusalem, preaching that Jesus is Lord. With the power of the Holy Spirit the Apostles were able to speak in different languages. With the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, they were able to speak in new language- the language of love. People who speak different languages may not be able to understand themselves; but they will certainly understand the language of love. When the language of love is spoken, everybody understands it. With the language of love, the Apostles tell powerfully the mighty deeds of God. With the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in the Apostles, all fears disappeared; all emotions of timidity vanished; all confusion and hesitation vamoosed. In 2 Timothy1:7, St. Paul says, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity but that of power, love and self-control. And in Romans 8:15, he also says, “We did not receive a spirit of fear, but the Spirit of sonship that enables us to cry out, Abba, Father.’”

Dearest beloved, as Christians, we have all been given the Holy Spirit. As people born anew, baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we have been given the Holy Spirit. As the people of God, confirmed and commissioned as soldiers of Christ through the sacrament of Confirmation, we have been given the fullness of the Spirit and sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. If this Spirit is not active in our lives, if we are not manifesting the gifts of the Holy Spirit, if we are not bringing people to Jesus through words and good deeds, if we are not walking in the Spirit, if we are not courageous to undertake the mission of Christ, if we are not able to say clear and loud “Jesus is Lord!” and mean it, if we are not firebrand members of the Church, if we are not renewed inwardly and outwardly, if the hope of an everlasting peace and joy in heaven does not keep us steady in our Christian journey, if we are not filled with the fruits of the Holy Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control, then it is possible we have grieved the Holy Spirit. St. Paul in Ephesians 4:30 warns, “Do not grieve (do not offend, vex or sadden) the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption.” How do we grieve the Holy Spirit? We do so by living a sinful life; living a double-standard life, living as if God is not there and does not matter. We grieve the Holy Spirit by being hateful, by being bitter and angry, by being restless because of the cares of the world, by being impatient, by being unkind and mean, by being immoral/sinful/vicious, by being proud and by being “other-control.” Other-control means that one is not in charge of himself/herself, something else- drink, food, bad habits are in control. The person is controlled by things other than God.  

But today can be the turning point! Today can be the turning point of waking up from our spiritual slumber. Today can be the turning point of living in the Spirit. Today, we can resolve to reawaken the Giant in us. Today can be the turning point in our life as Christians. Today can be the turning point of breaking away from those shackles that hinder us from growing in our faith. Today can be the turning point if we stir the cup of salvation filled with the water of life so as to taste the sweetness of the Spirit of God. If you drop a cube of sugar in a glass cup of water without stirring it with a spoon, you are likely not going to feel the taste of the sugar. We are the cup, the water is the life given to us by God. The sugar is the Holy Spirit deposited in us at our baptism and confirmation. We need to wake up the Giant. In 2 Timothy 1:6, St. Paul says, “ ... I remind you to fan into flame the gifts of God, which is in you through the laying on of hands.” If the flame of fire of the Holy Spirit is dimming, fan it. If the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not being manifested in you, fan and fan into flame those gifts. St. Paul knew the consequence of walking in the flesh. When the blazing fire of the Christians in Galatia started dwindling, St. Paul wrote: “O you foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?... Are you so foolish that after beginning in the Spirit, you are trying to end up in the flesh?” (Galatians 3:1,3)

Sisters and brothers, as we sing and pray, “Lord, send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth,” let us submit to the promptings of the Spirit. Today, let us ask the Love of the Father and Son to transform us once again. Let us ask him to make today the turning point in our lives. Let us ask him to come into our lives, change us, mold us into the image of Jesus and take away from us what does not give glory to God. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to do something new in our lives. Remember 2 Corinthians 3:17 tells us, “The Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Where he is, there is righteousness, peace, and joy.

Happy Pentecost!