The Holy Spirit makes holy people out of ordinary ones
Sunday Homily for May 11, 2008
Pentecost Sunday (A)
By Fr. Romy Seleccion, MS
SUNDAY READINGS
Today is PENTECOST SUNDAY!
It is the 50th day after the resurrection of Jesus on EASTER.
It is a commemoration of the descent
of the HOLY SPIRIT upon the apostles.
And today, our three readings are in concert
in unfolding to us the events of PENTECOST.
The first reading narrates to us how the HOLY SPIRIT
descended to the apostles, it says:
“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all
in one place… Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each of them. And they were filled
with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.”
The second reading recounts the unifying spirit
of the celebration of Pentecost, it says:
“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit…
the body, though many are one body… For in one Spirit
we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks,
slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.”
And the gospel tells us how Jesus empowered this ONE BODY, it says:
“Peace be with you… Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive
are forgiven them, and whose sins you retrain are retained.”
PENTECOST then is a festival of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives:
■ the Holy Spirit is our life-healer who makes our hearts
release the grace of forgiveness and peace.
And when we think that forgiveness is impossible, the Holy Spirit
will give us the grace to go beyond our wounded selves and say,
“In the name of God, you are forgiven.”
■ the Holy Spirit is our life-sustainer, who sustains,
comforts, affirms, inspires and renews us.
Jesus says: “When you are handed over, do not worry about
how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given
to you when the time comes, because it is not you who will be
speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you.”
That is how protective the Holy Spirit is.
■ the Holy Spirit is our life-energy who makes
our faith alive, draws us closer to God and moves us
to build our friendship with each other.
The Holy Spirit makes known to us the face
and love of God to each other and to the world.
Hence, nobody can say, “I make God visible”, but others
who see us will say, “They make God visible.”
Try to remember from your memory bank the people you hate,
the neighbors you criticize, the loved ones you betrayed,
and with the fire of love burning in your hearts,
tell them with the words of Jesus: “Peace be with you!”
When forgiveness, reconciliation and harmony happen,
that is Pentecost - and the Church is alive!
If we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to make his dwelling
in our hearts today, our world will be like this:
“When the world becomes Godless: nations become hopeless;
governments become pathetic; politicians become remorseless;
Christians become cynical; Churches become unholy places;
morals become worthless; crime becomes limitless.”
But hope still glows in the darkness,
and life still summons us to a better tomorrow.
This is because the Holy Spirit is breathed into us by Jesus.
And the Holy Spirit makes holy people out
of ordinary ones, and produce saints out of sinners.
So, today, Pentecost Sunday, as the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling
in your hearts, have faith that he transforms you as holy persons.
Believe that he consecrates you as living saints despite of your sins.
Beloved friends, today, act as a holy person, and live as a saint.
God bless you all!
