Pentecost

Introduction

- The history of Salvation may be divided into three parts, of the Old Testament (the Father), the life of the Son (of Jesus) and the continuing presence of the divine in the world (of the Holy Spirit). We are living in the era of the Holy Spirit. We are the people of Pentecost.

- The meaning of the word ‘Pentecost’ is of the 50^th day.

- Historical Development in the Old Testament – it was a feast of harvest. Then new meaning was added to that when Moses received the commandments on the Mount Sinai on the 50^th day of the Exodus. Then it became a renewal day, a day when they were made the people of God through the Covenant.

Jews flocked to Jerusalem to offer their first fruits to God on that day.

- Jesus made it the beginning of a new era and a new community

Content

- Meditate on the three functions of the Holy Spirit

1. Life Giving Function

o In the book of Genesis ‘God breathed into the nostrils of the form of the mud and it got life’

o Jesus breathed to the apostles and they who were so afraid received the life.

o When we engage in life giving activities that reduces the evil which takes away life we are with Holy Spirit.

2. Guiding Function

o The apostles were guided to what to do and where to go.

o A common phrase in the acts of the apostles “spirit guided him”

o After the baptism Jesus was guided by the spirit to the desert.

o When we guide others into Jesus, the Truth, we participate in that function.

3. Unifying Function

o The Church exists as a single largest organization since the 1^st century in spite of all its limitations. It’s because the Holy Spirit is the unifying factor of the church.

o Call to unity is not a call to uniformity.

o The apostles who were scattered after the crucifixion were brought as a group by the power of the spirit.

Conclusion

- Sins against these functions

o If we indulge in any of the programs that reduces or blocks life.

o If we misguide the people and take them away from God and Truth.

o If we stand for division and conflicts between the groups and individual.

You are called by baptism to be the “temple of the Holy Spirit.

Sunday of Ascension - I will be with you till the end

I am with you till the end of times

Introduction

- A story goes like this. When Jesus came to earth for fulfilling the mission the most frightened one was Lucifer, the king of hell. He sent a little devil to closely monitor Jesus and to send the report to him in a daily basis. Every day the little devil sent report to hell and all those reports about Jesus was heart breaking to Lucifer since Jesus was doing everything according to the will of the Heavenly Father. After 33 years the little devil returned to hell and briefed everything to Lucifer. The little devil said, “Jesus did everything well except one thing. He selected 12 people to continue his mission. They are illiterate and cowards. So the mission of Jesus has come to an end in the ascension of Jesus. So do not worry my king Lucifer. You will have more grips on the world since the ascension is over”. But the genius Lucifer told, “You are a fool. You did not hear the last farewell speech of Jesus where he told them that he will be with the disciples till the end of the world. So I am so worried”.

- Do we know our strength?

Content

- The elephant is domesticated by man because the elephant does not know its strength.

- We are afraid of so many things of the world, of ourselves and of the other world (ghost etc…). it is because we forget or lack in conviction that we are the temples of the Holy Spirit through our baptism.

- We believe that we are slaves of our passions, our desires, our weakness, other spirits and our sins. We forget that we are the Masters since Jesus is with us.

- It is not I who is to be afraid but evil spirits must be afraid of me since Jesus the most powerful is with me.

- Through the sacraments we receive and grow in the Spirit.

Conclusion

- Sacraments, Word of God and our other spiritual activities are the ways to grow in the conviction that Jesus is living with us. We may have the knowledge but the conviction makes all the difference.

- All those who are afraid of the other beings are not lacking in the knowledge but lack in the conviction.

- Sins can make us week and less self confident but we have the sacrament of penance to regain the power. It is up to us to use the opportunities.

- Let us come to the conviction through sacraments, prayers and word of God.