Pentecost, cycle C

JOHN 14: 14-16, 23B-26
THE HOLY SPIRIT! ON PENTECOST WE CELEBRATE THE GIVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THOSE FIRST CHRISTIANS, AND BY EXTENSION WE CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT GOD CONTINUES TO GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO CHRISTIANS DOWN THROUGH THE AGES. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON, WHICH MEANS TWO THINGS; WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH HIM, AND HE IS AN ACTOR, NOT ACTED UPON. THAT'S TRUE OF ALL PERSONS, THAT WE ARE ACTORS. BUT WE HUMAN BEINGS ARE ALSO ACTED UPON, THINGS HAPPEN TO US, THINGS CAUSE US TO CHANGE OUR MINDS AND OUR BODIES, AND SOMEDAY THINGS WILL ACT ON US AND CAUSE US TO DIE. THE PERSONS OF THE BLESSED TRINITY ARE NOT LIKE THAT; THEY ARE ALWAYS IN ACTION, THEY ARE ACTION. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE LOVE BETWEEN THE FATHER AND THE SON. OUTSIDE THE TRINITY THE HOLY SPIRIT IS PURE GIFT. HE IS GIFT TO THE CHURCH, AND FORMS AND SUSTAINS THE CHURCH; AND HE IS GIFT TO EACH CHRISTIAN. THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT TODAY – WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON EACH OF US?
THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS ONE GOAL FOR US. IN BAPTISM HE HAS MADE US INTO SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE FATHER, BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF JESUS, AND HEIRS OF HEAVEN. BUT THAT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. IF WE WANT TO REALIZE OUR TRUE POTENTIAL, WE HAVE TO COOPERATE WITH GOD'S GRACE. AND THAT IS WHERE THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES IN. HE WORKS WITH OUR HUMAN CAPACITIES TO HELP US MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS, AND TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS. THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH THOUGHT ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF SEVEN GIFTS, FOUR OF WHICH HELP US KNOW HOW TO CARRY OUT GOD'S PLAN, AND THREE WHICH HELP US TO ACTUALLY CARRY THEM OUT.
OUR MOTHER MARY WAS PERFECT; UNAFFECTED BY ORIGINAL SIN. YOU AND I MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON EMOTIONS, MOST OF THE TIME. EVEN WHEN WE THINK WE ARE BEING REASONABLE, IF WE REALLY ARE HONEST WITH OURSELVES, WE OFTEN MAKE A DECISION AND THEN THINK OF A REASON AFTERWARDS. AND WHO HASN'T HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF CAREFULLY WEIGHING TWO CHOICES, CHOOSING ONE, AND THEN AT THAT MOMENT KNOWING THAT THE OTHER IS WHAT WE REALLY WANT. SOMETIMES WE ACTUALLY MAKE DECISIONS WITH REASON. WE THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT OUR CHOICES, LISTING PROS AND CONS, AND THEN DECIDING – WITHOUT EMOTION. USUALLY THOSE KINDS OF DECISIONS ARE MADE IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR JOBS. BUT IF WE WERE PERFECT, WITHOUT ORIGINAL SIN, LIVING COMFORTABLY WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, OUR CHOICES WOULD BE MADE BY USING THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT.
MARY HAD THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE. WHEN SHE STUDIED THE WORD OF GOD, SHE LEARNED SOMETHING OF GOD'S PLAN FOR MANKIND. THAT IS WHY SHE COULD SAY, IN HER MAGNIFICAT, “HE CASTS DOWN THE MIGHTY FROM THEIR THRONES, AND RAISES UP THE LOWLY.” AND SHE DEVELOPED THIS GIFT; WE LEARN THAT SHE “PONDERED THESE THINGS IN HER HEART” WHEN GOD REVEALED HIS PLAN FOR HER THROUGH SIMEON AT THE PRESENTATION.
SHE HAD THE GIFT OF WISDOM. THIS ALLOWS US TO SEE THE DEEPER MEANING OF THINGS – THE EVENTS OF OUR LIVES, WHAT WE EXPERIENCE. WISDOM REVEALS GOD BEHIND THE BEAUTY OF NATURE. WHEN THE YOUNG COUPLE RAN OUT OF WINE AT THE WEDDING OF CANA, MARY SAW GOD IN HER SON, AND COULD SAY WITH CONFIDENCE, “SON, THEY HAVE NO WINE.”
SHE HAD THE GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING. THIS HELPS US TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN ALL THE DIFFERENT VOICES WE HEAR IN OUR CULTURE, SO THAT WE CAN DISTINGUISH WHAT IS AUTHENTICALLY OF GOD. WHEN JOSEPH WOKE UP FROM A DREAM AND TOLD HER TO PACK UP, THEY WERE LEAVING FOR EGYPT, MARY UNDERSTOOD, AND WENT WITHOUT QUESTION.
SHE HAD THE GIFT OF COUNSEL. THIS HELPS US DISTINGUISH BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG. IT ALSO HELPS US SEE WHAT GOD WANTS FOR US WHEN THERE ARE SEVERAL POSSIBLE CHOICES. MARY COULD HAVE SAID NO, WHEN SHE WAS INVITED TO BE THE MOTHER OF GOD. THERE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A DOWN SIDE. BUT THE GIFT OF COUNSEL SHOWED HER HOW TO ANSWER THE ANGEL'S INVITATION.
KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, AND COUNSEL – THESE ARE THE GIFTS FOR THE INTELLECT.
MARY HAD THE GIFT OF PIETY. SHE RECOGNIZED HER TOTAL DEPENDENCE ON GOD, AND HER DUTY TO WORSHIP AND LOVE HIM. SHE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS WHEN SHE SAID, “MY SOUL MAGNIFIES THE LORD, MY SPIRIT REJOICES IN GOD MY SAVIOUR.” IF WE RECOGNIZE OUR TOTAL DEPENDENCE ON GOD, IT CHANGES OUR WHOLE WAY OF LOOKING AT EVERYTHING.
MARY HAD THE GIFT OF “FEAR OF THE LORD”. BASICALLY, THIS MEANS “FEAR OF SEPARATING YOURSELF FROM GOD”. IT IS OUR WILL REACTING TO THE REALITY THAT GOD IS CENTER, AND WE ARE TOTALLY DEPENDENT. AT THE MOMENT OF CONCEPTION, EVEN MORE AT THE MOMENT OF CHRIST'S BIRTH, MARY CHOSE TO LET GOD TAKE OVER HER LIFE. NOTHING SHE COULD WANT, NOTHING SHE COULD DO, WOULD BE MORE THAN DUST IF IT WAS NOT GOD'S WILL.
MARY HAD THE GIFT OF FORTITUDE. SHE SAID TO THE ANGEL, “HOW CAN THIS BE WHEN I DO NOT KNOW MAN?” AND WHEN THE ANGEL ANSWERED, SHE SAID, “LET IT BE DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.” A TEENAGER PREGNANT AND UNMARRIED, WITH A BOYFRIEND WHO WAS THINKING ABOUT NOT MARRYING HER. FORTITUDE IS THE COURAGE TO DO WHAT GOD WANTS, EVEN IF YOU ARE AFRAID, BECAUSE FORTITUDE OVERCOMES FEAR.
PIETY, FEAR OF THE LORD, AND FORTITUDE; THESE ARE THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR OUR WILLS.
THE GIFTS TO THE INTELLECT HELP US USE OUR MINDS TO UNDERSTAND GOD'S WILL FOR US; AND THE GIFTS TO THE WILL HELP US DESIRE WHAT GOD WANTS FOR US. TOGETHER THE GIFTS REALLY MEAN THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IN A MARVELOUS AND MYSTERIOUS WAY HELPS US MAKE CHOICES THAT WOULD BE MADE BY JESUS IF HE WERE IN OUR SHOES. AND THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES THIS WITHOUT COMPROMISING OUR FREE WILLS; HE LEAVES US TOTALLY FREE.
WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. WE CAN IDENTIFY THEM IN OURSELVES, IF WE THINK ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON. WE CAN CHOOSE TO EXERCISE OUR OWN MIND AND WILL SO THAT WE ARE MORE IN TUNE WITH THE GIFTS, WHICH ARE REALLY THE GIFT, THE HOLY SPIRIT HIMSELF. AND OVER TIME, IF WE LISTEN, IF WE LOOK AT HOW WE REACT TO THE IMPULSES IN OUR HEARTS, THE IMPULSES THAT PUSH US IN ONE DIRECTION OR ANOTHER, THE IMPULSES WHICH MOVE US TO DO GOD'S WILL MORE AND MORE PERFECTLY, WE CAN BE MORE IN TUNE WITH THE SPIRIT, WE CAN COOPERATE MORE WITH THOSE GIFTS, WE CAN STRENGTHEN OUR SPIRITUAL SENSES, AND HE CAN CARRY OUT HIS MISSION IN US – TO LEAD US TO OUR SUPERNATURAL DESTINY, TO BECOME OTHER CHRISTS.