THEME: FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
READINGS: Acts 2:1-11/ Romans 8:8-17/ John 14:15-16, 23-26
Solemnity of Pentecost
INTRODUCTION
At the Last Supper, our Lord Jesus Christ promised His apostles of the coming of the Holy Spirit (cf. John 14:15-16,25-26). Then, six weeks later, on the day of His ascension into heaven, Jesus reassured His apostles of the coming of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:1-8). Ten days thereafter, the Holy Spirit would descend in a spectacular way on the Day of Pentecost and fill the apostles and other disciples (cf. Acts 2:1-4). He empowered and endowed them with gifts for the fulfilment of the mission which Jesus had entrusted to them.
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Filled with the Holy Spirit, the apostles displayed courage, for they boldly proclaimed the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ before thousands of people (cf. Acts 2:5-6, 38-41). Also, the Holy Spirit gave them the gifts of speaking in foreign tongues (cf. Acts 2:6-9) and of teaching (cf. Acts 2:14-33). Elsewhere in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, the apostles and disciples exhibited a variety of other gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts included wisdom, teaching, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, service to others and above all, faith, hope and love.
Beloved, we were initially filled with the Holy Spirit when we were baptised. Then, through the Sacrament of Confirmation, we were specially re-filled with the Holy Spirit. So, the question is: which gifts of the Holy Spirit are we displaying in our personal lives?
GIFT OF WISDOM
Are we displaying the gift of wisdom? In other words, is our sense of judgment guided by the Spirit of God or by the spirit of this world?
GIFT OF TEACHING
What about the gift of teaching? Do we teach our children or others about the good news of salvation?
GIFT OF HEALING
Some of us may not have the gift of spectacular healing, but we should have the gift that heals the broken-hearted, or the healing gift which brings peace to disturbed minds or which brings peace between people, etc.
GIFT OF MIRACLES
Some of us may not have the gift of spectacular miracles, but we should have the gift of turning around the bad situations of some people – this is another kind of the gift of miracles. For instance, when we aid a helpless and hopeless orphan to realise a bright future, we become instruments of God’s miracle to that orphan.
GIFT OF PROPHECY
Certainly, I am not referring to the phenomenon which is “trending” in Ghana – namely, the uttering of false prophecies of death and doom by self-styled prophets. A true prophet is God’s spokesperson. He/she proclaims God’s message and not his/her own message or imagination. And every baptised person is called to speak God’s message. So, we are to proclaim the Word of God or a message He places in our heart. The latter, however, should always accord with His Written Word, as He cannot contradict Himself.
GIFT OF DISCERNMENT
Are we able to distinguish between what comes from God and what comes from the evil one? Today, there is so much which comes from the evil one. The evil one has even infiltrated the Church and many of his agents are parading as men/women of God. Let us, therefore, assess them and their messages in the light of the Word of God. Then, we will be able to clearly identify what comes from God and firmly hold unto it, and boldly reject what comes from the evil one.
GIFT OF TONGUES
Let us praise God for those who have and use the genuine gift of tongues. However, today, there are too many fake tongue-speakers. The fact is that not every Christian is expected to have the gift of tongues. Therefore, if we do not have it, we should not fake the speaking in tongues.
ONE CAN’T HAVE ALL THE GIFTS
No one is expected to have all the gifts of the Spirit. Let me explain this point with the help of 1 Corinthians 12. In this text, St. Paul likens the variety of gifts of the Spirit to the different parts of the human body, which represent the Church. In this case, since one individual Christian cannot be the body of Christ – the whole Church – so he/she cannot have all the gifts. Each Christian can have only some of the gifts.
INDISPENSABLE GIFTS
Though the human body is made up of several parts, each part enjoys certain indispensable elements (e.g., blood as well as the oxygen and nutrients it circulates) to keep them alive. Similarly, though we are all not expected to have all the gifts, there are three indispensable gifts which we must all have – namely, faith, hope and love. These are respectively our spiritual nutrients, oxygen and blood. Faith, our spiritual nutrient, nourishes our spiritual life. So, beloved, how strong is your faith in the Lord? Hope sustains our life like oxygen. So, beloved, how firm is your hope in eternal life? And, love is to our spiritual life what blood is to our physical life. So, beloved, how intense is your love for God and neighbour?
CONCLUSION
Finally, as people who have been filled with the Holy Spirit at Baptism and Confirmation, may our faith be strong, our hope be certain, and our love be fervent! Then, at the pleasure of the Holy Spirit, may we display additional spiritual gifts to the glory of God and for the salvation of souls. Amen!
By Most Rev. John Kobina Louis
