Come, Holy Spirit, Come

05-23-2021Weekly Reflection© J. S. Paluch Company

Come Holy Spirit! Today we celebrate Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the first disciples and an all who are baptized. We also commemorate the birth of the church. Before Pentecost, the disciples remain hidden and uncertain; at Pentecost, those who were gathered were filled with the spirit and proclaim the wonders of the good news of Christ to all. The spirit guides us to the truth of Christ's love and mercy and strengthens us to live us disciples. Without the Holy Spirit, we would perish; with the Spirit, we have life to the full. Relying on the Spirit, we are given the grace to turn away from the many temptations that we face each day and prefer instead what is it good and holy. Come Holy Spirit Come!

The Fruit of the Spirit

As followers of Jesus, we are called to direct our minds and hearts to Christ love, turning away from all that is not of God in order to be more Christlike in our daily lives. The more we invite the Holy Spirit to draw us close to gods heart the more readily we will avoid sin and choose life face and love. In the letter to the Galatians, we hear a list of things that those who live in the spirit are to avoid. Things like immorality hatred jealousy and selfishness. At first glance, we might think to ourselves, “of course I want to avoid us thanks,“ and yet if we are honest with ourselves we likely recognize some of those patterns in our lives. Upon further reflection, however, we also see that these negative behaviors post temporary pleasure while the fruits of the spirit love – Joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – and lead to a life of deep and lasting fulfillment.

Nothing will Stand in the Way

The Jewish people who are gathered in Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost came from every corner of the world. They spoke many languages and yet were drawn to hear the message of Christ from the disciples who are just experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They were astonished by what they heard – not only the message, but the way it was conveyed, in their own language, and by the messengers, people whom they would have considered ordinary and unremarkable, rather than the acknowledge religious leaders of their time. We, too, are called to share the love and mercy of Christ through word and action, even when we feel small and insignificant. We need only to look at the witness and experience of those first disciples and all the saints who have proceeded us to know that we are capable of much when we place our lives in God's hands. Nothing can stand in the way of the incredible love of God when we are filled with the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit.