As we reflect on our lives, many of us can see a point in time or event that might be described as a watershed moment, a moment that transformed us. Speaking for myself, and I’m sure all my brother priests and deacons, that moment for us is the day of our ordination when, through the sacrament of holy orders, we become a priest of Jesus Christ or a deacon of the Church. For those of you who are parents, that moment might be the birth of your first child. Others may see it in the beginning of a new profession or career. Those moments are ones that are forever life-changing.
The watershed moment for the apostles took place on the feast of Pentecost. As is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles: The apostles had seen the Risen Jesus and accompanied him for 40 days after Easter, but then he left them, ascending into heaven, leaving them with a mission. So, they decided to return to that same Upper Room where they had huddled in fear from Good Friday until Easter Sunday, trying to figure out how they could fulfill the mission Jesus gave to them. The “answer” came in “strong driving winds and tongues of flame which came upon each of them” as they experienced the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them.
This was Pentecost, the transforming “moment” which can also be seen as the “birthday of the Church”. After that defining moment, they were being compelled by the Holy Spirit to leave that Upper Room and go forth to become joyful witnesses of the Risen Jesus.
Just like those same apostles, we are called to be disciples, joyful witnesses of Jesus; we are called to embrace the gifts of the Holy Spirit and to allow our hearts to be filled with joy and hope and to be set on fire with love for Jesus. Sadly, there are many people in today’s world who
are looking for that “something” that is missing in their lives. They may not realize it, but what they are looking for is God. God is who we need, and we will never be truly satisfied until we find God — or until we allow God to find us. St. Augustine, our diocesan patron, put it very clearly: “Our hearts are restless, dear God, and they will only find rest when they rest in you.”
As we look all around us, we see a lot of sadness, caused by many different factors. But what a difference we could make if all of us would not just embrace the joy of the Gospel we feel in our own hearts, but also share that joy, that Good News of the Risen Jesus, with those in our lives who are in need of what they are missing: the Holy Spirit.
As you reflect on your own life, ask yourself these questions: “How enthusiastic am I about my faith?”; “How joyful am I about the fact that Jesus Christ is alive?”; “How filled with awe am I, knowing that I am a temple, a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit of God?”
Over the course of time, it’s possible that we may lose some of the fervor of our faith; maybe we get in a rut and feel as though our weekly efforts of coming to Church are a waste of time or that our time at Mass is boring. We might be suffering from what Pope Francis calls “a spiritual anemia.” Our Holy Father tells us that longing for God is an essential part of who we are.
“We were made to be God’s children,” says Pope
Francis. “It is in our DNA. But this filial relationship
was ruined and required the sacrifice of
God’s only-begotten Son in order to be restored.
From the immense gift of love which is Jesus’ death
on the cross, the Holy Spirit has been poured out
upon humanity like a vast torrent of grace. Those
who by faith are immersed into this mystery of regeneration
are reborn to the fullness of filial life.”*
Before we can reach out to others, and before we can be effective witnesses of the Risen Jesus to others, we must first have a strong and vibrant relationship with Jesus. We must be convinced that Jesus loves us, and every person in the world. We must be willing to keep growing in our faith. We can accomplish those spiritual characteristics by continuing the spiritual practices we focused on during Lent: prayer, fasting, works of mercy, immersing ourselves in the word of God and remaining in sacramental union with Jesus through the regular reception of the Holy Eucharist.
May the joy of this Easter season, combined with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, fill you with hope, inspire you to join in the mission of spreading the Good News of the Risen Jesus and set you on fire, compelled by the Holy Spirit, to be joyful witnesses of the Light of Christ to all the world.
*
Holy Mass on the Solemnity of Pentecost, May 2016