Possessed By The Holy Spirit.

Sunday 9^th June, 2019. Acts 2:1-11, Psalm 104, Romans 8:8-17 and John 14:15-26)_

_*“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies… if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.” (Romans 8:11-13)*_  

Today, we are celebrating an ancient Feast, one that is older than Christianity. We call it Pentecost because of the number fifty. The origin of this Feast is found in Leviticus 23:15-16 where Moses instructs the people: “And you shall count from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven full weeks shall they be, counting fifty days to the morrow after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a cereal offering of new grain to the LORD.”

This feast of Pentecost, celebrated fifty days after the feast of Passover is one that usually attracted Jews from all over the world to Jerusalem. As Christians, Pentecost takes on a new meaning for us because it was on this day that the Counsellor, the Advocate, the long-awaited Promise of the Father chose to come down upon the gathering of the Apostles who had locked themselves in the upper room for fear of the Jews.

When we celebrate Pentecost, we no longer celebrate it as a Jewish Feast but as a Feast of the Holy Spirit. We celebrate it as a Feast of the Birth of the Church to the world. Just as a baby cries loudly at birth, the Church gave a loud cry on this day, this cry was the sound of tongues. The Apostles spoke in the language of all those who had come from different parts of the world meaning that in one instance, the church spread all over the world. Again like a baby that is no longer hidden in its Mother’s womb, the church became known to the whole world as the Apostles were no longer afraid of proclaiming the Good News of salvation in the Risen Jesus.

Today is first a day of celebration and a day of prayer; prayer that just as the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles and used them mightily, He would come upon our gathering today and take possession of us completely. Today is not a day for long sermons but there are certain lessons contained in our readings which we must briefly examine.

*One: God is a Promise Keeper.*

God never promises and fails. Our first reading today simply confirms everything Jesus said in our Gospel passage. We can completely rely on God and trust every one of His promises as contained in the Bible must surely come to pass in our lives. Jesus said that everyone who loves Him and keeps His word, the Father will love him too and we (referring to the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit) will come to him and make our home with him. This is a promise we can rely on, that when we love God and obey His Words, we would become living tabernacles, carriers of the Trinity.

*Two: There are Several Spirits but only One Holy Spirit.*

We live in a spiritual world. There is more to reality than what we can see with our eyes. In fact, we are not just physical bodies but spirits as well. What we do or refuse to do is always a product of the kind of spirit in charge of our bodies. This is what St. Paul explains in today’s second reading. There are persons who are possessed by foul spirits, evil spirits, the spirit of immorality (living in the flesh) and so on. St. Paul says: “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, it literally empowers you to put to death the deeds of the body.”

The real question is, which particular spirit is in charge of your life? Are you moved by the spirit of worldliness or by the Holy Spirit? In another passage, St. Paul writes: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such, there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:22-24). If the Holy Spirit is in you, lies, fornication, greed, lust and so on will be a thing of the past.

*Three: The Holy Spirit Decides Which Gift is Necessary for the Common Good.*

As we see in today’s first reading, when the Apostles received the Holy Spirit, it manifested as tongues. They spoke in tongues; the tongues of the visitors to Jerusalem. This was the most important gift at this point in time because the message about Jesus needed to go round the world. Speaking in tongues is not the only manifestation of the Holy Spirit neither is it the most important and we should not think that one who does not speak in tongues does not have the Holy Spirit in him or her.

To clear the air, St. Paul explains: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).

As we pray for the Holy Spirit, it is the Holy Spirit who would decide how best to manifest Himself in us. We should therefore not go about speaking gibberish on purpose in the name of being in the Holy Spirit only to go home and immerse ourselves in the pool of sin. I am more convinced of the Holy Spirit’s presence in a repentant Christian than one who claims to speak in tongues.

*Four: What is the meaning of “Holy Ghost Fire”?

Too often we hear Christians mention Holy Ghost Fire when they pray. In fact, virtually every one of us has probably responded a very loud “Amen” to a prayer of this nature in excitement. It feels good to imagine your enemies burning in fire but we must face the truth. First, the word “Ghost” is a poor translation of “Spirit.” They are not the same. Ghost is an appearance of someone already dead, an imagination; something unreal but Spirit is real and invisible.

Secondly, the tongues of “Fire” mentioned in today’s first reading did not come as a weapon but a blessing. Far from burning the Apostles, it marked them out as persons who had received God. The idea of shouting “Holy Ghost fire” on our enemies is not a Christian concept. Christ taught us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. This Holy Ghost fire phenomenon comes from the Old Testament, precisely in Numbers 16 where fire came from God and burnt down the two hundred and fifty men who were conspirators with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. This fire came at God’s instance, no one prayed for it.

Thirdly, if we must pray for the Holy Spirit Fire, let us pray that as fire burns away impurities, it may purify us of our carnal desires and help us put to death the craving of our flesh as St. Paul talks about in our second reading. Let us pray for this fire upon ourselves to revive our drooping spirits and reawaken our love for God. As Paul would advise Timothy, let us fan into flames the spirit that we received on the day of our baptism and confirmation when the Bishop laid hands on us. Holy Spirit fire is not a weapon for our enemies. It is a must-have for every child of God.

Let us pray: Come Holy Spirit, take possession of my whole being, free me from my sinful desires, fill my heart with goodness and enkindle in me your Sacred Fire. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Pentecost Sunday. Year C. Bible Study: Acts 2:1-11, Psalm 104, Romans 8:8-17 and John 14:15-26).