Sunday of Pentecost 2017 Homily

All of humanity has been given the greatest gift of all. Those who have heard about Jesus Christ and Gods intervention in time, have each been given a beautifully wrapped present. And like any present, this gift looks appealing to the eye, but is useless, unless we look past the surface beauty of the wrapping, pull the ribbon, tear away the paper, and peer into the box. It is only then that we can behold the actual gift, it is only then that we can experience the present we are intended to have. It is then that we know how much we are loved. This gift, is the gift of the Holy Spirit, and it is freely given to us, if we take the present of salvation into our hands, untie the ribbon of faith, open the beautiful wrapping that is the Sacred Scriptures, and uncover the Helper, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit present to us in the Sacraments. It is then, that we fully live our life in Christ, as the Apostles did, it is then, that we are equipped to witness about the Good News and the Salvation we have been given, so that others can gaze upon the same wrapping, and receive the very same gift.
Pentecost is known as the Birthday of the Church, because it is at this time, after Jesus’ resurrection, and after His Ascension into Heaven, that the Apostles receive the Helper, the Comforter, that they were promised by Christ. Now, at this moment, the Apostles are fully equipped for the perilous task of Spreading the Good News to the whole of creation. It is now, that the Holy Spirit influences and guides the Apostles, and every Christian to do the work God asks of us, to live out our vocation by following Jesus’ commission to teach His Good News to the whole world.
At our confirmation, after our baptism, we were sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. We received this gift just as the Apostles did, but it is up to us to open the wrapping and make use of it. The Apostles made use of their reception of this gift, if they didn’t, if they kept that gift to themselves, then we would not be here today. The Good News of Salvation and entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven has been transmitted from one person to another through the centuries. The torch has been passed to each of us in this day, and age. To those who have received the Gift of the Holy Spirit, our job, our commission, our duty is to mimic the example of Jesus Christ and of His Apostles, our job is to share that gift with everyone we meet.
If we stay true to the gift-giver, if our thirst is continually for Him, if we continually make use of our gift, then our hearts will overflow with the source of life, and those waters will touch everyone we meet. Jesus said, “If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” We cannot give what we do not have, we cannot adhere to Jesus’ commands, if we do not thirst for Him. But when we come to Jesus, and drink deeply of His living water, read diligently His word, follow closely His commands, and pray to Him in secret, then from our hearts will flow rivers of living water that will quench the thirst of everyone we meet. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, to guide us to be Jesus’ hands and feet, so that through us, He can continue to build up the Kingdom of Heaven.

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