May 18, 2020
Paulist Fr. Rich Andre preached this homily for the 6th Sunday of Easter Sunday on May 17, 2020 at St. Austin Parish in Austin, TX. The homily is based on the day’s readings: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; Psalm 66; 1 Peter 3:15-18; and John 14:15-21.
As we enter the last few weeks of the Easter season, our focus begins to shift away from Jesus’ Resurrection towards the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is mentioned in all three readings this week, at daily Mass the next three days, on the next three Sundays, and – as a special bonus in this lectionary year – on four weekends in July and August in our readings from Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
So, today, and through at least August 9, the Church offers us an invitation: can we try to expand our understanding of the Holy Spirit? Can we visualize the Spirit in new ways? If we don’t regularly pray to the Spirit, can we give it a try? Can we strive to have an ongoing, deepening relationship with the Spirit?
Even when we struggle to form the words to pray, the Holy Spirit communicates on our behalf to our merciful God.
Lord Jesus, you commended your Spirit into the Father’s hands. Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you continue to reveal yourself to us today. Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you will continue to send us your Spirit. Lord, have mercy.
On the night before he died, Jesus spoke repeatedly about the Holy Spirit. The word that Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit was the Greek word paracletos, which is translated here as “Advocate.” Well, what is a paraclete? Or better: who is a paraclete? The Greek word can mean several different things. A paraclete can be someone who encourages, uplifts, or refreshens; someone who consoles or comforts, or someone who intercedes on the behalf of others at court.
From the context of his farewell discourse at the Last Supper, it seems as if Jesus intends all of these meanings for the word paraclete. “If the world hates you, the one whom I am sending will testify on your behalf.” “Do not let your hearts be troubled. I am sending someone who will comfort and console you.” “You will rejoice, because I am sending someone who will refresh you, encourage you, and uplift you.” Jesus makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is not some cold, intellectual concept. God has given us each the grace to build a warm, intimate, personalized relationship with the Holy Spirit!
So, who is the Holy Spirit for each of us? That’s the question that I suggest we each wrestle with – individually and collectively – as we spend time this summer with Scripture passages about the Holy Spirit. Again, the question is: Who is the Holy Spirit to me?
Let’s start with the peculiarities of language. The word for “spirit” is feminine in Hebrew, neuter in Greek, and masculine in Latin. Unlike those languages, English does not assign gender to its nouns. It’s perfectly OK to refer to the Holy Spirit as he, she, or it.
Who is the Holy Spirit? He dwells within us. She is the irresistible love that exists between the Father and the Son. It is the force that allows all believers to access God, regardless of time or place.
This month is the 16-year anniversary of the first spiritual retreat I ever made, back when I was a confused engineer feeling called to the priesthood, but having no idea how to move forward. Thanks to the guidance of a spiritual director, May 11 through 19 of 2004 became the most remarkable days of my spiritual life so far. Over those 8 days, I began to befriend the Holy Spirit. She has become the animator of my prayer life, the guide who helps me continue to discover who God calls me to be. She has encouraged me to take risks, risks that have helped me to grow and thrive, risks that have led me to the Paulist Fathers. She has led me from the mundane life of the flesh into the exhilarating life of the Spirit!
Maybe that sounds a little weird to you. A bit too “woo woo” or “New Age.” How can we have an intimate relationship with a Spirit, with someone some of us still call “the Holy Ghost”? Let’s remember that Isaac Hecker, the founder of the Paulists, was both an upholder of Church orthodoxy and one of the mystics most in touch with the Holy Spirit, and he came to understand the Holy Spirit partially through the time he spent living at a Transcendentalist commune.
I think some of us have over-separated the three persons of God. We emphasize the differences among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, rather than emphasizing their unity. Jesus himself called the Holy Spirit “another Paraclete,” meaning that our relationship with the Spirit should have a lot in common with our relationship with Jesus Christ, the first paraclete.
Now that this crazy semester of online learning is coming to a close, let me give us a different kind of assignment for this upcoming week. This week, let’s try praying with the Holy Spirit. (Notice that I’m using the preposition “with,” not “to.” This is a relationship, not an online delivery service!) Let’s try imagining the Spirit with a different gender than we usually do. In our prayer with the Spirit, we collaborate, we join our energies, we follow the Spirit’s lead as we join in the dance. When we pray with the Holy Spirit about other people, perhaps the Spirit will give them – or us! – the inspiration to find new solutions to their problems, or new insights into the ongoing challenges they face.
Let’s pray with the Holy Spirit about people going through major transitions during this pandemic. Let’s pray with the Spirit for those graduates facing an uncertain future. Let’s pray with the Spirit for those who have lost a loved one or a job due to the coronavirus. Let’s pray with the Spirit for people who live in impoverished parts of the world and our country who must endure this pandemic with less resources than we have. Let’s pray with the Spirit for Paulist transitional deacon Paolo Puccini, who will be joining the St. Austin staff and getting ordained to the priesthood right here at St. Austin this summer. Let’s pray with the Spirit for the parishioners and staff of St. Austin Catholic School and St. Austin Catholic Parish as our development project continues to move forward.
How about if we make this a two-week assignment, praying the wonderful Novena to the Holy Spirit that Paulist Associate Paula Cuozzo designed last year? For nine days starting this Friday, using quotations from Scripture and the writings of Isaac Hecker, the novena will help us to pray with the Holy Spirit about our individual spiritual gifts.
What can we accomplish through the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Let’s look at what Philip accomplished in Samaria in our first reading today. Crowds paid attention, demons were vanquished, paralyzed people were cured, and there was great joy in the city. As Jesus promised us in last week’s gospel, “whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these.”
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and renew the face of the earth!