The Holy Spirit! Finally we come to celebrate this great solemnity honoring the Holy Spirit of God. We complete the great 50 days of Easter. We have celebrated 7 weeks to show that the Spirit is the perfect completion of all that happened to Jesus in His death and resurrection.
My Dear Brothers and sisters to understand the role of the Spirit in our life we have to start with Jesus himself. The Spirit had a big role to play in his life. The Spirit descended on him at his baptism, revealing him as the Father’s beloved Son. At his baptism he also received power from on high for the mission he was about to begin. The Spirit was not just given for a moment; the Spirit remained with him throughout his public ministry.
Jesus said: ‘The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favor
What a beautiful mission. Jesus was filled with the Spirit, and power went out from him through his gracious words and compassionate deeds.
It was the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. It was the Spirit who opened the minds of his disciples and helped them to understand the meaning of his death. When he was raised up to glory at the right hand of the Father, Jesus poured out the Spirit on those who were to carry on his mission.
The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they began their mission. And we see the great courage and confidence with which they did so.
My Dear Sisters and Brothers
And the same Spirit descends on us at our Baptism and Confirmation. The Spirit is not given for a moment but accompanies us on our journey in the footsteps of Jesus. The Spirit gives us power to participate in the work of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is our strength in times of weakness, our guide in times of doubt, our consoler in times of sadness, our advocate who always pleads our cause. We can’t take even one step without the Spirit.
In The sacrament of confirmation we received gifts of the Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. Wisdom, understanding, and counsel guide our mind and assist our conscience in knowing right from wrong. Fortitude enables us to do the right thing even when it is difficult or unpopular. Fear of the Lord is really awe and reverence for God.
My Dear Brothers and sisters, if we live in the Spirit, that Spirit brings us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are beautiful things, and make our life joyful.