Acts 2:1-11; Ps. 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34; 1 Cor. 12:3b-7, 12-13; Jn. 20:19-23
“If only the Spirit of God dwells in you” then we are alive because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ who brought death to sin in the flesh. Are we alive in the Spirit? Surely in baptism we received the gift of the Holy Spirit and were confirmed in the same Spirit in Confirmation. If alive in the Spirit, then sin cannot reign in our life for good and evil cannot share in the one body. Temptation to do good or evil can enter the mind but the Spirit of love has one choice to follow. Yet we are a sinful people in need of redemption called to return to the Lord through the sacrament of confession. How is it for us to be in the Spirit and not fully there yet? Called to be perfect the stain of sin can also rise again by our free will and enter to ruin the soul.
“If only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” Here lays the human dilemma to take up our cross and follow him in our suffering. Such was the faith of the early church Fathers and martyrs to suffer and die for their faith in the risen Lord. Such is our calling to accept that which we cannot change and make it an offering to the Lord. Suffering does not come from the Lord as Jesus gave witness to bring healing to the suffering. Suffering is from the world where disease, violence, hate, evil, and tragedy enter and the evil one waits to see if we will weaken in faith and pounce upon the souls of the vulnerable. It is in offering our suffering up that we become glorified in him.
If only we believe willing to follow all that we have been commanded and keep his word out of fire of our love for him. Fear is not to be the source of obedience to the law of God but love is. Love is a relationship of knowledge where we come to know the three persons in one God and desire to be united to God doing his will out of love for him. This is the sign of faith when we proclaim we believe we also follow our proclamation with the right action under the law of love for God. If we say we believe only to follow our own way we only deceive ourselves. And what about following our conscience? Conscience is always associated with unity of thinking “con” meaning “with” someone. Who is our thinking united to? Is it with God, our friends, the norms of the world? Our thinking is not our invention it is our alliance to something or someone?
If only we can say “Jesus is Lord” to receive his spiritual gifts. We say it in word and deed coming from the spiritual gifts, baptized and united to the one body of Christ. “There are different kinds of gifts…different forms of service…different workings but the same God”. Do we recognize the gift(s) we have received and practice the service that God is working through us? We are to be aware of the Holy Spirit at work in us and through us bearing fruit for the kingdom of God. Otherwise, we may be like those who Jesus described as saying “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy…drive out demons…do mighty deeds in your name? Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never know you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’” (Mt. 7:22-23) Lesson learned, doing the will of the Father is not “window dressing”, looking the part and going through the motions of being called “Christian”. Doing the will of the Father is a conversion into his very likeness.
If only we were doing the will of the Father, then the words Jesus spoke “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” would be fulfilled. To the disciples who he instituted as the priesthood “he breathed on them and said to them ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” The gift to act in the person of Christ and forgive sins was given as a primordial commandment to the disciples with the Holy Spirit. This came after the institution of the Eucharist when he said to the disciples at the Last Supper “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” (Lk. 22:19). These foundation stones of the church in the body of Christ are what many followers who say “Lord, Lord” have left behind.
Many may say “if only I can pick and choose at will and still be saved” but that is not doing the will of the Father. God said to Moses, say that “I Am has sent me to you.” Am I living the “I Am” that is doing the will of the Father? Is the Father in me and I in the Father as Jesus was in the Father and the Father in him? The Holy Spirit comes as the Advocate that we may know he is in us and we are in him doing his will.
Did you know that the words “I am” appears over 300 times in the Bible from Genesis to Revelations? Jesus made seven profound “I am” statements “I am the bread of life…I am the light of the world…I am the gate…I am the Good Shepherd…I am the resurrection and the life…I am the way, the truth, and the life…I am the true vine” (google search). In what way am I now able to claim I am living the gifts of the Holy Spirit by doing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy? This is not a mystery but a divine revelation given to us to follow.
If only we would “fear not” to do the will of the Father. Did you know the words “Fear not” appear in the Bible 365 times” (google search)? Essentially one for every day of the year, we are to fear not answering the call to holiness. When we fear not, we walk in faith. Where does our faith lie? It lies in the mind of Christ being outward focused. Where does our fear lie? It lies in our mind being inward focused. The more we focus away from ourself we put fears to rest in the hands of God and go forth.
“If only” implies not there yet. We cannot get there on our own but the Advocate is given to transform us from a people of waiting upon the Lord to receiving the Lord and acting upon the Lord. Let us eliminate the “ifs” in our lives and stay focused on “only”. Only in God we trust. Only in the gifts of the Holy Spirit does the fire of love come to know and serve our God. Only in Jesus Christ and his seven “I am” proclamations does salvation come to us. Only I can accept salvation by going from the fear of “am I?” to the transformation into “I am” a child of God come to do his will. Peace be with you. And with your Spirit. As the Father has sent us Jesus, Jesus now sends us forth. Amen.
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