May 14, 2023, Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year A)
When we speak about God, without realizing it, we usually discuss God, the Father or Jesus, the Son of God. Somehow we tend to ignore the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, who the Nicene Creed tells us proceeds from both the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is just that, a Spirit. Therefore, we have no way of picturing the Spirit. The Father we usually visualize as an older man, and we have ideas of Jesus in the Gospels from those who knew him when he walked the earth. But the Spirit has no picture for us to visualize. However, we do have a lot of metaphors that we use for picturing the Spirit – a Dove, Fire, Oil, Wind and Water. Although somewhat underestimated we see how important the Holy Spirit is in the readings for today.
In the First Reading we hear that Philip went to the city of Samaria (Acts 8:5-8, 14-17). The Samaritans were enemies of the Jews from the time of the Assyrian War (722BC) when the Assyrians turned their populace into one of many nationalities. However, Philip was drawn to Samaria in order to proclaim Christ to them. Although they were enemies, the Samaritans welcomed Philip warmly because of the signs he was doing – exorcisms and healing the crippled.
The Apostles in Jerusalem were thrilled to hear of the warm welcome Philip received from the Samaritans so they sent Peter and John down to pray for them. The Samaritans had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus for reconciliation and the forgiveness of sins, but they had not yet received the Holy Spirit. Peter and John, having been blessed with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, proceeded to baptize the Samaritans with the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. These Samaritans were now full-fledged members of the Church.
In the Gospel (Jn. 14:15-21) Jesus is speaking to the disciples. He tells them, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (Jn. 14:15). Jesus also tells them that if they keep his commandments he will ask the Father to send another Advocate, a supporter whom the world cannot accept because they neither see nor know him. This Advocate, or helper, is known to the disciples although they don’t realize it, because he is one with Jesus and the Father. Through the Spirit, Jesus will remain with the disciples.
Because of the support of the Holy Spirit the apostles were able to do wondrous deeds. Luke 24:53 says that “the disciples stayed continually at the Temple praising God after receiving the Spirit on Pentecost.” Then they went on to begin their ministries. They baptized hundreds of Jews after Pentecost.
We can see some of the many miracles they performed in the Book of Acts, especially Peter and Paul. Peter healed many cripples. He healed a lame man on the way into the Temple. He also healed a man who had been paralyzed, Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years. Peter even raised someone from the dead. Her name was Tabitha and Peter answered the request of all of the mourning onlookers to perform this cure.
Peter also worked in tandem with the Holy Spirit by being released from jail with the help of an angel. And when Cornelius and his family, who were Gentiles, asked Peter to come and dine with them, he did so and thus brought Gentiles into the Church by relaxing the food laws and baptizing by the Holy Spirit.
Paul also had his fair share of interaction with the Spirit. After he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and became blind by the bright light, his blindness was cured by a man named Ananias. After he was baptized with the Holy Spirit. He went from being a persecutor of Christians to one of the greatest Christians of the early Church.
He also performed many miracles with the aid of the Holy Spirit. He healed a cripple in Lystra. He exorcised a spirit of divination out of a young girl. He healed multitudes in Corinth and baptized many people in Ephesus who had been baptized by John the Baptist and then followed with the baptism of the Holy Spirit by Paul. He also raised a boy from the dead. A certain young man who had fallen out of an upper window in Troas while watching Paul down below. Finally, he healed the father of a man named Publius and others in Malta.
One cannot help but be amazed at the accomplishments and wondrous deeds of the apostles. They established the early Christian Church, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, which still exists and thrives today. We, too, are blessed to receive the Holy Spirit through the Sacraments, especially Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. But it is up to us to decide what to do with this blessing. We can let it just stay stagnant or we can use it to help build up our church by welcoming new members and setting an example of living holy and Christian lives. We should never let the blessings of the Holy Spirit lay dormant in us. We should share with others the unique blessings given to each and every one of us through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.
