Why not?
There’s a story from the Desert Fathers that I love… And the story goes like this:
One day Abba Lot came to Abba Joseph and said: Father, as much as I am able, I keep my little rule, and my little fast, my prayer, meditation and contemplative silence; and, according as I am able, I strive to cleanse my heart of thoughts: now what more should I do? The elder rose up in reply and stretched out his hands to heaven, and his fingers became like ten lamps of fire. He said: Why not become fire?
Why not become all fire?! Why not let God burn us up completely? Why not be completely transformed?
Today, on the last day of the Easter season, we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. Most of us here have already received the Holy Spirit. We were washed by the waters of Baptism, and at that moment the Holy Spirit entered into you and then you were given a candle with the light of Christ from the Paschal Candle. This light symbolizes the fire of the Holy Spirit that is already burning in us.
Just like fire, the Holy Spirit also transforms everything it touches into itself, into the divine life of God. The Holy Spirit we received, transforms us into sons and daughters of the divine and living God. In the Creed we say each week at Mass, we profess that the Holy Spirit is the Lord and giver of Life. Through the Holy Spirit we have been gathered into the family of God.
St. Cyril of Alexandria wrote: “All of us who have received one and the same Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit, are in a sense blended together with one another and with God. For if Christ, together with the Father's and his own Spirit, comes to dwell in each of us, though we are many, still the Spirit is one and undivided. He binds together the spirits of each and every one of us, ... and makes all appear as one in him. For just as the power of Christ's sacred flesh unites those in whom it dwells into one body, I think that in the same way the one and undivided Spirit of God, who dwells in all, leads all into spiritual unity.”
It is the Holy Spirit that makes us one body, united in one Church.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us:
“The Church, a communion living in the faith of the apostles which she transmits, is the place where we know the Holy Spirit: in the Scriptures he inspired; in the Tradition, to which the Church Fathers are always timely witnesses; in the Church's Magisterium, which he assists; in the sacramental liturgy, through its words and symbols, in which the Holy Spirit puts us into communion with Christ;
in prayer, wherein he intercedes for us; in the charisms and ministries by which the Church is built up; in the signs of apostolic and missionary life; in the witness of saints through whom he manifests his holiness and continues the work of salvation.” (CCC 688)
Where do we encounter the third person of the trinity? In the Church, the Scriptures, Tradition, Magisterium, liturgy, communion, prayer, charisms, ministries, missionary life, the holiness of the Saints.
The Holy Spirit is the glue that keeps us together as Church, He is the Soul of the Mystical Body of Christ, He is the electrifying power that animates everything we do, and most importantly, he wants to burn powerfully in YOU and ME… “Why not become all fire?!”
Jesus said, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Lk 12:49)
Brothers and sisters, How many times have we come to Mass, and the Holy Spirit comes down upon this altar, and Christ becomes present in the Eucharist and He is given to you and me in communion, and we receive Him… but we don’t do anything with Him. We don’t let Him to change us. We don’t let His fire burn in our souls. We don’t give Him permission to do his work in us. And we go about our day or our week as if we didn’t just receive the living God in us!
There is one detail about Pentecost that I find both beautiful and helpful. Acts chapter 1 records: “They returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away; and when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.”
Mary, our blessed Mother, was with the disciples in the upper room when the Holy Spirit came down upon them. At the center of the early Christians was Mary as both model and guide supporting the apostles in prayer. Why? Because Mary already had a relationship with the Holy Spirit. She knew what it was like to receive the Holy Spirit and allow Him to work in Her.
From that faithful day when the angel declared, “Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you.” And he gave her the mission of being the Mother of God… when she asked How was this possible, the angel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…” To which she responded: “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, Be it done to me according to your word…”
Mary’s presence at Pentecost was not a coincidence. As mother of the Church, she shows the way to respond to Holy Spirit. Each one of us are called to be like Mary…
“I have come to set the earth on fire, [Jesus said,] and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Lk 12:49)
Why not become all fire?!
At this time I want to invite you to pray with me for the Holy Spirit: to be poured out anew upon our parish and to set us on fire with his love…
Come Holy Spirit…
Behold I am the servant of the Lord, Be it done to me according to your word. Amen.
