Peentecost Sunday (C)

 Pentecost Sunday Year C [Jn 20:19-23]

23.05.2022

Jesus Breathes His Spirit in the Apostles

Readings: (1) Acts 2:1-11 (2) 1 Cor 12:3-7.12-13

1.    Theme in brief:

Gift of new life and mission of peace and reconciliation

2.    Focus Statement:  

The Risen Lord breathes his Spirit of new life upon us and sends us to carry forward his mission of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation with a new zeal and vigour.

3.    Explanation of the text

According to today’s gospel text, on the evening of “the first day of the week” (20:19), that is, on first Easter Sunday, Jesus fulfils his promise of giving his disciples “another Advocate” besides himself (14:16) by breathing on them his life-giving Spirit (19:22). The symbolism of “breathing” on them indicates that the Holy Spirit is the Risen Lord’s own breath or life. Just as God had breathed into the nostrils of the first man (Adam) the breath of life, and he had become a living being (Gen 2:7), so also Jesus breathes on his disciples in a similar fashion and says: “Receive the Holy Spirit” (20:22). By giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit in the form of breath, he makes them a new creation or imparts new life (zeal and vigour) to them. This new creation also symbolizes the creation or birth of a new community of believers, i.e. the Church.

The gesture of breathing on them may also refer to prophet Ezekiel’s vision of a valley full of dry bones. The Lord asked the prophet to prophesy to those dry bones that he would cause breath to enter in them and they would live (37:1-14). The apostles were now like dry bones – lifeless and locked up for fear of the Jewish authorities (20:19). Like Prophet Ezekiel, Jesus caused his breath or life (Holy Spirit) to enter into the lifeless dry bones and they began to live (Ez 37:9, 14). The Holy Spirit regenerates or rejuvenates them in such a way that they emerge from their hideouts to become courageous witnesses of the Lord. 

The Risen Lord’s twice repeated salutation of peace (20:19, 21) is also a gift that is closely associated with the Holy Spirit. He gives his Spirit to remain in the Church for ever so that he might motivate her for her mission to build up peace and harmony in the world. Peace in this context does not mean quietness or mere absence of war; it involves all-round well-being, wholeness, harmony and building up of human relationships. In the OT, peace is closely associated with the blessing of God and salvation to be brought by the Messiah. Here probably John wants to tell his readers, with the outpouring of the Risen Lord’s Spirit, the messianic hopes are fulfilled.

Further, the Holy Spirit also is closely associated with the mission of Christ. By breathing his Spirit on them, he empowers them to come out of their locked doors and fears so that they can carry out his mission. Just as the Father had sent Jesus (20:21), he sends them to continue his work. They were locked in, now they are sent out. The mission of the Father is the mission of the Son, which is also the mission of the Church. Though the concept of mission is common in all the gospels, in John’s gospel, it is closely associated with main theme, namely to share God’s own divine or eternal life, light and truth with others; to dispel darkness of sin and death; and to lay down our lives in humble and sacrificial service for others. 

    A further aspect of the mission of the Church is emphasized in today’s text – to forgive sins of any so that she may proclaim the forgiving love of God and carry forward his ministry of reconciliation (20:23).

4.    Application to life                      

Today we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost [in Greek ‘fiftieth’ day after Easter] on which the Spirit of the Living God descended on Mary and the twelve apostles in an intense manner in the form of a mighty wind and tongues of fire according to the first reading taken from Acts of the Apostles (2:1-4). But according to today’s gospel taken from John, the Risen Lord, who himself was filled with the Spirit, imparted the first fruit of the Holy Spirit to the apostles on the evening of Resurrection Day itself by breathing on them with these words: “Receive the Holy Sprit” (20:22). The Holy Spirit is the breath of God (or Jesus) who breathes new life or fullness of life into us, making us a new creation, so that we may share that life with others. The Risen Lord continues to breathe his Spirit into us even today. He empowers us with the same Spirit to come out of our locked doors and fears (as the apostles came out of their hideouts) so that we could be sent out for a mission – a mission of peace, forgiveness, liberation and reconciliation.

Many of us have a poor understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit in our personal life. He is mostly presented to us in an impersonal manner through biblical symbols such as dove, fire, water, breath or wind. In my pastoral field here, when I ask children (teenagers) preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation whether the Holy Spirit is really a dove, that is, a bird, all of them firmly say: “Yes”. When I ask them whether he has wings and feathers exactly like a bird, they answer with great gusto: “Yes”. When I ask them whether we can kill that dove and prepare a nice dish or curry, they just keep quiet and stare at me in utter confusion. We are not taught from childhood to develop a personal devotion to the Holy Spirit and consider him as another intimate friend (besides Jesus) who is always at our side to guide, defend and renew/ re-create/ regenerate us. We are taught to sing, “What a friend we have in Jesus,” but never taught to sing or pray: “What a friend we have in the Holy Spirit.” In spite of the efforts of Charismatic Retreats, he still remains an Unknown God to be remembered only when we begin a meeting/ retreat/ seminar/ novena, and when we celebrate feasts like this one, Pentecost. Yes, the Holy Spirit, though an invisible power, can be experienced as an intimate friend if we develop sensitivity to his presence and consciously cultivate a close friendship with him and increase it through a passion for him. But it does not happen automatically because you have heard about the Holy Spirit in catechism and sermons or undergone a theological course on him.

Based on today’s gospel, how can we develop a friendship with the Holy Spirit? His role as the Breath or Life of God (or Jesus) is presented to us symbolically in today’s Gospel in terms of one of the most common but absolutely essential activities of human body, that is, breathing. Hence the Spirit of God is in every breath we take. The activity of breathing takes place in us even when we are not conscious of it. To become aware of it, we need to quietly sit in a place and breathe in and breathe out as we concentrate on the tip of our nose. Similarly, we need to become conscious of the Spirit’s presence by invoking him as we breathe in and breathe out: “Come, Holy Spirit; you are the Giver of New Life; you are the Giver of God’s own life; you are the Giver of Divine Life. Infuse that life into me and renew me; re-create me; regenerate me.” (In fact, this is what the symbol of breath implies.) Regeneration in this context means imparting a new nature, God's own nature or divine nature. All of us are born with a nature perverted by sin. The Spirit gives us the power to rise above our natural inclination to evil, selfishness, negativity, narrow-mindedness and despair. We need his power not to cling to present status quo always by strongly resisting any change, and slip into a life of routine and lethargy.

Though the Holy Spirit is an invisible power, his presence and action can be experienced by the result of his work, just like wind or storm can be felt by the shaking of trees, flying of dust, its blowing sound, etc. To recognize his work or action we need to look at what happens to us, to others, to the world around us with the eyes of faith. Suppose we observe people who take a lot of initiatives to bring about a change in themselves, in others, in their surroundings or society; show a lot of creativity in their work; are able to overcome their lethargy; show a burning zeal for the mission of Christ; then in faith we must ask, from where does this come? For a firm believer in the re-creative and re-generative power of the Holy Spirit, it is sign of his powerful presence and action. Because it is written here, the Holy Spirit will not re-create us automatically. We need to consciously invoke him, call him to our side as a friend and request him to make us more creative and enthusiastic in service and promotion of life. We experience the ‘breath’ of the Spirit blowing in us whenever we hunger for real life and move from coldness, indifference and mere physical existence, to lively and proactive approach to life. Whenever we have a passion (= a strong feeling/ sense/ commitment) for life and its meaning/value, we begin to promote the fullness of life under the influence of the Life-Giver (Holy Spirit).

We have a tendency within us to go through all the religious practices such as daily prayers, Holy Mass, novenas, and rituals without allowing our faith to bring about change in our attitudes, prejudices, life-style, and the way we imitate the corrupt practices of the world. Is this not a sign of living a lifeless life? We have to invoke the power of the Holy Spirit today to mould us and melt our stubborn resistance to his power to shake us up. At baptism, we too received the breath of the Risen Lord, that is, his Spirit that made us a new creation. In spite of that we become like dry bones (of Ezekiel’s prophecy) lacking zeal, vitality and creativity in our Christian commitment. Suppose we ‘faithfully’ and blindly carry on what is handed down or bequeathed to us by our ancestors or predecessors without showing any creativity and vitality in our service to the family or society, how can we say that the Holy Spirit is active in us? When we shut our minds against new ideas and avenues, we block the Spirit of new creation. When we are unwilling to read the signs of the times and resist any renewal and adaptation of our faith to the changed conditions, we just shut out the Holy Spirit or block his entry into our hearts. Today we must open our hearts to the Risen Lord and beg him to breathe his Spirit into us and renew and re-create us, so that like Adam we may become really LIVING BEINGS.

Just as the gift of the Spirit was given to the disciples to empower them for their mission, the Lord continues to send us today with the empowerment of his Spirit to continue his mission – to share his peace where it is broken, to reconcile where there is disharmony, to breathe a fresh life where there is no life (where people sit in the shadow of death), to dispel the darkness of sin and to spend our life in humble service for others. Peace is both a gift and a task. We are given this gift by the Risen Lord not only to experience it in our hearts but also to engage in a peace-building mission – a mission that makes whole what is broken into pieces. Forgiveness of others’ sins is the key to peace-building mission. There is a link between peace and ‘not retaining the sins’ (20:23) of others in our hearts. When we retain the sins of others instead of forgiving them, we grieve the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts. Retaining or holding on the sins of others in our hearts is like allowing a wound or a sore to remain untreated. Healing takes place only when we let go, instead of holding on to the hurts caused by others. In a world which is so much wounded by hatred, violence and divisions, forgiveness and reconciliation – and through them building up peace – is a mission which the Church cannot afford to forget for the sake of her own relevance in the world. Let us ask ourselves whether in our families, neighbourhood and communities we are known as peacemakers or peace-breakers.

Peace and reconciliation are very much related to building unity in the midst of diversity, plurality and multiplicity prevalent in our globalized world. By overemphasizing those things which make us different from others and never relishing or highlighting what is common among all humans, we bring division and fragmentation; thus grieve the Spirit of Unity. Unity is not uniformity – forcing and expecting everybody else to think, act, behave, dress up, eat and greet exactly as we do, and to follow our cultural pattern. When we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit, we begin to appreciate the richness of variety and diversity among people. The differences among humans are not a source of conflict, but are like various colours that are moulded into a single rainbow. The Holy Spirit inspires and energizes us to develop this kind of ‘rainbow spirituality’ in multi-religious and multi-cultural situations in our globalized world today. Do we respect appreciate differences among us?

5.    Response to God's Word

Are we satisfied with mere physical existence or do we hunger for real life? What makes us lively and what makes us cold? Do so many people have to please us? Am I a difficult person to please? What are the signs of indifference and coldness in me? Do we grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30) by spreading hatred, bitterness, division and unforgiving attitudes? Do we quench the Spirit (1 Thess 5:19) by not yielding to his inspiration; and resist the Spirit (Acts 7:51) by stubbornly holding on to our own ways and blocking any change? Is there creativity and zeal in our service? Are we known as peacemakers or peace-breakers? What are the ideas and attitudes we do not want to change, though outdated?

6.    A Prayer

Come O Creator Spirit blest. O Fount of Life and Fire of Love, blow into us the breath of new and fresh life. Unlock the doors of our minds and hearts to go out of ourselves to build bridges of forgiveness and reconciliation. Stir us up from coldness and indifference so that we can serve with creativity and zeal. Our world and the Church are wounded by divisions. Transform us to work for reconciliation and forgiveness, thus breaking down the walls of division. Blow, blow, blow where you will and bend what is stiff in us. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Ascension of Our Lord (C)

 Ascension of Our Lord Year C [Lk 24:46-53]

29.05.2022

The Final Exhortation and Ascension of Jesus

Readings: (1) Acts 1:1-11 (2) Eph 1:17-23

1.  Theme in brief

     Bearing witness to the Ascended Lord

2.  Focus Statement

Empowered by the Holy Spirit we are called to make the Ascended Lord present in the world by proclaiming repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name to all nations; and also by our witness to him.

3.  Explanation of the text

Today’s gospel text begins with the last instructions given by the Risen Lord to his disciples before his Ascension, according to Luke’s gospel. At that time, he once again opens (enlightens) their minds to understand (1) the inevitability of the suffering, cross and death of the Messiah (24:46), (2) the reality of his resurrection on the third day, and (3) the urgency to proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations (24:46-47). Earlier they were commissioned to heal the sick, cast out demons and preach about the Kingdom of God (Lk 9:1-2). Now, in addition, they are commissioned to proclaim the necessity of repentance or undergoing a change of heart to enter into God’s Kingdom and accepting God’s universal offer of forgiveness. Jesus insists that  the suffering of the Messiah and his rising from the dead through suffering and cross were a part of God’s plan – a plan he made to save sinners out of his boundless love (24:46).  Therefore, instead of remaining glued to locked rooms out of fear, they must joyfully proclaim the good news of salvation to all nations.

They are given the responsibility of bearing witness to all that Jesus has said and done (24:48). A witness is somebody who sincerely tells what he has seen and heard. They are to give witness to what they have experienced in Christ and proclaim that personal and social transformation is possible through the practice of gospel-values and the forgiving love of God is now made available to anyone who repents for one’s sins. In order to carry out this responsibility he promises them to send what the Father had promised – a “clothing with power from on high” (24:49). In Acts 1:8, Luke makes it clear that this power from on high is the Holy Spirit. They are asked to wait in Jerusalem until they receive this gift without which they will not be able to do their mission effectively.

At the end, Jesus leads his disciples out as far as Bethany and blesses them with his uplifted hands (24:50) just as Jacob had blessed his sons before his death. As he blesses them they worship him (24:52) and after returning to Jerusalem continue to praise God in the temple with great joy (24:53). Probably Luke wants to tell his readers that the ascended Lord who has entered the realm of heaven continues to bless his disciples and bless their mission. His uplifted arms of blessing could also be an indication of handing over his mission to his disciples and the assurance of his guidance in carrying it out. Or it is probable that Luke wants to tell his readers that blessings of God are closely related to worship. When one experiences God’s manifold blessings, one’s response is to worship God because of them; and when one worships God, one becomes worthy of further blessings. Anyway, Luke’s gospel begins with worship by a priest named Zechariah (1:8ff) and concludes with worship of his disciples – both in the temple of Jerusalem, the centre of Jewish religion. Their joy comes from the fact that the heavenly blessings of the ascended Lord are with them and they are going to be empowered with the Holy Spirit.

Finally a day comes when Jesus’ physical appearances after his resurrection cease and he “withdraws from them” as he is “carried up into heaven” (24:51). Jesus of Nazareth who became the Risen Christ now finally becomes the Ascended Lord of heaven. With the end of physical appearances begins a worldwide mission of joyfully proclaiming the message of salvation to “all nations beginning from Jerusalem” (24:47), but extending to the “ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Since the Risen Lord has now ascended into heaven and is physically absent (withdrawn from them, 24:51), the disciples now need to make him present in the world in two ways: (1) by proclaiming repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name to all nations (24:47), and (2) by bearing witness to him until his return in glory (24:48).

4.  Application to life

The feast of Ascension invites us to fix our gaze both on heaven and on earth. Heaven is the symbol of our hope (of reaching where Jesus is) and earth is the sphere of our witness to the Risen Lord. Ascension of the Lord was a moment in the life of the apostles when the Risen Lord’s appearances to them ceased. It was both an end and a beginning for his disciples. It was the end of his physical presence and the beginning of another type of presence with them through their witnessing. Thus, this feast tells us not about the end but about the beginning of a worldwide mission and joyful proclamation of the good news of salvation. Before taking leave of them, Jesus commissioned them to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Today’s feast invites us to focus our attention to the mission entrusted to us and to be faithful to it. It is also a reminder to see whether we allow the values of the gospel to reach the ends of the earth through our witnes or keep them confined to our own ‘Jerusalem’ – church, home, community, kinship and friendship circle.

Since the Risen Lord has withdrawn his physical presence in the world now, we are called to make him present by calling all people to conversion and by giving witness to his gospel-values. But before beginning our universal mission, just as he asked the disciples to wait for power from on high, that is, for empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we too are called to seek the power of the Holy Spirit to fulfil our mission. Hence, before witnessing to Christ we are to seek the power of the Holy Spirit, through prayer and worship we get the needed spiritual energy to do our mission. We are called to tell people that a change of heart is essential and is possible by the power of the Risen Lord and his all-pervading Spirit.  We should be convinced that the gospel has the power to liberate and transform people from the fetters of sin, oppression, injustice and unrest and the power to heal and restore.

The greatest proof of the resurrection and the reality of the work of the Holy Spirit is the transformation that took place in the apostles. If anybody is promised a huge mansion, plenty of wealth or property and a lot of money, anybody would not mind taking the risk for preaching the gospel as the apostles did. But imagine what they got! They, who were locked up for fear of the Jewish authorities, were willing to be flogged, jailed and killed. It is because of this missionary zeal that emerged out of a total transformation of their life we are here today. The most difficult thing is anybody’s life is to change one’s attitudes, ways and deeply rooted habits, or be converted from sinful life to a new life.

It is true that the gospel of Christ has the seeds of change in it; not only to change persons but also a society’s social patterns that dehumanize us. Like a leaven it can influence the human society and accept what is good and worthy in local cultures and purify what is bad, unjust, unhealthy and unworthy in them. We need to examine ourselves and see what needs to be changed in us and whether we strongly desire a change. Secondly, we need to contemplate how we can use the power of the gospel to transform / purify our society from sin / evil / unjust structures / dehumanizing system.

Our next mission is to bear joyful witness to forgiveness of sins, peace, reconciliation of divisions, brotherhood/ sisterhood among us until Christ returns in glory. We are called to build up human societies where peace and reconciliation rule. Though our world is a mixture of both good and evil, as humans, we experience the bite of evil much more than good. In a world which is so much divided or fragmented we are called to be messengers of God’s merciful and forgiving love. Instead of witnessing to this forgiving love and God’s desire to reconcile the world to himself, if our Church projects the image of a divided community, we become a counter-witness and fail in the mission handed over by the Lord before his Ascension. This may make the world think that Jesus is gone forever and is not present among us, and ‘‘what these Christians believe and practise is a set of mere superstitions.’’

The Ascension of Jesus is understood in theology as a sort of reward given to him by the Father for his faithfulness to his mission. It gives us the hope that we too will receive the same reward if we remain faithful to the mission entrusted to us. The question is whether we are faithful. Jesus’ ascension is a proof that he has conquered every enemy and that he reigns supremely “far above all rule and authority” (Eph 1:21). He has gone before us to prepare a dwelling place for us (Jn 14:2) and will come again to take us to himself so that we may be where he is, that is, in heaven (Jn 14:3). Now we should be convinced that nothing – neither death nor life – can separate us from the love of Christ (Rom 8:38-39). Today, the Church reminds us that we are like pilgrims marching to our heavenly home after completing our earthly mission. As it is written in the Scriptures, after going through suffering on earth, we are going to reach where Christ is (i.e. in the glory of God the Father). This hope supports us when we find it difficult to face our sufferings and hardships. Just as Christ opened the minds of his disciples to understand the inevitability of the cross and suffering to experience glory, today he once again motivates us not to bypass crosses in our life or believe in short-cut methods to attain glory. We should be convinced that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory to come (Rom 8:18). 

The feast of Ascension is a feast of great hope to which we have been called, as St. Paul says (Eph 1:18). We are destined to be with God where Jesus is, to live in an everlasting union with God. Now we should be convinced that our real country or homeland is heaven (Heb 11:16; Phil 3:20) and learn to look beyond the present passing world. Christian hope is the virtue by which we desire heavenly kingdom and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on God’s grace. This kind of hope is the anchor which helps us cope with life’s trials, sufferings, disappointments, frustrations and tensions. This is the hope which gives us the energy to cope with life under trying and frustrating situations. This hope also helps us to consider the impermanence of everything on this earth. It makes us realize the foolishness of attaching excessive importance to worldly possessions or worldly affairs, and of putting our full trust in them. Instead, we need to put our trust in God who alone is our security. This feast makes us realize that this life is a preparation for our final destiny to reach where Christ is. Hence, we have to wage a continuous war against evil and ungodly ways, and always be prepared to meet the Lord whenever he calls us.

There are enough life-denying forces in our world today to poison hope such as abortion (especially selective abortion of the female foetus), euthanasia, irresponsible propagation of violence, crime and sex through the mass media, communal riots, terrorist activities, violation of human rights and injustice done to God’s creation by greedy overexploitation of the nature. We radiate rays of hope by standing against all these life-threatening forces until at last we find fulfillment of our hope in Christ who has triumphed over all the anti-life forces by his Ascension. Our modern society promotes self-centredness so much and teaches us to place complete confidence in one’s own wealth, power, status, success and achievement to gain happiness in life, instead of trusting in God. This kind of attitude generates a lot of hopelessness when many people are not able to attain these ‘promises’ advocated by the modern world, and when there is nothing else to hold on beyond these things.

5.  Response to God's Word

Do we often project a sense of hopelessness all around us? Is our talk often centred around only negative and pessimistic aspects of life? Do we cooperate with life-denying forces that poison hope? Do we attach excessive importance to worldly possession as if they are everything for us? Do we bear witness to the power of the gospel to transform individuals as well as human society? Do we promote reconciliation among people, or become counter-witnesses by promoting divisions?  Like the apostles, does our encounter with the Risen Lord in liturgical worship and prayer, renew and revive our missionary spirit?

6.  A Prayer

O Risen and Glorified Lord, you alone are our hope. We firmly believe that our ultimate security is in you alone. We also believe when we face difficulties in our witnessing mission, your blessing and the supporting power of the Holy Spirit will accompany us. Grant that our unwavering hope in you may support us when we find it difficult to face our sufferings and hardships. May our hope in you help us to cope with life’s struggles and pains. Grant that we may bear joyful witness to forgiveness of sins, peace among us, reconciliation of divisions and service to the needy until you return in glory one day. For the Kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

Sixth Sunday of Easter (C)

 Sixth Sunday of Easter Year C [Jn 14:23-29]

22.05.2022

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

Readings: (1) Acts 15:1-2.22-29 (2) Rev 21:10-14.22-23

1. Theme in brief

     The promise and the role of the Holy Spirit

2.  Focus Statement

The Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus to his disciples, is our Advocate who stands by our side and defends us, who reminds us of Jesus’ teachings and dispenses the Risen Lord’s gift of peace.

3.   Explanation of the text

Jesus’ parting message to his disciples which is found in today’s gospel reading, needs to be understood in the context of his imminent departure from this world (14:28), that is, his crucifixion and death. He prepares his disciples to face this shocking event. He offers them consolation and hope that those who keep his word out of love for him will experience the joy of a close union with him and the Father expressed in terms of both making their home (dwelling) in the disciples’ hearts (14:23). He reassures them that they will not be left alone like orphans (Jn 14:18). He promises to remain with them “for ever” (Jn 14:16) through the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in his name (14:26). Hence, the Holy Spirit will be with them in his place. Though his physical separation from them is a matter of great sorrow for them, instead of letting their hearts be troubled and fearful, they should rejoice because he will return to the Father who is greater than him (14:28).

Jesus calls the Holy Spirit ‘the Paraclete' (‘Parakletos’ in Greek) – a legal term from the court which is translated in various ways: Advocate, Comforter, Counsellor or Helper. Just like the work of an advocate for his client in a court, the Holy Spirit is going to defend the disciples, to stand by their side and fight on their behalf (14:26). But other translations of this word also indicate various roles of the Holy Spirit: As Counsellor he gives the disciples the required counsel; as Helper he helps them in times of trouble, distress or attack from their spiritual and temporal enemies; and as Comforter he comforts them in their afflictions.

Before he leaves, Jesus gives the disciples his parting gift of peace that will enable them to overcome their distress and fear (14:27-28). Peace means all-round well-being, fullness of life, harmony, fellowship and actively going out of oneself to build up human relationships or communities. In many of our languages, the word "peace" has a passive meaning. It implies an absence of any war or fight, conflict, disturbance and hostilities. It also connotes freedom from any strife or threat to oneself or to one’s family/ society/ country. The biblical concept of peace is more active. It means "to be complete or whole" or "to live well." Hence, it implies wholeness of life or health, right relationship or harmony between two parties, or an invocation of blessing on somebody that the person may enjoy good health and prosperity.

In addition, today’s text mentions about another role of the Holy Spirit:  to instruct or teach and to remind the disciples of everything that Jesus has taught them (14:26). Hence, the Holy Spirit stands beside them not only to defend them but also to guide them in his ways as their Teacher. The Holy Spirit does not add anything to what Christ has said. He makes them remember what Christ has said and understand its meaning, implication and significance for the present times. This instruction or teaching role of the Holy Spirit consists precisely of understanding the new meaning, implication and application of Jesus’ once-for-all revelation.

Jesus says that the world cannot give the type of peace which he gives (14:27), because it does not mean simply absence of trouble, war or conflict. Two nations of the world can only decide to end war (cease fire), but cannot bring about repentance, conversion, forgiveness, reconciliation of hearts and re-establishment of broken relationships.

4. Application to life

How wonderful is the assurance given to us by Jesus that he would never abandon us like orphans. We are fortunate enough to have another friend besides Jesus. He is the Holy Spirit, our Advocate or companion who stands by our side and defends us against the onslaught of ungodly ways and the on-going secularization of our hearts, minds, families and even religious communities. As the Divine Helper, what kind of help does the Holy Spirit give us? Just like a lawyer who defends his client against an opponent and guides that person during the trial, so also the Holy Spirit helps us to face the trials, temptations and adversities we need to struggle against in this life. There are so many currents in the world, which run against the spirit of the Gospel. There are problems for which we have no solution. There is a tremendous social pressure or peer pressure on us to do or say something which we do not like heart of hearts. In the midst of confusion, discouragement, frustration and dilemma, the Holy Spirit stands by us and defends us against the onslaught of these worldly currents and pressures. He comforts, counsels and guides us to take the right direction and make the right choice.

The Holy Spirit’s role of teaching and reminding us of Christ’s words works in this manner: When we are about to make a wrong decision or choice, or about to do something wrong, the Holy Spirit suddenly brings to our mind the words of the Gospel or its new interpretation given by Christ’s ministers in their teaching or preaching. We are suddenly reminded of a biblical verse, or a wise advice given by our parents/ teachers/ preachers that prevents us from taking a wrong path. But this does not happen automatically or because we have heard about it in this talk. Since Jesus became a human being and was born as a baby, it becomes easier for us to relate when we sing, “What a friend we have in Jesus.” Probably we might have found it difficult to relate to the Holy Sprit personally if ever there would have been a song: “What a friend we have in the Holy Spirit.”

The reason for this could be we know the Holy Spirit mostly under an impersonal symbol such as a “dove” depicted in churches and religious literature. We only sing hymns about him in worship and prayer, especially when we begin a meeting/ conference/retreat/ new task. Otherwise he remains a ‘distant or impersonal God’ whose advocacy (backing) we are deprived of. Therefore, apart from theoretical knowledge of the Holy Spirit, we need to develop the habit of considering the Holy Spirit as our closest friend and invoke him in faith to come and stand by our side. We have to do this consciously when we feel that we are going astray or drifting away from the teachings of Christ. Just like clients involved in a court case call an advocate to their side, we too must in faith call the Holy Spirit to our side, and plead with him to fight our battle when we are faced with problems and troubles of life.

Besides the gift of the Holy Spirit, peace is another greatest parting gift given by the Risen Lord to us. There is a close connection between peace and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dispenses the gift of Jesus’ peace by standing at our side as a constant companion by calming down our disturbed minds. As Jesus has told us in Jn 16:14, the Holy Spirit takes what is from Jesus (that is, peace) and gives it to his disciples. What kind of peace does Jesus offer? We already saw that the peace of Christ is more than the absence of trouble or war. Jesus offers the peace which conquers our troubles, fears and over-anxieties with the strength of our faith. 

Our hearts are often troubled by pestilences and pandemics, misfortunes, suffering, failure, betrayal of friends and loved ones, tensions, worries, sudden death of our dear ones, etc. The kind of peace given by Jesus gives comfort for troubled hearts or disturbed minds and courage in the midst of fear. It is the peace that enables us to remain calm in spite of troubles. Sorrow and suffering may hurt us but cannot take away the peace from us because it is unrelated to what happens to us externally. External circumstances cannot rob us of the peace he offers. Of course, it is important to understand that this type of peace cannot be attained by those who are not at peace with God.

According to the Bible, God alone is the source of peace. Peace involves a right relationship with God that results in right relationship with neighbours cultivated by building bridges of reconciliation and harmony. Since biblical understanding of peace is not passive but active, it is not enough to merely wish peace or to pray for peace. If we are constantly attuned to the promptings of the Spirit, we shall be motivated to actively go out of ourselves to build up human relationships or communities. Inspired by the Spirit, we should not seek to solve conflicts by merely adhering to what the rules or laws say, but go beyond it by trying to bring about conversion, forgiveness, reconciliation of hearts and re-establishment of broken relationships.

Trust in God, faith in his promises and obedience to his word lead us to peace and safety in God's presence.  Trust in God involves our firm conviction that whatever happens to us is within God’s knowledge and he is in control of our life and its future. There is nothing in heaven or on earth that he cannot handle. Trust does not mean believing in God only when things go according our plan and wish and when things go contrary to it losing our trust in him. Trust involves entrusting all our fears, anxieties and worries into his hands and choosing to live by faith rather than by sight. It also means choosing God as our Master and not permitting worries and anxieties to be our masters. It is our firm faith that God is always faithful to his promises and is always with us even if we go through the worst valley of darkness. Lack of trust in God and his promises increases our anxieties and fears. Peace does not come when our sole focus is on our problems; it comes when we take our attention away from our troubles and problems and focus it on God. In the midst of our anxieties, if we do not take time to focus on God who says, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10), how can we experience his peace?

Secondly, the peace of the world has some strings attached it; it is conditional and fragile. It lasts as long as the conditions are kept by both the warring parties; otherwise it breaks. For example, when two neighbours fight over the exact boundary of each other’s land, they may come together and agree to cultivate their crop only up to the boundary marked by them. If one of them goes back on his promise and violates the agreement again fight will begin; peace is broken. This thing happens not only in villages but even in international agreements. Jesus gives peace that comes from reconciliation of broken hearts.

Thirdly, though peace is a gift from Jesus, it is also a task laid on our shoulders. It is our responsibility to work for peace and justice. Without justice there can be no peace. We cannot remain passive spectators (since biblical peace is active) when there is so much injustice in the world. Even the value of non-violence does not mean passively tolerating all types of violence. Violence needs to be resisted and not tolerated, but always in nonviolent ways. We need the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit to know how and by which means we can do this. Today, through this message, the Spirit of Jesus prompts us to be faithful to our mission of peacemaking or peace-building. In his Beatitudes, Jesus calls peacemakers blessed because they will be called children of God (Mt 5:9). The world is so much in need of peace; not only in terms of cessation of war and hostilities among nations or civil wars within the nations, but also in terms of but also in terms of undergoing a conversion to actively engage in peace-building measures.

But the process of peacemaking is not limited to nations or their governments alone. In fact, peace begins in human hearts and must begin at home. Parents have a tremendous responsibility to sow the seeds of the value of peace in their children’s hearts by teaching them to give up violent and aggressive tendencies and work towards cooperation and mutual respect of our differences. Instead of keeping glued to TV and fiddling on mobile phones even while eating family meals, family members need to interact with one another and exchange views on building mutual cooperation and understanding. If the Church  presents the image of very sharp divisions and fragmentation, how can she claim to possess the Spirit of the Risen Christ?

5. Response to God's Word

Do we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit when we do not understand the meaning of many shocking events in our lives? Do we believe in His power and invoke Him in faith and request Him to stand by our side, especially when our hearts are troubled due to tensions and problems of life? Do we actively seek and work for peace in our society? Are we known as peace-makers or peace-breakers?

6. A Prayer

Risen Lord, you alone are our Peace. As you promised, send on us the Holy Spirit from the Father, as our constant companion to stand by our side and defend us against the onslaught of corrupt ways of the world. Through the Holy Spirit remind us and bring to our memory the words of the Gospel when we feel that we are going astray or drifting away from your teachings. Through your Spirit continue to comfort, counsel and guide us especially when we are troubled by confusion, discouragement, frustration and dilemma. Amen.