Homily – Deacon Joe Oberting June 8, 2025 – Pentecost - Year C - Sun10 (+ Adult Confirmations) R1: Acts 2:1-11 When the time of Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. Psalm 104 “Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.” R2: 1Corintians 12:3b-7,12-13 No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. Gospel: John 20:29-30, 31, 34 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked….

Brothers and sisters, today is Pentecost. The coming of the Holy Spirit. The third Person of the Trinity. ‘Come, Holy Spirit!’ He is here, although we cannot see him. He moves through us, though we don’t literally feel him. Before this day arrived in history, Jesus spoke of the Spirit in various ways: “One will come after me…the Advocate”, We have been baptized in the name, the Holy Name(s), of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Today, at this Mass, these adults here present will be Confirmed - will receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

Amen! We are happy for you, for although you are already Christian, in that you were baptized, today you go deeper with your faith. This can be a scary step, for you do not know what the Spirit has in store for you. But we have assurance from Christ that He was sent by the Father, and that the Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. This is the fullness of God - of Trinity. The Spirit comes as a “strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.”

We can picture this happening. We know what a ‘strong driving wind’ sounds like. The next image is “tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.” This reminds me of the Easter Vigil, where the fire is blessed, and the paschal candle is lit - and then shared among everyone present - the flame is parted and shared. In the Exsultet, the sung prayer that praises the holy candle and gives us a visible sign of the invisible God - “But now we know the praises of this pillar, which glowing fire ignites for God’s honor, a fire into many flames divided, yet never dimmed by sharing of its light.” May each of you never be dimmed by sharing of the light bestowed upon you. With the Spirit comes gifts and fruits.

We are not to remain where we are, or what we were, before receiving the sacrament. For God sends us. All of us. He commissions us to announce the Good 1 News - in many varied ways. He asks that we be open to Him. Let your hearts be open. I said earlier that we don’t literally feel His presence, but he is there. We may look back on certain moments of our lives and ponder - maybe that was the Holy Spirit acting in or through me or someone else. Maybe. Be open. Here are the fruits of the Holy Spirit; fruits of the Holy Spirit come from Galatians Ch. 5:22: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Paul tells us today, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit, there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.” We each have our own vision of what it means when we hear “patience” or “faithfulness”. We are each of us unique creations of God, who have been bestowed free will. We are free to choose to accept him, or reject him. If we accept him, he wants all of our hearts, not just a portion.

If we give back, freely, we will receive back abundantly. At every Mass we will recite our Creed, stating verbally what we believe as Catholic Christians. Here is what we say about the Holy Spirit: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.” Sometimes, our belief can wane, can grow dry, weary, or seem empty. For those times - be open.

Pray. “Lord, help me in my unbelief.” We give priority to not whether, but when will we go to Mass each and every weekend. We sacrifice a small portion of our weekend. For what? For life! To receive and to live life abundantly. We once again turn back to God and pray.

We worship the Giver of life. (pause) We don’t know what God has in store for us for the rest of our lives. We are not meant to know - but to live it, experience it, and to grow. “Peace be with you”, says Jesus. Peace be with you. Go in confidence and peace. Do not be afraid. Oh, it won’t be easy. You will struggle. ‘But know that I am with you until the end of the age.’ I have your back. I made you. I love you more than you know. 2 Peace be with you.