The Holy Spirit is the “life force” of the Church
This Wednesday is our 8th Grade Graduation at our parish school, St. Joseph-St. Roberts. Our parish family extends congratulations to those graduating from our school as well as all of our graduates from College, High School, 8th Grade, and most importantly of all, Kindergarten! May the Holy Spirit, through the intercession of St.
Joseph, continue to guide you and always keep you in God’s Grace and in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Jesus is so good to us and loves us so much. We are so blessed to belong to Him! He continues to pour out so many beautiful gifts upon us. This weekend we celebrate, in a special way, the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the “life force” of the Church and so the life force of all faithful Christians. When the work which the Father gave the Son to do on earth was accomplished, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in order that He might continually sanctify the Church, and thus, all those who believe would have access through Christ in one Spirit to the Father. He is the Spirit of Life, a fountain of water springing up to life eternal.
To men, dead in sin, the Father gives life through Him, until, in Christ, He brings to life their mortal bodies. The Spirit dwells in the Church and in the hearts of the faithful, as in a temple. In them He prays on their behalf and bears witness to the fact that they are adopted sons. The Church, which the Spirit guides in way of all truth and which He unified in communion and in works of ministry, He both equips and directs with hierarchical and charismatic gifts and adorns with His fruits.
By the power of the Gospel He makes the Church keep the freshness of youth. Uninterruptedly He renews it and leads it to perfect union with its Spouse. The Spirit and the Bride both say to Jesus, the Lord, “Come!” Thus, the Church has been seen as “a people made one with the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Lumen Gentium, Second Vatican Council).
The Holy Spirit enters our hearts with our Baptism and remains with us as long as we remain in a state of Grace. The Holy Spirit then fills us with the Fruits of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25.
These beautiful gifts allow us to do the work of Jesus for the Glory of God and the Salvation of Souls: “I am the true vine,* and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes* so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. (John 15: 1-5)
Most wonderfully, these beautiful fruits of the Holy Spirit cannot be robbed by anyone or anything outside of us. Yet, we sadly can rob ourselves of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit by falling from a state of Grace. If the damned were asked: Why are you in Hell? They would answer: For having resisted the Holy Spirit. And if the saints were asked, Why are you in Heaven? They would answer: For having listened to the Holy Spirit (St. John Vianney).
Thankfully, even if we fall from a state of Grace, Jesus loves us so much that He is ready to restore us to a state of Grace, and return the Fruits of the Holy Spirit to us, in the Sacrament of Confession. We can hear those beautiful words of Jesus welcoming us into the Confessional: Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light (Matthew 11: 28-30).
So let us continue to rejoice in all of God’s Good Gifts to us, most especially let us give Him thanksgiving and praise for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Let us continue to storm Heaven with our Rosaries and Chaplets for each other, for our first responders, for the sick, for the dying, for the Poor Souls, for our graduates, for our children and grandchildren, and most especially let us storm Heaven and ask for an increase in the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and our lives.
Come, Holy Spirit. Spirit of truth, you are the reward of the saints, the comforter of souls, light in the darkness, riches to the poor, treasure to lovers, food for the hungry, comfort to those who are wandering; to sum up, you are the one in whom all treasures are contained. Come! As you descended upon Mary that the Word might become flesh, work in us through grace as you worked in her through nature and grace. Come! Food of every chaste thought, fountain of all mercy, sum of all purity. Come! Consume in us whatever prevents us from being consumed in you.” (St. Mary Magdalene de Pazz)
St. Joseph, Patron of the Church, and our Patron, pray for us.
Fr. Michael J Pawelko, Pastor