Homily for Pentecost Sunday

I’ve been around long enough to remember the TV show Perry Mason starring Raymond Burr in the lead role. Now Perry Mason was a great defense lawyer who, through the miracle of TV, never lost a case. His clients were always found innocent. And more remarkable, he always figured out who the real guilty party was!!! You could say he was a great advocate for his clients.

Now I hope none of us has ever had to have a defense attorney. But, if so, I trust they too were a great advocate.  All of us have had advocates in our lives; from our parents, teachers, mentors, school counselors, perhaps even social workers or other various professionals. In fact, society today encourages us to rely on many different advocates to improve our quality of life.

As people of faith, do we rely on “the” Advocate? Do we trust in the Holy Spirit?

On this Pentecost Sunday, the end of our Easter season and the birthday of the Church, we hear the account from Acts when the Holy Spirit comes to the Apostles and other followers of Jesus. And what a grand entrance He makes!!! We hear such vivid descriptive passages as “suddenly a noise like a strong driving wind” and “tongues as of fire”. Truly Jesus is delivering on His promises. He promised the sending of “another Advocate” and told his followers “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you”.

And what happens with this power? What happens when these followers receive the Holy Spirit? They become bold and courageously proclaim the Good News. Now filled with the power of the Advocate and the gifts of the Holy Spirit they too become premier defense attorneys. And like our example of Perry Mason, this Advocate, the Holy Spirit, emboldens the apostles and disciples to not only declare Jesus innocent of any sin but identify the guilty as well. Jesus took on the sins of the guilty and died for us. But he was not guilty of sin. The author of sin, the devil, is the guilty party. And the Holy Spirit gives us the courage to not only accept this truth, but to boldly proclaim this truth. We can look to St. Paul, in today’s letter to the church in Corinth, who proclaims that even declaring “Jesus is Lord” can only be done with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit.

I mentioned earlier that Jesus promised “another Advocate”. We hear Jesus declare in the Gospel of John that “it is better for you that I go, for if I do not go, the Advocate will not come. But if I go, I will send him to you.” Is Jesus saying to us that the other Advocate, the Holy Spirit is more necessary than himself, the Son of God and the original Advocate? Not really. When Jesus was on the earth, whoever “sees Him sees the Father”. But now Jesus has ascended to the Father and sits at his right hand so he left us the promise of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not take on flesh; his presence is not visible. He is not confined by time and space.  But the Holy Spirit is with us, he gives us strength and emboldens us here in this life while Jesus is interceding for us at the Father's right hand.  What does this mean to you and me today?

It means the Holy Spirit of the early church, the Holy Spirit we learn of from the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit of that first Pentecost, is the same Holy Spirit working in our lives right now, today. The same Holy Spirit we know from times past is the same Holy Spirit called down at this and every Mass as the bread and wine become the Body & Blood of Jesus, this same Holy Spirit is alive and working in each of us today.  This is the same Holy Spirit who is with us in the Sacraments, most especially in Baptism and Confirmation.  In fact we are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit when the Bishop lays hands on us at our Confirmation.  So we confidently proclaim Come Holy Spirit!!!

So we are challenged in this week ahead to be more mindful of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Just this week, I would like to propose a little homework. Take time every evening this week and read a chapter or two from the Acts of the Apostles. This truly can be called the Gospel of the Holy Spirit. And review the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit. They can most easily be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1831.  They are wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord!   Finally, add the prayer to the Holy Spirit to your daily prayer routine. And when you pray: “Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful”, say instead come Holy Spirit fill MY heart; use your name. And when you pray: kindle in us the fire of your love, say instead kindle in me, the fire of your love, again use your name. Get comfortable with the realization that you and I can have an intimate personal relationship with the Holy Spirit just as we are comfortable with our intimate personal relationship with Jesus!!!

As we prepare to enter with the Holy Spirit into the liturgy of the Eucharist let us again recall the unique role as Advocate, comforter and helper the Holy Spirit plays in our lives. Yes, Perry Mason was a great advocate on TV, but the Holy Spirit is our true Advocate today, tomorrow and forever. Come Holy Spirit and kindle in me the fire of your love