Thursday of the Second Week of Easter

posted in: Easter, Homilies | 0

Today’s readings

In these Easter days, the Scriptures begin to speak to us about the gift of the Holy Spirit. This gift is not rationed, as Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel reading. This gift is empowering and renewing and, according to the Psalmist, de-marginalizing.

We all know the kind of men the Apostles were. Yet now, given the gift of the Holy Spirit, they have been transformed completely. Cowardice has been replaced by something very close to bravado. Ineffectuality has been replaced by miracle work. Hiding has been replaced by boldness fired by the truth. In a sense, they have been resurrected in these Easter days. They are new creations because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

This is the gift that Jesus wants for us in these Easter days too. He wants us to know a complete transformation by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Having done penance and emptied ourselves of that which isn’t godly during Lent, we now have the grace of that Spirit to transform our lives, our hearts, and our desires during Easter.  Whatever it is that is lacking in us will be completely transformed in the Spirit so that we too can boldly proclaim the wonderful works of our God.

That transformation happens little by little as we put ourselves in the presence of our God. We can do that in so many ways: taking quiet time for prayer, spending time with our Lord in adoration, reading Scripture for a few minutes each day, reaching out to others in prayerful service; all of these help us to be transformed in the Spirit. That’s how we can come to know how wonderful are the gifts that the Spirit is longing to bestow upon us, and how much they will transform us.

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!

Alleluia!