"Do you want to have God always in your mind? Be just as he made you to be. Do not go seeking another “you”. Do not make yourself otherwise than he made you. Then you will always have God in mind." St. Anthony of Padua

How can we find God, who made us in his own image and likeness with our unique identity, if we are not satisfied with ourselves and seek to be other than who we have been called to be?  God knows me to be whom he has created. He doesn't know me as someone else. When we embrace our true identity in Christ, then we will be better able to see the Christ within ourselves. We are who we are by the grace and will of God. With all our faults and failures, he knows us as the one he has created and called to himself by name. Seek to perfect that person, not some fixation of yourself. 

 "Turn your worry into prayer and your fear into faith. What you can't control, give to God." Pope Leo XIV

Easier said than doing it. Yet, what is our option? Be controlled by worry, anxiety and fear or surrender to the Lord? Though the worry, anxiety and fear may linger to re-ensnare us, turning to the Lord and focusing out attention on him in prayer, faith and surrender brings a freedom. The father of lies offers us enslavement and darkness. The Father of truth offers us shared life with him.  It is our choice. Either we choose, with the given grace, the truth and live freely or we choose in the flesh the lie and live in depression, anxiety and fear.

 "Do not worry over things that generate preoccupation and anxiety. One thing only is necessary: to lift up your spirt and love God.:" St. Padre Pio

When Jesus had dinner in the house of Lazarus, Mary sat at his feet and listened. Martha busied herself with preparing and providing the meal. Upset that Mary was not helping her. Jesus' response was that Mary has chosen the better part. What Martha was doing was good. What Mary was doing was better. How often we fret over things that are not consequential, rather than focus on things that draw us to God. Paul reminds us to dismiss all anxieties and turn our focus to God. Life is too short for us to waste on the non essentials. What matters is what pertains to God.

 "Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips and the world in your heart" St. Ignatius of Antioch

A true disciple of Jesus Christ makes him the Lord of his life and words. Many people profess to be Christian, but are so only in name and because of baptism. However, their lives are no different than those who do not profess Jesus. They are more concerned with the things of the world than of things pertaining to the Lord and eternal salvation. If Jesus is the Lord of our lives in fact and deed then everything is second place in our lives. Our allegiance is to Jesus and not to the world. There is no straddling on the fence between the two. If we do, then we are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. Jesus will reject us. A true disciple is all in no matter the consequences. If Jesus is first in our hearts, then he will be on our lips.

 As the Feast of Pentecost is the birth of the Church, so the Monday after this feast is that of Mary, Mother of the Church. At the foot of the cross, Mary became both the spiritual Mother of each of Jesus' disciples and the Mother of the Church. How blessed are we to have such a person to walk with us as a individual and to walk with the Church as an entity. After the Ascension, Mary was with the Apostles and others praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, Mary was with the Apostles and others when the Spirit was poured forth upon them. As individuals and as a body of believers, we should seek her intercession and her protection, as we discern our journey to the fullness of glory with God.  Mary, Mother of the Church be with us and guide us to your Son!

 The Gift of Healing was an important ministry of Jesus and the Apostles and  has been for the Church down through the centuries. At the heart of this gift is the presence of expectant faith. It is God who heals. But how often Jesus would say, "Be healed according to your faith"? In his humanity, Jesus stepped out in faith when he saw a need or when asked to heal. But did the recipient or those asking also believed? Some healing will not be immediate or be known immediately. Sometimes, what the person thinks is the important need is not what God wants to heal. Each of us is given this Gift to pray for the healing of others. We are  only  instruments for the power of God to be manifested. In praying for the healing of someone, we pray always for the will of God to be done. Be not afraid to pray for the sick in the name of Jesus. Leave the results to God.

 The Gift of Tongues is expressed in two ways. One as prayer between the person and God. The other as a prophetic message to the community. The first needs no interpretation. The second, since it is a word to the community needs to be interpreted, not translated. Our God manifests himself in a variety of ways. Sometimes, he reveals his message to us directly through a prophetic word. At other times, h alerts us to his revealed message through the Gift of Tongues. This is evident in the Scriptures in St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians. Who are we to question God. We are called to be open to whatever way God wishes to reveal his plan and purpose. When a  prophetic word is spoken out loud in tongues, we need to ask God to give the gift of interpretation to someone. In any case, we need to be open to God to all his gifts, so that in all things he may be glorified.

 Homily Solemnity of Pentecost 

Reading 1: Something has happened to the disciples prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit. Their relationship with Jesus had changed. The initial encounter with Jesus was no longer the most important or that which made the significant difference in their lives. That initial encounter and the subsequent encounters were foundational but not necessarily lasting. They knew Jesus on their terms. They followed Jesus conditionally, as long as things went well and did not cost them. But when Jesus tested the strength of their commitment, they failed the test.

It was the encounter with the Risen Christ that solidified their relationship and enabled them to receive the outpouring of the Spirit. As a result, they were changed. Not just interiorly but exteriorly as well. No longer afraid, they were courageous. No longer afraid of the reactions of others, they yielded to the lead of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost for them was the fulfillment of the promises made by Jesus to baptize them in the Holy Spirit with power. For ten days after Jesus’ ascension, they prayed, recalled their life-experience as disciples under Jesus. They repented of their sins. They waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit as Jesus had told them. Now, on Pentecost, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began proclaiming God’s mighty deeds in various tongues. From fearful men, they were transformed into zealot witnesses for Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Gospel: In hearing again, today, the Easter appearance of Jesus to the Apostles, the Church is helping us to see the connection of Pentecost with Easter.  On Easter Jesus encounters them, not as the man from Nazareth, not as prophet, teacher or healer. That relationship with Jesus is no longer sufficient. He is the Risen Savior and Lord, the Son of God, True God and True Man. It is this new encounter which seals his relationship with the disciples.

Extending his peace was to validate his forgiveness of their unbelief and their human reaction to his death on the cross. His commission is straightforward. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”  As the Father had sent Jesus to proclaim and to witness, to evangelize and teach with signs and wonders as his credentials, so Jesus was sending the disciples to do the same.  As Jesus, at his baptism, received a fresh release of the power of the Holy Spirit, so he imparts to them that same gift.

What John is teaching us in his Gospel is that the Pascal Mystery, begun in the Incarnation of the Son of God as Man, culminated in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. To believe in the Resurrection of Jesus entails openness to the presence, plan and power of the Holy Spirit. To live fully in the resurrected life of Jesus in the present moment is to be open and respond to the gift of the Holy Spirit and his lead in our lives.

Reading 2: Jesus is Lord. The greater Jesus is the Lord of our lives in fact, the greater openness we will have to the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. The Lordship of Jesus is at the heart of our call to be holy and to grow in holiness, which can only be done in the Holy Spirit.

The Lordship of Jesus leads one to step out of the comfort zone of life into the waters of trust in the words of Jesus, acting in his name. The Lordship of Jesus brings us into community with one another. The bond of that unity is the Holy Spirit. To be of one mind and one heart can only take place if Jesus is our Lord and if we are living in the Sprit.

 One of the Gifts of the Spirit that is misunderstood and avoided is the Gift of Tongues. The purpose of this gift is two-fold, personal edification and a  prophetic word for others. We are limited in our vocabulary in regards to praising and thanking God. The Gift of Tongues enables us praise God without limitation to our human vocabulary. It is the prayer of a child that trusts in the love of the parent, even when it can only utter child's babble. The heart of the parent knows the heart of the child. So God knows our heart as we praise him in our own language and in tongues. St. Paul talks about this in Romans 8:26-27. St. Paul himself desired that all would pray in tongues as he did.  What may sound foolish is the way that God invites us to a deeper relationship with him. Humble yourself before the Lord as a child and be a fool for Christ. 

 Feast of Pentecost: Gospel 

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." 

· That Jesus appeared on the first day of the week is one of the basis for our celebration of the Lord’s Day on Sunday, the first day, in contrast to the Jewish Sabbath which is the seventh day.

· The theology in the Gospel of John the Evangelist has a different focus than the other three Gospels. For him it is important to connect the central mysteries of the Paschal Mystery. These are: institution of the Eucharist (the Last Supper/Holy Thursday), the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus (Good Friday/Easter), the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

·    That the doors were closed and yet Jesus appeared in bodily form shows that the resurrected body is different from the ordinary human body. It has the same qualities but not limited by space and time.

· Why do you think Jesus initiates his Easter appearance to the Apostles with the greeting of Peace and ends with the forgiveness of sins? If you had denied the Lord, fled in fear, abandoned him at the time of his greatest need for support, would you be initially excited at his return or would you be expecting a strong reprimand or rejection? Anticipating this fear, Jesus reassures them of his forgiveness and love. How often have we experienced the same fear but received instead Jesus’ loving mercy and forgiveness?

·    Peace comes as a result of something else: relationship with Jesus. The greater the relationship, the greater is the peace. What is your relationship with Jesus at this point? What was it a year ago?

             The peace Jesus gives them is the grace of repentance and salvation.            

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. 

· They probably thought they were seeing a ghost. Jesus had to reassure them that he was truly risen and alive. How often has God had to reassure us on our journey?

· It was his suffering and death that has freed them of their sins and has brought them true reconciliation and peace with God.

· Though risen, the marks on his body remain visible so that they know it is the same Jesus.  He will carry these brand marks into heaven to be with him forever.

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 

· Look up the Great Commission in Mt 28:18-20, or Mk 16:15-18.

· What Jesus said to the Apostles, he says to each of us. How have we fulfilled this in our lives so far?

· Have we personalized and accepted this commission of Jesus?

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

· One of the symbols of the Holy Spirit is that of breath. As God in the first creation breathed the breath of life into Adam and Eve, so now in the second creation Jesus breathes the life of the Spirit into the Apostles.

· You have been confirmed and empowered with the same gift of the Holy Spirit. To what extent are we conscious of the presence and lead of the Spirit in our daily lives?

Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

· Though God has forgiven our sins, do we still hold on to them by not forgiving ourselves? Do we still hold others in bondage by not asking their forgiveness and forgiving them?

· How do you apply this Gospel message to your life today?

 There is the Gift of Knowledge for our sanctification and there is the Gift of Word of Knowledge for the service of others. When Jesus was in conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus had a Word of Knowledge about her marital situation. What the Spirit revealed to Jesus was not a word of judgment but a word of confirmation  to what was stirring in her heart. The proof of the Word of Knowledge lies in the other person. We are only called to be the messenger of the Lord to the person. Not every thought is of the Lord. It must be tested, but not stifled. Be open to the move of the Spirit and learn what is of God and what is not. Be not afraid to speak the Word given you.

 There is the Gift of Wisdom for sanctification and the Gift of Word of Wisdom for ministry of service. The first is for us; to second, for another. There are times we are talking to someone, when a thought comes to fore, which we had not previously thought of. It is an insight for the other person. It is a word that will give the other a deeper understanding of a question they are dealing with. Sometimes, we may tend to dismiss the thought. However, as strange as it may seem to say, ask God to give you a peace and then share it with the other person. Let the other person confirm if it is something that helps him/her on not. We are only instruments of God's word. We can be an open vessel or a closed valve. Trust in the Lord. Step out in faith and let God do the rest.

 Besides the Gifts of the Spirit for Sanctification, there are the Charismatic Gifts for service and the building up of the Body of Christ. This is the area, I believe, is lacking in our catechesis for Confirmation. Yet, the Second Vatican Council taught that the hierarchical and charismatic gifts are like the two lungs of the Church. These gifts are listed both by Paul and Peter in their Letters. One of these gifts is faith. Faith, as a theological virtue, enables us to believe in the truths of revelation. Faith, as a spiritual gift, enables us to act on the impulse of the Holy Spirit. This is the faith that Jesus told the Apostles that if they had, they could move mountains. This is the faith that Peter acted on when he told the paralyzed man in the name of Jesus to stand up and walk. This gift of faith is from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit inspires us to act and we step out in faith and do. God's power is manifested.  Pray that you be open and responsive to the stirring of the Spirit, so God's glory can be revealed.

Homily Solemnity of the Ascension

Reading 1: The author, Luke, begins by referring to his first book, which we know as the Gospel of Luke. The focus of the Gospel was all that Jesus did and taught until the Ascension. The Acts begin with the same event, the Ascension, and the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit to guide the Apostles and the Church. Luke connects the Ascension with Jesus’ resurrection and the coming of the Spirit.

Then on the day of his ascension, Jesus gave the Apostles their final and foundational mandate. “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” The Apostles still did not fully understand what Jesus was saying. So he further explained to them. “When the Holy Spirit comes you will receive power and you will be my witnesses throughout the world.”

How important is being baptized with the Holy Spirit, receiving his anointing power? Significant enough for this to be the last statement Jesus makes to the Apostles before he returns to the Father.

It reflects Jesus’ personal experience in his life as the God-Man. After his public commitment to the Father in being baptized, accepting his mission as Savior of the world, the Father confirmed Jesus’ yes and poured upon him the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit with signs and wonders as his credentials.

So now, the Apostles are to go forth to witness the message of salvation through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus with the coming of the Holy Spirit, but also with the second coming of Jesus at the end of time

Gospel: In the first reading we heard Luke’s account of the Ascension of Jesus as found in the Acts of the Apostles. Now, we hear of his account in the Gospel narrative. Jesus first reminds them of what had been written in the Old Testament about the Messiah. He must suffer, die, and rise on the third day. He came to call people to repentance, so that through his death and resurrection sins are forgiven. This is the message they are to witness and preach.

And again, as he said at the Last Supper, Jesus reminds them of the coming of the Holy Spirit who will come upon them, anoint them and empower them. Then he departs from them. They returned to Jerusalem joyfully going to the Temple to praise God.

What is the difference between this scene and that of Jesus’ pre-resurrection appearance on Easter? On Easter they were hiding behind closed doors in the Upper Room, fearful for their lives and ashamed of their lack of courage. Now, having seen and been in the risen Lord’s presence for forty days, they are changed men. They are no longer afraid for their lives but waiting expectedly for the coming of the Holy Spirit. They are eager to witness the Good News of salvation in the power of the Holy Spirit. The risen Jesus has changed their lives. They had many encounters with Jesus but the one that sealed their relationship and their conviction and resolve to be his witnesses was encountering the risen Lord, who is True God and True Man.

Reading 2: Three main ideas are given to us. First, the initial part of the reading says “Christ…entered heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf.” The second, Jesus’ first coming was to take away sin. But he will “appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.” Third, because of Jesus we now can approach the throne of God with confidence, for we have been washed by the blood of the Lamb. God’s promises are true.

It was necessary for Jesus to ascend to the Father for two reasons. One to send the Holy Spirit who continues and completes the plan of God. Second to come again in glory as Lord of Lord and King of Kings. We are in this in-between time, called to hold unwaveringly to our confession and to witness boldly in the power of the Spirit the love of God for each of us. 

 The Gift of Fear of the Lord rounds out the seven gifts for sanctification. The word fear is really an unfortunate term. In our human language the word fear connotates a desire to avoid or run away from, lest one is harmed. It should be rather called to be in awe of God, to have a reverential awe of the the Most Holy One. No father wants his children to be afraid of him, but to with respect to be with him. The Spirit gives us the grace or gift to come before the Lord with a basic understanding of who God is and who we are in relationship to God. God is a Father who loves us and desires us to be with him in glory. The scriptures tell us that the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. When we come before the Lord God with the reverence and awe that is his, we open ourselves to the ability to perceive what is in the mind of God, which is Wisdom.

Ascension of the Lord Gospel C

Jesus said to his disciples: “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

· Jesus presents in summary the core message they are to preach with its central teaching: his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins.

· Because they are witnesses of this salvific event, they are to tell others. How do we witness the impact in our lives of Jesus’ death and resurrection resulting in the forgiveness of our sins?

· In what ways have you experienced God’s love and mercy through the forgiveness of sins over the last month? Have you witnessed that to anyone?

And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

· He is referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them in power. This conclusion of the Gospel of Luke will tie in with the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles that Luke also wrote.

· Do you recognize the role of the Holy Spirit in your own lives and the call to witness to others?

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. 

· Bethany is on the Mt of Olives across from Jerusalem. It is outside of the village of Martha, Mary and Lazarus.

· A fuller picture of the Ascension is found in the first chapter of Acts. Reread it.

They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God.

· Luke began his Gospel with the appearance of the Angel Gabriel to Zechariah in the Temple in Jerusalem. He ends his Gospel with the Disciples praising God in the Temple.

· What is God’s message to you as you reflect on this passage?  

 The sixth spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit is the Gift of Piety. It is the gift of relationship-a relationship of love in response to God's love for us. Through the Gifts of Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Right Judgment and Fortitude, we come to know in a fuller way God's plan for our life. We come to appreciate his great,  unconditional love for us. Our hearts desire to respond and the only adequate response is love. But even our response of love is as a result of grace from God. Our love is expressed in worship of the One, True God, who alone is worthy of all praise, adoration, thanksgiving, and blessings.  Our love is further expressed in our service of others, as a way of life. This Gift of Piety prepares us for our life after death in the Kingdom of God, eternally worshipping the eternal One with all the angels and saints. We learn this worship here on earth and perfect it in eternity. Thank you, Lord, for the Gift of Piety.

 God knows that our human nature is weak. So that we can depend upon him to remain faithful to him in times of difficulty, God empowers us with the Gift of Fortitude. Paul and Silas, having preached the Word of God, were beaten and imprisoned in Philippi.  They could have feared the worse, but with fortitude of spirit they placed their hope in the Lord. They sang his praises in the depths of their dark dungeon. God freed them. Not only that, their jailer was converted and baptized, seeing the fortitude of Paul and Silas and hearing the Good News of Jesus. In the midst of difficult situations, ask for the Gift of Fortitude to stand firm and be a sign of courage and commitment to others. Who knows what God will do with your courageous commitment.

 As the Gift of Wisdom enables us to perceive what is in the mind of God, and the Gift of Knowledge helps us to be aware of what is good and right, and the Gift of Understanding helps us to comprehend what we come to know by grace, the Gift of Right Judgment or Counsel enables us to make the right decision, to choose that which is good, perfect and true. The intellect is moved by Knowledge and Understanding. The will is moved by Right Judgment. Each gift is a grace from God allowing us to walk in the way of the Lord, growing in relationship with him. When the early Church was confronted between those who saw Baptism as the means of salvation and those who insisted on circumcision and the Mosaic Laws, the Apostles prayed for wisdom, knowledge and understanding and came to the right judgement validating Baptism as the means of salvation. They concluded: "It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and us."  Pray to follow the same process with the same gifts in the decision you make, effecting your relationship with God.

Homily Sixth Sunday of Easter Year C

Reading 1: As the Word of God through the ministry of Paul and Barnabas spread among the Gentiles who are baptized, some of the Judaizers came from Jerusalem and began to sow doubt in the community of believers concerning the authenticity of Paul’s ministry. These Judaizers insisted that the Gentiles need to be circumcised and follow the Mosaic laws to be saved.

Not knowing who was right, the community decided to send Paul and Barnabas with others to Jerusalem to the Apostles for clarification. This is the initial awareness of the authority of the Apostles over the life and teaching of the Church.

After hearing about how God blessed the ministry of Paul and Barnabas to the Gentiles with signs and wonders, the apostolic leadership made a profound statement and decision. First of all, they said: “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and us.” In other words, after prayer and much discussion The Holy Spirit inspired them with the answer. This fulfills what Jesus taught the Apostles at the Last Supper: “I will send you the Holy Spirit. He will teach and guide you to the truth.” We will come back to this in the Gospel.

What was the truth? That baptism not circumcision was necessary for salvation. Following the Mosaic Law was not required any longer. The only requirement was the turning away from their former pagan practices. What will happen if we followed the practice of the Apostles, namely invoking and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit in major decisions?

Reading 2: During this post Resurrection times the Church keeps before us the life that God invites us to enter into now and after death. She presents to us another vision of life in heaven. The image of the new, holy city of Jerusalem is the image of the exultant and victorious Church, the bride of Christ in all its beauty and perfection in eternity. We are that Church now and are called to be in eternity.

The Church is built upon the faithful people of the Old Testament, the prophets, the Apostles and all the baptized who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb in baptism and the sacrament of Reconciliation.  In the center of this is the Father and Jesus, the Lamb, whose glorified life is the light of the city.

Gospel: We continue to read John’s narrative of the Last Supper in which Jesus gave a number of teachings as part of his last will and testimony. He speaks repeatedly of the centrality of love as a sign of our union with him and as a sign of our discipleship. He speaks of the need to keep his word because we love him. He teaches us the parable of the vine and the branches, reminding us that the Father loves us and as we love and keep his word, God will dwell in us and we in him.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches what later the Apostles will better understand and act upon. The Father and the Son will send the Holy Spirit. As our Advocate, helper, and intercessor, the Spirit will teach us everything concerning the truth revealed by God. Then Jesus reminds them that the peace he gives them is not a greeting but the fruit of salvation which brings life.

He tells them he is going away but will come back. He is referring not only to his upcoming death and resurrection, but also to his ascension and his second coming in glory.

His final teaching in the reading deals with the mystery of his Incarnation, being both God and Man. As God, he is one with the Father. In his humanity, the Father is greater than him, because for a time he emptied himself of his divinity in order to embrace our humanity and do the will of the Father, even to the death on the cross. It is only after the Resurrection and Pentecost and the ensuing years that the Church began to unpack these mysteries and acknowledge them fulfilled.

 We have human understanding into known situations, which helps us make decisions that impact our lives. In the same way we have the Gift of Understanding, which gives a new clarity to our knowledge of divine things, enabling us to make decisions that impact our spiritual life. In a vision Peter came to know that nothing God has created is unclean. This knowledge led to the understanding that God was calling the Gentiles into \his Kingdom.  Without the Gift of Understanding, the knowledge is incomplete. Pray for this Gift of Understanding as you read the Scriptures. Pray for this gift as you grow in your walk with God. For the decision you make have eternal consequences.

 Sixth Sunday of Easter Gospel C

Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.

· There are four things Jesus is reminding us of: 1) He loves us first;  2) Love is responded to by doing what the other has asked us to do; 3) As we act thus on the word of Jesus, we will experience the Father’s love for us in response; 4) this is experienced by the indwelling presence of God, which is a sharing in his own divine life.

· Does our life at this point reflect this teaching of Jesus? If not, what will we do to love him more by keeping his word?

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.

· Jesus shows us the consequences of not acting on his word in love. It amounts to rejecting him and the Father.

· Thus his word needs to be taken seriously. 

“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. 

· This is the second time during the Last Supper that Jesus speaks about the Holy Spirit to the Apostles.

· Again, he calls the Holy Spirit an Advocate. Jesus is our first advocate in the sense that he intercedes for us before the throne of the Father. Later on in John the Holy Spirit is a teacher, a witness to Jesus, and a prosecutor of the world.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. 

· This peace is more than a greeting. It is a gift of salvation leading to right relationship with God.

Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.”

· Later, he will explain that his going will be for their benefit. First, he must go in order to send the Holy Spirit upon them. Second, he goes to prepare a place for them. 

· His first going away is his death on the cross; his return is the resurrection. The second going away is his Ascension; he will return in his second coming.

· When Jesus says that the Father is greater than him, he is referring to his humanity not his divinity. Because he says in other places that the Father and he were one.

· Again, a key theme in John’s Gospel is the need to believe in Jesus as the one sent by the Father as our Lord and Savior. To believe him is to embrace his word as the truth which will lead to eternal life.

 One of the gifts of sanctification we receive in Baptism is the Gift of Knowledge. This gift enables us to know what is best for us in our relationship with God. Human, natural knowledge gives us awareness of natural facts. Spiritual knowledge gives us awareness of spiritual  realities. It gives us the information we will need to make right decisions for our spiritual journey as sons and daughters of God.  Just as we depend on natural knowledge, so we depend on the gift of knowledge, without which we would be left on our own. Pray for this gift each day, so that the decisions you make will lead to life with God eternally. Come, Holy Spirit, stir in me the Gift of Knowledge so that the choices I make will be in accord with the will of God.

 There are many gifts of the Spirit which we received in Baptism and Confirmation. The ones given in Baptism---Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord---are for our personal sanctification. and spiritual growth.  Are we tapping into these gifts? Wisdom enables us to perceive what is in the mind of God. Our human wisdom gives us human insight and awareness. The Gift of Wisdom gives us spiritual insight and awareness, leading us to a deeper union with God. Here is what St. Paul tells us: "We speak God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for our glory...As it is written: 'What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him,' this God has revealed to us through the Spirit." (1 Cor 2:7, 9-10) Ask God for the gift of wisdom, so that all you are and do is in the will of God.

According to God's plan in the Scriptures, he pours out his Spirit with his gifts so that our witness can be validated to be from God and not ourselves. When a person is filled with the Holy Spirit and follows the lead of the Holy Spirit, then God can manifest the gift he wishes to be used in any given situation. Are we open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Most Christians have relegated these gifts of the Spirit to a former time or to a few special people. God doesn't force the gifts upon us. He gives us free will to use or not use them. If we have buried these gifts, will God not hold us accountable for them, even unused? Be not afraid to be open to the lead of the Holy Spirit, as he accomplishes the work he has been sent to do. Pray for a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit, then be attentive and act on his direction. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

 The third challenge I have been giving the confirmation candidates is openness to the move and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It was the Spirit who motivated Peter to go to the house of a Gentile and preached the Good News. It was the same Spirit that moved the community in Antioch to send Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary outreach. We should pray every day, 'Come, Holy Spirit, come. Use me today for the glory of God." He may ask us to do something simple or great. It may be as simple as call someone. It may be great as pray over someone for healing.  We are called to be open , responsive and step out in faith. Not everything is of the Spirit. That is why we must discern when, where and how the Spirit moves in our lives.

 The second challenge I have been giving to the Confirmation candidates deals with the Word of God. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we should be reading and reflecting on the Word of God on a regular basis. For the Word of God forms, corrects, encourages and strengthens us in our walk with God. But we are called to be disciple/witnesses as well. This means to be part of a bible study group, inviting others to study and share the Word with us. It is the "Come and see" invitation that the early disciples used to bring people to meet Jesus, who in turn will teach, convict and grace them. The study group is never to be closed entity, but always inviting others to come and share. If you are not part of a bible study group, ask the Spirit to put on your heart the people to ask to begin one. If you are part of a group, ask God whom does he want you to invite to share with you. Come, Holy Spirit, come!

Homily: Fifth Sunday of Easter Year C

Reading 1: Paul and Barnabas were signaled out by the Holy Spirit to go to the Gentile world to preach the good news of salvation in Jesus, the Risen Lord. Our reading is about the end of that first journey and their return to Antioch, Syria, where it began.

It says in the first part that they went to Antioch, Greece to bid farewell to the house church established there. What they said to the believers can be said to us today. Paul and Barnabas exhorted them to persevere in their faith in Jesus Christ. “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”

As the twelve apostles appointed deacons to take care of the needs of the people, so Paul and Barnabas appoint elders (priests) to continue the pasturing of the community as the disciples leave.

Then they returned to Antioch, Syria and related to the community that sent them how the Gentiles responded to the proclamation of the truth. And the Church gave glory to God.

Why were Paul and Barnabas so effective? They followed the lead of the Holy Spirit. They proclaimed the truth in the power of the Holy Spirit. They acted in love and not for selfish gain.

Reading 2: We are given in the Book of Revelation what we will experience if we persevere in faith, if we endure the suffering because of the name of Jesus, if we follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, if we love others as Jesus has loved us. What is that? To be with God forever in glory.

What does this look like? We will be in the new heaven and new earth; we will be the bride of Christ, adorned for her husband; we will be fully in the presence of God as his redeemed and glorified people. There God will wipe away every tear. There will be no more sadness, death or mourning, no more pain, because the old has passed and the new is eternal. This is the promise God has made and God has fulfilled in the lives of those who are with him now.

There is great joy and anticipation for our coming into the eternal kingdom where the glorified ones are glorifying God with songs, and shouts, with worship and praise. Are you excited?

Gospel: We are at the Last Supper. Jesus has washed the feet of the disciples, given them an example of service they needed to imitate. Then he gave Judas a last chance to desist from his intention to betray Jesus. But Judas was determine no matter what.

And now Jesus focuses on the eleven. In John’s Gospel the Last Super was an opportunity for Jesus to leave them his Last Will and Testament. He already showed them the example service. He will speak of the coming and role of the Holy Spirit; he will speak of the need for them to be one with him and with each other, as he is one with the Father; he will tell them that his departure, namely his death, will bring them sadness, but his resurrection will bring them joy. For he goes to prepare a place for them.

Our present Gospel selection speaks of two other subjects that Jesus left with them. First, that his death on the cross will give God glory and the Father will in turn raise Jesus up, revealing Jesus’ glory as Lord and Savior. The apostles had already heard Jesus talk about glorifying God and they heard the Father’s voice saying he will glorify Jesus soon.

The way Jesus will glorify God is the same way we are called to glorify him. Jesus chose to do the will of God, obediently even to the death of the cross. When we seek to do the will of God in all circumstances we are glorifying God. In so doing we are acknowledging that he is God and we are his creatures.

The second way Jesus glorified the Father was that he did the will of God out of love, not obligation or fear. He had an agape love for the Father. He gave his total self to the Father in all he did in his humanity. He tells the disciples and us, “As I have loved you, you must love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, your love for one another.” Paul and Barnabas lived this out in their missionary outreach. The saints in heaven are with God because they gave glory to God on earth by doing his will in love in spite of their hardships.  This is our call, to glorify God by doing his will, loving one another as he has loved us.

 The role of a disciples of Jesus is enhanced by the outpouring of the Spirit so that we can be a disciple/ witness. In administering the Sacrament of Confirmation this season I have given the candidates three challenges, which I wish to share with you. A committed disciple of Jesus celebrates the Eucharist every Sunday. In doing so, the disciple is giving thanks to God for all that God has done and is doing in one's life. Now, as a disciple/witness, we are called to invite others to share worship with us. "Come and see the One who has made a difference in my life." Not only are we to invite, but we must accompanied them for a period of time, until they are rooted back in the faith community. Then, as a disciple/witness we  invite another person. In this process, we ask the Holy Spirit to put on our heart the name of the person and the boldness to invite and accompany the person, as the person reintegrates into the faith community. 

 "In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will." (Romans 8:26-27)

One of the ways that the Holy Spirit fulfills Jesus' promise that he will not leave us orphans, is that we have many intercessors before the throne of God, including the Holy Spirit. Jesus intercedes for us. Mary and the Saints intercede for us. Wow! As St. Paul tells us in Romans, when we don't know how to pray or what to pray for, all we need to do is to turn to the Spirit, who intercedes for us according to the will of the Father. When was the last time you invoke the Holy Spirit to intercede for you? This is effective especially when we are praying over someone. We don't have to know the whole situation or what is essentially needed. The Spirit does. So we invoke the Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth. What we are ultimately praying for is what is best for the person, according to the perfect will of God.

 The early Church learned to listened and followed the move and lead of the Holy Spirit as they grew in their role as witnesses. It was not easy and they made mistakes. They had to step out in faith many times.  Peter had a vision in which God revealed that nothing God created was unclean. Then the Spirit told him to go with Gentiles into a house of a Gentile. Even though this was forbidden by Jewish belief, Peter followed the Spirit’s guidance. How often has the Spirit asked us to do something out of our comfort zone and we dismissed it? Learn how to be attentive to this grace of the Spirit and step out of your comfort zone and act in faith. That is the only way to see what is of God and what is not. Come, Holy Spirit, use me.

 What does it mean to obey the Spirit? When the Apostles were confronted by the religious leaders for preaching about Jesus after having been told to desist, they responded that it was better to obey God, than men. It was the Spirit that anointed, empowered and urged them on in proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior. They were following the lead of the Spirit. They were being obedient to the direction of the Spirit. They submitted their lives to do what the Spirit told them to do, in spite of the consequences. How attentive do we listen to the move of the Spirit in our lives? Are we bold in faith to do what the Spirit urges us to do, in spite of any consequences? We have many timid Christians in comparison to those who are bold in the Spirit. Whom do you choose to obey? Yourself, the world or the Spirit? Come, Holy Spirit, stir in me the grace of faith and obedience.

Homily: Fourth Sunday of Easter Year C

Reading 1: “They were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” Why? They just got themselves thrown out of town. They have experienced persecution and rejection. They experienced violent abuse. How can they still be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit? What was the source—besides the Holy Spirit—of this joy? The message they preached, they believed and lived. But more, the person of Jesus Christ.

They were convicted of the Father’s love for them and the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.  They were committed disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were doing what God told them to do. Their focus was not the persecutions or rejections, but on doing the will of God who chose them and sent them.

Are we filled with joy and the Holy Spirit right now? During this past week? Is it possible that our focus has not been on our relationship with God, on doing the will of God consciously? Is it possible that we allowed ourselves to be so caught up with just getting through the day but forgot about the real purpose of our existence?

God was the center of their lives. Like Jesus, his will was their food. Does God want us to be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit? What needs to change and be done?

Reading 2: Who are these before the throne of God? Men and women from every place, time and culture, who in their life-time were filled with an inner joy and peace and the Holy Spirit. They survived the great period of trials and persecutions for their faith was in Jesus Christ. They kept their eyes on the Lord and his promises. They made choices that would bring them in right order with the will of God for them. They entrusted themselves to the Lord and longed for the joy of being in the Lord’s presence forever.

Were they any different from you or me? They were born, lived and died. They struggled, suffered, sinned. But the reason they are now at peace is that they came to the truth that set them free, the light that dispel the darkness, the path that leads to eternal life. They experienced Jesus and his saving message. They believed and embraced him and it. Everything from that point was measured against this relationship and reality.

Gospel: Do we want to be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit? Then follow the Lord Jesus, our Shepherd. Listen and be attentive to his voice in the silence of our hearts. Make him the reason why we do or not do something.

We have been given to Jesus by the Father. Nothing can snatch us from his hand. But I can choose not to follow him, listen to him. I can choose to leave him and focus on something else. But if I remain with and in him, then he promises eternal life with him.

This was the same message Paul and Barnabas preached, the same message those who washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb heard and acted on. It is the same message we hear. Do we want to be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit? The plan is clear. All we have to do is act on it. True, it is not easy. But we have the lives and witness of the countless number of people who are celebrating with God in eternity. They are interceding for us before the throne of God.

Luke 11:20 Moreover, if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then certainly the kingdom of God has overtaken you.

What is the finger of God? It stands for the power of the Holy Spirit. In this case, Jesus is countering the accusation leveled against his power over demons. He was accused of acting in the power of Satan. He responds that it is by the power of God, the power of the Holy Spirit that he delivers people from bondage. In his humanity, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit in his signs and wonders. When we step out in faith and exercise one of the gifts of the Spirit, it is by the same power of the Holy Spirit we see the manifestation of God. Ask God for the release of the power of his Spirit in you. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

 In the Creed we profess that we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life. When we are regenerated in the waters of baptism, we are not only cleansed of sin but given a share in the Divine Life of God. We are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. But it is the Holy Spirit that sanctifies us and sustains us in holiness, the life of God.  Just as we are not conscious of the breath in our lungs and the beat of our heart which sustains our human life, so we are not conscious of the life of God within us. Take some time to reflect on the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life, giving him thanks for a share in God's life now and hopefully eternally. Every moment is a gift from God to us. Live it faithfully in gratitude. Thank you, Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of my life. Remain in me so that I can remain in you.

 One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is that of providing us opportunities to witness to others who Jesus is and what he has done. These opportunities are called divine appointments. They are not accidental encounters, but willed moments designed by God. How many of these have we kept and how many have we missed? For the most part, these divine appointments are not known to us ahead of time. They seem to just happen. It may be a casual encounter with a person at the doctor's office, while waiting for an appointment. It may be initiated by a name that suddenly comes to mind and persists during the day. We will probably only  know if these are divine opportunities in hindsight. But the important point is to be attentive to the move of the Spirit in our lives. Then in faith act on these impulses. In time we will become more sensitive to the grace of the Spirit, discerning what is of him and what is not. To prepare, pray each day "Come, Holy Spirit, use me today."

 One of the promises Jesus made to the Apostles and to us is that when he would return to the Father, he would not leave us as orphans. He promised to send another Advocate to be with us. He sent his Spirit to be our defender and comforter. Once we were baptized, we became the Temple of the Holy Spirit. We are never alone or abandoned on our journey to the Lord. The Spirit is with us and within us. That is a truth of revelation and a given fact. But how often are we aware of this truth and fact? When we feel lonely, do we turn to the Spirit present in us? When we are struggling, do we turn to the Sprit for strength? When we are confused, do we turn to the Spirit for clarity and direction? A treasure that is buried does no one any good. A treasure is to be used. Come, Holy Spirit. Stir up an awareness of your presence in my heart, so that I may never feel alone but have the comfort of your presence.

 Jesus tells us that the Spirit would testify about him and we are to testify as well. The Spirit is the one who reveals the truth about Jesus to us. We, in turn, are to testify to others about who Jesus is to us. That is one of the reasons we are confirmed, namely to be a witness, one who has had a personal encounter with Jesus, the Lord.  St. Peter in his First Letter makes this statement: "Venerate the Lord, that is ,Christ in your hearts. Should anyone ask you the reason for this hope of yours, be ever ready to reply, but speak gently and respectfully." (3:15-16).  Unfortunately, we fail in this, because we feel unequipped. That is the time to ask the Holy Spirit, not only to give you the opportunity to share your testimony, but the words to share as well in a way that will touch the person's heart. In other words, be attentive to the grace of the Holy Spirit. Then, step out in faith and share boldly.

 One of the amazing part of God's plan for the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives is that it is not meant to be a  one time experience, like Baptism and Confirmation. The Apostles, Mary and the one hundred and twenty received the anointing of the Spirit at Pentecost for the purpose of proclaiming the Good New of God's love through the death and resurrection of Jesus. A short time later, as the Church began to experience the initial persecution by the religious leaders, the community of believers in Acts 4 responded by praying for a fresh outpouring of the gifts of Spirit, especially boldness. It says all were filled with the Holy Spirit, just as they were on Pentecost. What is the message? We should be praying regularly for a fresh outpouring of the gifts of the Spirit, so that we can more effectively witness our faith to others with signs and wonders as our credentials.  Come, Holy Spirit, come and stir up your gifts within me.

 The first role of the Holy Spirit is  to sanctify us. Jesus saves us. The Spirt enables us to be holy. When we were baptized we became adopted sons and daughters of God, given a share in his divine life. We received sanctifying grace. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, through this grace we are make perfect in love. It is the role of the Spirit to perfect and bring us into a deeper union with God, so that we can have perfect, eternal union with the Trinity. Our role is one of response to this action of the Holy Spirit who is the initiator. How conscious are we of this move of the Spirit? Most of us are not. And yet, without the presence of the Holy Spirit, we could not grow in love of God and of our neighbor, which is what sanctifying grace accomplishes in us. Come, Holy Spirit. Sanctify me. Keep me one with you today.

 In St. Luke's Gospel in the first two chapters, he mentions seven people filled with the Holy Spirit. In his Acts of the Apostles, he speaks of a number of people filled with the Holy Spirit. Each was a witness of the presence, plan and power of the Holy Spirit. God sent his Son, Jesus, to reconcile us back to our Beginning and End. The Father and Jesus sent us the Spirit to sanctify, anoint, empower and mission us. To be filled with the Holy Spirit means to receive the Holy Spirit in our lives, so that we can give testimony of God's plan in our lives.  Usually, this presence of the Spirit is manifested with some sign or wonder. Mary, Elizabeth, Zachariah, Simeon and Anna, in Luke's early chapters, each prophesied. Through Baptism and Confirmation we are filled with the Spirit. But the gifts of the Spirit must be stirred up by faith, not only believing in God's Word but also stepping out and doing what the Spirit calls us to do. 

 During this Easter Season the Church is already looking forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church, upon us, in a fresh new way. Who is the Holy Spirit to us? How does he move in our life? How receptive are we to the grace of the Holy Spirit? When we were baptized, not only were we free from Original sin, but we were adopted by God as his son or daughter, sharing in his divine life. As St. Paul tells us, we are Temples of the Holy Spirit. How conscious are we of this life-giving presence of the Divine Person? During the next few weeks, we will reflect on the role of the Holy Spirit, according to God's plan as revealed in the Word of God. As part of this reflection, I invite you to pray with me each day, "Come, Holy Spirit, come. Come in a fresh new way into my life." 

 Easter involved a radical change in Jesus and in those who believe in him. His body takes on a different appearance, but it is the same Jesus. Something changes in those whom he encounters after his resurrection. The women came to the tomb sad. They left joyfully. They expected the tomb to still be sealed, but it was wide open. They expected to see a lifeless body. They saw their Lord, risen and alive. Likewise the Apostles. They did not believe the initial report of the women. Then Jesus appeared to them. No longer fearful and disbelieving, they acknowledge Jesus with joy. One effect of the resurrection is a change in relationship with Jesus.  For us, Lent is a grace, preparing us for that change of heart. Renewing our baptismal promises on Easter is a statement of our commitment to continue to grow in our relationship with Jesus, the risen Lord.  It is this change that prepares us to receive anew the gift of the Spirit in our lives.

Homily:  Second Sunday of Easter Year C

Reading 1: Signs and wonders occurred at the hands of the Apostles after Pentecost. The sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits were cured. What was the focus of this happening? Jesus was proclaimed as Lord and Messiah by those who were witnesses of the Risen Lord and his teachings. As a result, others believed and were added to their numbers.

Faith in Jesus. The Apostles did what Jesus told them to do. They received the anointed power of the Holy Spirit and they were led by the Spirit, as Jesus was, to pray for those who were sick and those influenced by evil spirits.

Faith in Jesus Christ entails committing one’s life to Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah and openness to the grace of the Holy Spirit. This opens one up to the manifestations of God’s power. That is the plan of God. Should that not be happening now?

Reading 2: Why was John persecuted? Because he proclaimed God’s word and gave testimony to Jesus. As a result he was exiled to the island of Patmos. Even there he experienced a gift of the Spirit—divine visions.

In this vision Jesus reassured him and said “Do not be afraid” to proclaim God’s word and continue to give testimony about him who is the first and the last, the one who died and is alive.

Is it fear that prevents us from proclaiming God’s word by our life and actions? Are we afraid of what others may say or think of us? Where should our focus be? On Jesus or on others?  He has the keys of death. Others don’t.

Gospel: Again, the focus is on the plan of the Father, the person of Jesus and the gift of the Spirit. The Apostles were in fear of being arrested and may be put to death like Jesus. Jesus met them where they were. He addresses their fear by simply saying: “Peace.” That is Jesus’ word to us today. No matter our concerns, worries, fears or problems: “Peace”.

Then he reminded them of the Father’s plan for him and for them. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” The Father sent Jesus out of love for us to bring us Good News that would set us free, forgive us our sins and bring us once more into God’s life. The Apostles, and we, have the same commission.

Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit in his humanity, so that led by and in the power of the Holy Spirit the words of truth proclaimed would be confirmed with signs and wonders. So Jesus breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

But for all this to happen there was an essential piece needed. Thomas would give the example. Not only are we called to be disciples, followers of Jesus—but we must have a deep personal relationship with Jesus. Our faith/commitment must be based on the full reality of who Jesus is. Many knew and followed Jesus the man who was crucified and buried. Thomas had not made the leap of faith to accept, acknowledge and commit himself to Jesus as Lord and God. Like others his faith was based on a memory not on the reality of the person of the Son of God. His faith was built on his need to determine what will bring him to accept what the others had seen and experienced, the risen Lord. But once he witnessed Jesus, risen, he proclaimed: “My Lord and my God.”

Acknowledging Jesus and “My Lord and my God”, we are called to proclaim God’s word, to give testimony to Jesus, to be led by the Spirit and to be open to the gifts of the Spirit so that others may believe in Jesus as Lord and Messiah.

 Most people treat Easter as they treat Christmas. It is over the day afterwards. But the Church celebrates Easter for a whole week in a solemn way and for fifty days afterwards as a season. Does this indicate the importance and significance of the Paschal mysteries? Are we one of those who heard about the resurrection and ignore its implications? Are we one of those who heard about it, but did not experience anything different at Easter, so we went about our business? Are we one of those who heard and experienced the Risen Jesus in some way and then continue to celebrate his gift of life to us? The grace of Easter is not a one-day gift. It is a life changing gift to those who receive and celebrate this love of God in a conscious way. We are still in the Easter season. Invite the Risen Lord into your heart in a fresh new way, so that his risen life can continue the transformation that began in Baptism.

 Second Sunday of Easter: Gospel C

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 

· Why do you think Jesus greets them thus? Could it be because they had abandoned him and ran and he wanted them not to think he had come to condemn them? Imagine yourself in that situation as one of the apostles, what would you be feeling or thinking if Jesus so appeared to you?

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 

· What did the Father sent Jesus to do that Jesus was now sending the apostles to do? To be witnesses of his love and mercy. Do we have the same commission from Jesus? What are we doing about it?

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” 

· In John’s theology the Paschal Mystery is unified: The Death, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus and the Coming of the Spirit. In Luke’s Gospel there is a time factor between Easter and Pentecost.

· As the Spirit was essential in the ministry of Jesus so the Spirit would be necessary in the ministry of the Apostles and ours as well.

· Why did Jesus emphasized the power of forgiveness at this time? Who needed to know they were forgiven?

· What is the relationship between the gift of the Spirit and the experience of forgiveness?  How do you connect this to the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 

· Why do you think Thomas responded this way? Was he reacting out of human resentment that Jesus had not appeared to him or was there something deeper? Have you experienced doubts in your life about faith issues?

Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” 

· How did Jesus know Thomas’ heart? Does he know your heart as well?

Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 

· Notice Thomas is not said to have put his finger in the nail marks or his hand in Jesus’ pierced side. Rather he moved from doubt or anger to faith and love.

Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” 

· Can we relate to what Jesus said to Thomas? Is our faith based on “seeing”? 

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

· Is our faith in the person of Jesus whether we see signs or is it depended on signs and confirmations?

 "The resurrection of Jesus is indeed the basis of our hope. For in the light of this event, hope is no longer an illusion. Thanks to Christ — crucified and risen from the dead — hope does not disappoint! Spes non confundit! (cf. Rom 5:5). That hope is not an evasion, but a challenge; it does not delude, but empowers us. All those who put their hope in God place their feeble hands in his strong and mighty hand; they let themselves be raised up and set out on a journey. Together with the risen Jesus, they become pilgrims of hope, witnesses of the victory of love and of the disarmed power of Life." Pope Francis

On Easter Sunday of this year, Pope Francis proclaimed this message. It was in this message of hope that he embraced the death that leads to life eternal. We too are called to have that same assurance of hope as we make our journey to the promised inheritance that awaits us. Our hope is a person, the person of Jesus Christ. He has come to us to show us the way. He has gone before us to prepare for our coming. He walks with us on the journey, providing us the grace to persevere.  Thank you, Jesus, for your death and resurrection. Thank you for sharing with us your eternal life. Thank you, Jesus, for your great love. May I remain faithful to you as you are faithful to me.

 The Resurrection of Christ gives us new insights into our future resurrection in glory. The risen body of Jesus radiates glory. What Jesus experienced before becoming Man, what Jesus experienced at the Transfiguration is the reality that is evidenced to the believers. The glorified body is the same person, but is different.  It is a real body, not a ghost, because it can be touched.  He shares meals with the apostles.  But the risen Savior is not limited to space and time. Though the doors are closed, Jesus appears to them. One day we hope to have a glorified body, sharing in the glory of God. This is God's revelation to us. This is our faith. What a glorious day that will be!

 He is risen indeed! This is the message that has fulfilled the prophetic life of Jesus. This is a message of faith that gives new meaning to life. This is the proclamation that has given new hope to a otherwise bleak existence. Lives that were confused at his death have been transformed by his resurrected life. People who saw an empty tomb at first were sadden until they encountered the Risen Lord himself.  Now, the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah come alive and are fulfilled in the living Lord and Savior. Has our life been transformed? Have we encountered the Risen Lord in faith? "Blessed are those who have not seen, but have believed." Has Jesus broken through our past fears and uncertainties with his living words: "It is I, do not be afraid."? He is risen indeed! Let our lives be a living testimony of our faith, hope and love.

 HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA! BECAUSE HE LIVES, WE LIVE A NEW LIFE! ALLELUIA!

MAY YOU HAVE A GLORIOUS AND BLESSED EASTER, CELEBRAING HIS ETERNAL LIFE! ALLELUIA!

 Psalms 50:9 You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed. You will wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow.

Our God is gracious. Even though we are born with sin, in baptism he washed us clean through his sacrificed Blood. We became a new creation. God does this even knowing that we will sin again. Like the Chosen People, God delivered them from their bondage; they passed through the Red Sea on dry land, symbolizing baptism and  He did signs and wonders for them in the desert. They still grumbled and sinned. He would purify them through chastisement and restored them to the Covenant. How much more he does for us! As we renew our baptismal promises on Easter, let moment be a true recommitment of our lives to the Lord in gratitude for what he has done for us.

 Psalms 50:5-7 For I know my iniquity, and my sin is ever before me.  Against you only have I sinned, and I have done evil before your eyes. And so, you are justified in your words, and you will prevail when you give judgment. For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sinfulness did my mother conceive me.

The psalmist identifies the sin that he is effected by. He acknowledge Original sin, which we inherited from Adam and Eve. I am born with this alienation from God. But with this he admits his own sins, chosen by him, which keeps him away from God. He realizes that God is justified in pointing out our sins to us. With St. Paul we can cry out, "Who can deliver us from this state? With St. Paul in faith we know that Jesus through his death and resurrection has reconciled us back to God. In baptism we are freed from Original Sin. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation we are forgiven our personal sins. What should our response be? Gratitude and determination to live free from sin, so as to share in God's divine life. That is why this Holy Week is special for us, as Christians. We remember and enter into the mystery of our salvation and new life.

 Psalms 50:3-4 Be merciful to me, O God, according to your great mercy. And, according to the plentitude of your compassion, wipe out my iniquity. Wash me once again from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

As we enter into this Holy Week, we need to cry out from the depths of our being to the Lord for his mercy and forgiveness. He alone knows our sins. He alone can cleanse us of our guilt. We are asking that the merits of his death and resurrection be applied to us. He never withholds his loving mercy to those who ask him in true repentance. Not only do we cry out because of our past sins, which he has forgiven, but for our present sins as well. We have all sinned and fallen from the glory of God. We are all forgiven through Jesus’ gift of his life. Thank you, Jesus, for your great love. Help us to walk more faithfully with you.

 Psalms 37:22-23 Do not forsake me, O Lord my God. Do not depart from me. Be attentive to my help, O Lord, the God of my salvation.

What began with a recognition of sin, concludes with faith and hope. Even knowing the reality of sin in his life, the psalmist also knows that his only hope is in the mercy of God. He has no right to this mercy, for it is pure grace. But he trusts that God, who is ever faithful and compassionate, will forgive his transgressions and restore him to a right relationship. The words of Isaiah confirms this faith and hope. "Even if a mother can forget her child, I will never forget you." Knowing this, knowing our own sinfulness, let us hasten to return to the Lord, who hastens to receive us with open arms. Before we ask, he has already forgiven us. But that grace will not have its full effect until we ask with a contrite heart.